Structural Connectivity and Emotion Recognition Impairment in Children and Adolescents with Chromosome 22q11.2 Deletion Syndrome

Children with chromosome 22q11.2 deletion syndrome (22q11.2DS) exhibit impaired ability to process and understand emotions in others. We measured structural connectivity in children and adolescents with 22q11.2DS (n = 28) and healthy controls (n = 29). Compared to controls, those with 22q11.2DS had poorer social skills and more difficulty recognizing facial emotions. Children with 22q11.2DS also had higher fractional anisotropic diffusion in right amygdala to fusiform gyrus white matter pathways. Right amygdala to fusiform gyrus fractional anisotropy values partially mediated the relationship between 22q11.2DS and social skills, as well as the relationship between 22q11.2DS and emotion recognition accuracy. These findings provide insight into the neural origins of social skills deficits seen in 22q11.2DS and may serve as a biomarker for risk of future psychiatric problems.