WS and Neurological Disorders

About 60 percent of people with Wolfram syndrome develop a neurological or psychiatric disorder, most commonly problems with balance and coordination (ataxia), typically beginning in early adulthood. Other neurological problems experienced by people with Wolfram syndrome include irregular breathing caused by the brain’s inability to control breathing (central apnea), loss of the sense of smell, loss of the gag reflex, muscle spasms (myoclonus), seizures, reduced sensation in the lower extremities (peripheral neuropathy), and intellectual impairment. Psychiatric disorders associated with Wolfram syndrome include psychosis, episodes of severe depression, and impulsive and aggressive behavior.