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Sample records for dominant spinocerebellar ataxia

  1. Clinical neurogenetics: autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shakkottai, Vikram G; Fogel, Brent L

    2013-11-01

    The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias are a diverse and clinically heterogeneous group of disorders characterized by degeneration and dysfunction of the cerebellum and its associated pathways. Clinical and diagnostic evaluation can be challenging because of phenotypic overlap among causes, and a stratified and systematic approach is essential. Recent advances include the identification of additional genes causing dominant genetic ataxia, a better understanding of cellular pathogenesis in several disorders, the generation of new disease models that may stimulate development of new therapies, and the use of new DNA sequencing technologies, including whole-exome sequencing, to improve diagnosis. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  2. Missense mutations in ITPR1 cause autosomal dominant congenital nonprogressive spinocerebellar ataxia

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    Huang Lijia

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Congenital nonprogressive spinocerebellar ataxia is characterized by early gross motor delay, hypotonia, gait ataxia, mild dysarthria and dysmetria. The clinical presentation remains fairly stable and may be associated with cerebellar atrophy. To date, only a few families with autosomal dominant congenital nonprogressive spinocerebellar ataxia have been reported. Linkage to 3pter was demonstrated in one large Australian family and this locus was designated spinocerebellar ataxia type 29. The objective of this study is to describe an unreported Canadian family with autosomal dominant congenital nonprogressive spinocerebellar ataxia and to identify the underlying genetic causes in this family and the original Australian family. Methods and Results Exome sequencing was performed for the Australian family, resulting in the identification of a heterozygous mutation in the ITPR1 gene. For the Canadian family, genotyping with microsatellite markers and Sanger sequencing of ITPR1 gene were performed; a heterozygous missense mutation in ITPR1 was identified. Conclusions ITPR1 encodes inositol 1,4,5-trisphosphate receptor, type 1, a ligand-gated ion channel that mediates calcium release from the endoplasmic reticulum. Deletions of ITPR1 are known to cause spinocerebellar ataxia type 15, a distinct and very slowly progressive form of cerebellar ataxia with onset in adulthood. Our study demonstrates for the first time that, in addition to spinocerebellar ataxia type 15, alteration of ITPR1 function can cause a distinct congenital nonprogressive ataxia; highlighting important clinical heterogeneity associated with the ITPR1 gene and a significant role of the ITPR1-related pathway in the development and maintenance of the normal functions of the cerebellum.

  3. Maculopathy and spinocerebellar ataxia type 1

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lebranchu, Pierre; Le Meur, Guylène; Magot, Armelle

    2013-01-01

    Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia is a rare heterogeneous group of diseases characterized by cerebellar symptoms, often associated with other multisystemic signs. Mild optic neuropathy has been associated with spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), but macular dysfunction has been reported...

  4. Spinocerebellar ataxia-10 with paranoid schizophrenia

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    Bhavesh Trikamji

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Spino-cerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCA10 is an autosomal dominant disorder that is characterized by cerebellar ataxia, seizures and nystagmus with a fragmented pursuit. Schizophrenia has been reported with SCAs 1 and 2 yet in SCA 10, psychiatric manifestations are uncommon. We report a Hispanic family involving a father and his four children with SCA10 genetic mutation. Two of his children, a 20-year-old female and a 23-year-old male, presented with gradually progressive spino-cerebellar ataxia and paranoid schizophrenia. Neurological examination revealed ocular dysmetria, dysdiadokinesia, impaired finger-to-nose exam, gait ataxia and hyperreflexia in both the cases. Additionally, they had a history of psychosis with destructive behavior, depression and paranoid delusions with auditory hallucinations. Serology and CSF studies were unremarkable and MRI brain revealed cerebellar volume loss. Ultimately, a test for ATAXIN-10 mutation was positive thus confirming the diagnosis of SCA10 in father and his four children. We now endeavor to investigate the association between schizophrenia and SCA10.

  5. Speech in spinocerebellar ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schalling, Ellika; Hartelius, Lena

    2013-12-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a heterogeneous group of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias clinically characterized by progressive ataxia, dysarthria and a range of other concomitant neurological symptoms. Only a few studies include detailed characterization of speech symptoms in SCA. Speech symptoms in SCA resemble ataxic dysarthria but symptoms related to phonation may be more prominent. One study to date has shown an association between differences in speech and voice symptoms related to genotype. More studies of speech and voice phenotypes are motivated, to possibly aid in clinical diagnosis. In addition, instrumental speech analysis has been demonstrated to be a reliable measure that may be used to monitor disease progression or therapy outcomes in possible future pharmacological treatments. Intervention by speech and language pathologists should go beyond assessment. Clinical guidelines for management of speech, communication and swallowing need to be developed for individuals with progressive cerebellar ataxia. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  6. Autosomal dominant hereditary ataxia in Sri Lanka

    OpenAIRE

    Sumathipala, Dulika S; Abeysekera, Gayan S; Jayasekara, Rohan W; Tallaksen, Chantal ME; Dissanayake, Vajira HW

    2013-01-01

    Background Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) are a group of hereditary neurodegenerative disorders. Prevalence of SCA subtypes differ worldwide. Autosomal dominant ataxias are the commonest types of inherited ataxias seen in Sri Lanka. The aim of the study is to determine the genetic etiology of patients with autosomal dominant ataxia in Sri Lanka and to describe the clinical features of each genetic subtype. Methods ...

  7. Ataxias and Cerebellar or Spinocerebellar Degeneration

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... and conducts a broad range of basic and clinical research on cerebellar and spinocerebellar degeneration, including work aimed at finding the cause(s) of ataxias and ways to ... Publications Definition Ataxia ...

  8. Phenotype variability and early onset ataxia symptoms in spinocerebellar ataxia type 7: comparison and correlation with other spinocerebellar ataxias

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    Marcus Vinicius Cristino de Albuquerque

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA are a group of neurodegenerative disorders characterized by heterogeneous clinical presentation. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7 is caused by an abnormal CAG repeat expansion and includes cerebellar signs associated with visual loss and ophthalmoplegia. Marked anticipation and dynamic mutation is observed in SCA7. Moreover, phenotype variability and very early onset of symptoms may occur. In this article, a large series of Brazilian patients with different SCA subtypes was evaluated, and we compared the age of onset of SCA7 with other SCA. From the 26 patients with SCA7, 4 manifested their symptoms before 10-year-old. Also, occasionally the parents may have the onset of symptoms after their children. In conclusion, our study highlights the genetic anticipation phenomenon that occurs in SCA7 families. Patients with very early onset ataxia in the context of a remarkable family history, must be considered and tested for SCA7.

  9. From mild ataxia to huntington disease phenocopy: the multiple faces of spinocerebellar ataxia 17.

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    Koutsis, Georgios; Panas, Marios; Paraskevas, George P; Bougea, Anastasia M; Kladi, Athina; Karadima, Georgia; Kapaki, Elisabeth

    2014-01-01

    Introduction. Spinocerebellar ataxia 17 (SCA 17) is a rare autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA) caused by a CAG/CAA expansion in the TBP gene, reported from a limited number of countries. It is a very heterogeneous ADCA characterized by ataxia, cognitive decline, psychiatric symptoms, and involuntary movements, with some patients presenting with Huntington disease (HD) phenocopies. The SCA 17 expansion is stable during parent-child transmission and intrafamilial phenotypic homogeneity has been reported. However, significant phenotypic variability within families has also been observed. Report of the Family. We presently report a Greek family with a pathological expansion of 54 repeats at the SCA 17 locus that displayed remarkable phenotypic variability. Among 3 affected members, one presented with HD phenocopy; one with progressive ataxia, dementia, chorea, dystonia, and seizures, and one with mild slowly progressive ataxia with minor cognitive and affective symptoms. Conclusions. This is the first family with SCA 17 identified in Greece and highlights the multiple faces of this rare disorder, even within the same family.

  10. Mitochondrial recessive ataxia syndrome mimicking dominant spinocerebellar ataxia.

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    Palin, Eino J H; Hakonen, Anna H; Korpela, Mari; Paetau, Anders; Suomalainen, Anu

    2012-04-15

    We studied the genetic background of a family with SCA, showing dominant inheritance and anticipation. Muscle histology, POLG1 gene sequence, neuropathology and mitochondrial DNA analyses in a mother and a son showed typical findings for a mitochondrial disorder, and both were shown to be homozygous for a recessive POLG1 mutation, underlying mitochondrial recessive ataxia syndrome, MIRAS. The healthy father was a heterozygous carrier for the same mutation. Recessively inherited MIRAS mutations should be tested in dominantly inherited SCAs cases of unknown cause, as the high carrier frequency of MIRAS may result in two independent introductions of the mutant allele in the family and thereby mimic dominant inheritance. Copyright © 2011 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. From Mild Ataxia to Huntington Disease Phenocopy: The Multiple Faces of Spinocerebellar Ataxia 17

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    Georgios Koutsis

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction. Spinocerebellar ataxia 17 (SCA 17 is a rare autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA caused by a CAG/CAA expansion in the TBP gene, reported from a limited number of countries. It is a very heterogeneous ADCA characterized by ataxia, cognitive decline, psychiatric symptoms, and involuntary movements, with some patients presenting with Huntington disease (HD phenocopies. The SCA 17 expansion is stable during parent-child transmission and intrafamilial phenotypic homogeneity has been reported. However, significant phenotypic variability within families has also been observed. Report of the Family. We presently report a Greek family with a pathological expansion of 54 repeats at the SCA 17 locus that displayed remarkable phenotypic variability. Among 3 affected members, one presented with HD phenocopy; one with progressive ataxia, dementia, chorea, dystonia, and seizures, and one with mild slowly progressive ataxia with minor cognitive and affective symptoms. Conclusions. This is the first family with SCA 17 identified in Greece and highlights the multiple faces of this rare disorder, even within the same family.

  12. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7: Report of an Indian family

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    Gurusidheshwar M Wali

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7 is a form of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia which is associated with pigmentary retinal degeneration. It is known for its world-wide rarity except in the Scandinavian countries. It is very rarely reported from India and the neighbouring Asian countries . The present report describes the neurogenetic findings of a family of SCA7, from the northern part of Karnataka in South India. It documents the wide intrafamilial phenotypic variability, which could be correlated with the CAG repeat counts and phenomenon of anticipation. Genotype phenotype correlation highlighted certain disparities in comparison with the previous studies. The report highlights the need for multiethnic population studies and the role of genetic counseling and prenatal testing in SCA7 patients.

  13. Germ-line CAG repeat instability causes extreme CAG repeat expansion with infantile-onset spinocerebellar ataxia type 2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Vinther-Jensen, Tua; Ek, Jakob; Duno, Morten

    2013-01-01

    The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) are a genetically and clinically heterogeneous group of diseases, characterized by dominant inheritance, progressive cerebellar ataxia and diverse extracerebellar symptoms. A subgroup of the ataxias is caused by unstable CAG-repeat expansions in their respective ...... of paternal germ-line repeat sequence instability of the expanded SCA2 locus.European Journal of Human Genetics advance online publication, 10 October 2012; doi:10.1038/ejhg.2012.231....

  14. Research progress of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1

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    Lin-wei ZHANG

    2014-05-01

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1 is a kind of autosomal dominant genetic neurodegenerative disorder. To date, the pathogenesis of SCA1 remains unclear. Studies in numerous SCA1 experimental models, including transgenic mice, transgenic drosophila and induced pluripotent stem cells, have shown that phosphorylation of S776 in mutant ataxin-1, molecular chaperones, ubiquitin-proteasome system and down-regulation of several components of RAS-MAPK-MSK1 pathway may involve in the pathogenesis of SCA1. In this review, the clinical and pathological features of SCA1, and the latest advances of pathogenesis, model systems and therapeutic exploration will be briefly summarized. doi: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2014.05.017

  15. [Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 associated to pigmentary retinitis].

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    Jiménez-Caballero, Pedro Enrique; Serviá, Mónica

    2010-07-01

    Ocular disorders are useful in the characterisation of the different types of spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA); pigmentary retinitis is an alteration that is specifically associated to SCA type 7 and is characterised by night blindness, sensitivity to glare and progressive narrowing of the visual field. A 34-year-old woman with clinical symptoms of progressive ataxia and visual impairment secondary to pigmentary retinitis. The patient had a personal history with an autosomal dominant pattern of a similar disorder in her father and paternal grandmother. In the genetic study she presented a triplet expansion in the SCA type 2 gene. CONCLUSIONS; Although pigmentary retinitis belongs to the SCA type 7 phenotype, our patient presented this retinal disorder, as in other cases of SCA type 2. A genetic study for SCA type 2 must therefore be conducted in patients with a degenerative ataxic clinical picture and who present evidence of pigmentary retinitis.

  16. Generation of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell line SCA3.B11

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Susanne Kofoed; Borland, Helena; Hasholt, Lis Frydenreich

    2016-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by an expansion of the CAG-repeat in ATXN3. In this study, induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) were generated from SCA3 patient dermal fibroblasts by electroporation with episomal plasmids encoding L...

  17. A novel missense mutation in CCDC88C activates the JNK pathway and causes a dominant form of spinocerebellar ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tsoi, Ho; Yu, Allen C S; Chen, Zhefan S; Ng, Nelson K N; Chan, Anne Y Y; Yuen, Liz Y P; Abrigo, Jill M; Tsang, Suk Ying; Tsui, Stephen K W; Tong, Tony M F; Lo, Ivan F M; Lam, Stephen T S; Mok, Vincent C T; Wong, Lawrence K S; Ngo, Jacky C K; Lau, Kwok-Fai; Chan, Ting-Fung; Chan, H Y Edwin

    2014-09-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of clinically and genetically diverse and autosomal-dominant disorders characterised by neurological deficits in the cerebellum. At present, there is no cure for SCAs. Of the different distinct subtypes of autosomal-dominant SCAs identified to date, causative genes for only a fraction of them are currently known. In this study, we investigated the cause of an autosomal-dominant SCA phenotype in a family that exhibits cerebellar ataxia and pontocerebellar atrophy along with a global reduction in brain volume. Whole-exome analysis revealed a missense mutation c.G1391A (p.R464H) in the coding region of the coiled-coil domain containing 88C (CCDC88C) gene in all affected individuals. Functional studies showed that the mutant form of CCDC88C activates the c-Jun N-terminal kinase (JNK) pathway, induces caspase 3 cleavage and triggers apoptosis. This study expands our understanding of the cause of autosomal-dominant SCAs, a group of heterogeneous congenital neurological conditions in humans, and unveils a link between the JNK stress pathway and cerebellar atrophy. Published by the BMJ Publishing Group Limited. For permission to use (where not already granted under a licence) please go to http://group.bmj.com/group/rights-licensing/permissions.

  18. Generation of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 patient-derived induced pluripotent stem cell line SCA3.A11

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Susanne Kofoed; Borland, Helena; Hasholt, Lis Frydenreich

    2016-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is a dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by a CAG-repeat expanding mutation in ATXN3. We generated induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSCs) from a SCA3 patient by electroporation of dermal fibroblasts with episomal plasmids encoding L-MYC, LIN28...

  19. Motor Decline in Clinically Presymptomatic Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 Gene Carriers

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    Velázquez-Perez, Luis; Díaz, Rosalinda; Pérez-González, Ruth; Canales, Nalia; Rodríguez-Labrada, Roberto; Medrano, Jacquelín; Sánchez, Gilberto; Almaguer-Mederos, Luis; Torres, Cira; Fernandez-Ruiz, Juan

    2009-01-01

    Background Motor deficits are a critical component of the clinical characteristics of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2. However, there is no current information on the preclinical manifestation of those motor deficits in presymptomatic gene carriers. To further understand and characterize the onset of the clinical manifestation in this disease, we tested presymptomatic spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 gene carriers, and volunteers, in a task that evaluates their motor performance and their motor learning capabilities. Methods and Findings 28 presymptomatic spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 gene carriers and an equal number of control volunteers matched for age and gender participated in the study. Both groups were tested in a prism adaptation task known to be sensible to both motor performance and visuomotor learning deficits. Our results clearly show that although motor learning capabilities are intact, motor performance deficits are present even years before the clinical manifestation of the disease start. Conclusions The results show a clear deficit in motor performance that can be detected years before the clinical onset of the disease. This motor performance deficit appears before any motor learning or clinical manifestations of the disease. These observations identify the performance coefficient as an objective and quantitative physiological biomarker that could be useful to assess the efficiency of different therapeutic agents. PMID:19401771

  20. Spinocerebellar ataxias Ataxias espinocerebelares

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    Hélio A.G. Teive

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs constitute a heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia in association with some or all of the following conditions: ophthalmoplegia, pyramidal signs, movement disorders, pigmentary retinopathy, peripheral neuropathy, cognitive dysfunction and dementia. OBJECTIVE: To carry out a clinical and genetic review of the main types of SCA. METHOD: The review was based on a search of the PUBMED and OMIM databases. RESULTS: Thirty types of SCAs are currently known, and 16 genes associated with the disease have been identified. The most common types are SCA type 3, or Machado-Joseph disease, SCA type 10 and SCA types 7, 2, 1 and 6. SCAs are genotypically and phenotypically very heterogeneous. A clinical algorithm can be used to distinguish between the different types of SCAs. CONCLUSIONS: Detailed clinical neurological examination of SCA patients can be of great help when assessing them, and the information thus gained can be used in an algorithm to screen patients before molecular tests to investigate the correct etiology of the disease are requested.As ataxias espinocerebelares (AECs compreendem um grupo heterogeneo de enfermidades neurodegenerativas, que se caracterizam pela presença de ataxia cerebelar progressiva, associada de forma variada com oftalmoplegia, sinais piramidais, distúrbios do movimento, retinopatia pigmentar, neuropatia periférica, disfunção cognitiva e demência. OBJETIVO: Realizar uma revisão clínico-genética dos principais tipos de AECs. MÉTODO: A revisão foi realizada através da pesquisa pelo sistema do PUBMED e do OMIM. RESULTADOS: Na atualidade existem cerca de 30 tipos de AECs, com a descoberta de 16 genes. Os tipos mais comuns são a AEC tipo 3, ou doença de Machado-Joseph, a AEC tipo 10, e as AECs tipo 7, 2 1, e 6. As AECs apresentam grande heterogeneidade genotípica e fenotípica. Pode-se utilizar um algoritmo clínico para a

  1. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6: MRI of three Japanese patients

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Satoh, J.I.; Tokumoto, H.; Yukitake, M.; Matsui, M.; Kuroda, Y.; Matsuyama, Z.; Kawakami, H.; Nakamura, S.

    1998-01-01

    We describe the MRI findings in three Japanese patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) in which a polymorphic CAG repeat was identified in the gene encoding the α 1A voltage-dependent P/Q-type Ca 2+ channel subunit (CACNL1A4). All showed slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia and mild pyramidal signs. Neuroradiologically, they had moderate cerebellar atrophy, most prominently in the superior vermis, whereas the brain stem appeared to be spared. No abnormal signal intensity was identified. (orig.)

  2. A panel study on patients with dominant cerebellar ataxia highlights the frequency of channelopathies.

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    Coutelier, Marie; Coarelli, Giulia; Monin, Marie-Lorraine; Konop, Juliette; Davoine, Claire-Sophie; Tesson, Christelle; Valter, Rémi; Anheim, Mathieu; Behin, Anthony; Castelnovo, Giovanni; Charles, Perrine; David, Albert; Ewenczyk, Claire; Fradin, Mélanie; Goizet, Cyril; Hannequin, Didier; Labauge, Pierre; Riant, Florence; Sarda, Pierre; Sznajer, Yves; Tison, François; Ullmann, Urielle; Van Maldergem, Lionel; Mochel, Fanny; Brice, Alexis; Stevanin, Giovanni; Durr, Alexandra

    2017-06-01

    Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias have a marked heterogeneous genetic background, with mutations in 34 genes identified so far. This large amount of implicated genes accounts for heterogeneous clinical presentations, making genotype-phenotype correlations a major challenge in the field. While polyglutamine ataxias, linked to CAG repeat expansions in genes such as ATXN1, ATXN2, ATXN3, ATXN7, CACNA1A and TBP, have been extensively characterized in large cohorts, there is a need for comprehensive assessment of frequency and phenotype of more 'conventional' ataxias. After exclusion of CAG/polyglutamine expansions in spinocerebellar ataxia genes in 412 index cases with dominantly inherited cerebellar ataxias, we aimed to establish the relative frequencies of mutations in other genes, with an approach combining panel sequencing and TaqMan® polymerase chain reaction assay. We found relevant genetic variants in 59 patients (14.3%). The most frequently mutated were channel genes [CACNA1A (n = 16), KCND3 (n = 4), KCNC3 (n = 2) and KCNA1 (n = 2)]. Deletions in ITPR1 (n = 11) were followed by biallelic variants in SPG7 (n = 9). Variants in AFG3L2 (n = 7) came next in frequency, and variants were rarely found in STBN2 (n = 2), ELOVL5, FGF14, STUB1 and TTBK2 (n = 1 each). Interestingly, possible risk factor variants were detected in SPG7 and POLG. Clinical comparisons showed that ataxias due to channelopathies had a significantly earlier age at onset with an average of 24.6 years, versus 40.9 years for polyglutamine expansion spinocerebellar ataxias and 37.8 years for SPG7-related forms (P = 0.001). In contrast, disease duration was significantly longer in the former (20.5 years versus 9.3 and 13.7, P=0.001), though for similar functional stages, indicating slower progression of the disease. Of interest, intellectual deficiency was more frequent in channel spinocerebellar ataxias, while cognitive impairment in adulthood was similar among the three groups. Similar

  3. Progression of Dysphagia in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 6.

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    Isono, Chiharu; Hirano, Makito; Sakamoto, Hikaru; Ueno, Shuichi; Kusunoki, Susumu; Nakamura, Yusaku

    2017-06-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), an autosomal dominant triplet repeat disease, predominantly affects the cerebellum with a late onset and generally good prognosis. Dysphagia is commonly associated with the outcomes of neurodegenerative diseases such as SCA6. Although the characteristics of dysphagia have been rarely reported in SCA6, our previous study indicated that dysphagia is generally milder in SCA6 than in SCA3, another inherited ataxia with multisystem involvement. However, abnormalities in the pharyngeal phase in SCA6 were indistinguishable from those in SCA3, with no explainable reason. To determine the reason, we repeatedly performed videofluoroscopic examinations (VF) in 14 patients with SCA6. The results showed that the gross progression of dysphagia was apparently slow, but four patients had progressive dysphagia at an early disease stage; dysphagia began within 10 years from the onset of ataxia and rapidly progressed. A common clinical feature of the four patients was a significantly older age at the onset of ataxia (74.0 vs. 60.3 years), associated with significantly shorter triplet repeats. This finding surprisingly indicated that patients who had shorter repeats and thereby later onset and potentially better prognoses were at risk for dysphagia-associated problems. Ischemic changes, homozygous mutation, and diabetes mellitus as well as aging might have contributed to the observed progressive dysphagia. We found that conventionally monitored somatosensory evoked potentials at least partly reflected progressive dysphagia. Despite the small study group, our findings suggest that clinicians should carefully monitor dysphagia in patients with SCA6 who are older at disease onset (>60 years).

  4. Early symptoms in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, 2, 3, and 6.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Globas, C.; Montcel, S.T. du; Baliko, L.; Boesch, S.; Depondt, C.; DiDonato, S.; Durr, A.; Filla, A.; Klockgether, T.; Mariotti, C.; Melegh, B.; Rakowicz, M.; Ribai, P.; Rola, R.; Schmitz-Hubsch, T.; Szymanski, S.; Timmann, D.; Warrenburg, B.P.C. van de; Bauer, P.; Schols, L.

    2008-01-01

    Onset of genetically determined neurodegenerative diseases is difficult to specify because of their insidious and slowly progressive nature. This is especially true for spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) because of varying affection of many parts of the nervous system and huge variability of symptoms. We

  5. Vascular Risk Factors and Clinical Progression in Spinocerebellar Ataxias

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    Raymond Y. Lo

    2015-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: The contributions of vascular risk factors to spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA are not known.Methods: We studied 319 participants with SCA 1, 2, 3, and 6 and repeatedly measured clinical severity using the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA for 2 years. Vascular risk factors were summarized by CHA2DS2-VASc scores as the vascular risk factor index. We employed regression models to study the effects of vascular risk factors on ataxia onset and progression after adjusting for age, sex, and pathological CAG repeats. Our secondary analyses took hyperlipidemia into account.Results: Nearly 60% of SCA participants were at low vascular risks with CHA2DS2-VASc = 0, and 31% scored 2 or greater. Higher CHA2DS2-VASc scores were not associated with either earlier onset or faster progression of ataxia. These findings were not altered after accounting for hyperlipidemia. Discussion: Vascular risks are not common in SCAs and are not associated with earlier onset or faster ataxia progression.

  6. The history of spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 in Brazil: travels of a gene A história da ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 10 no Brasil: as viagens de um gene

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    Hélio A.G. Teive

    2007-12-01

    Full Text Available The authors report the history of spinocerebellar ataxia 10 (SCA10, since its first report in a large Portuguese-ancestry Family with autosomal dominant pure cerebellar ataxia, till the final identification of further families without Mexican ancestry. These families present a quite different phenotype from those SCA10 families described in Mexico.Os autores apresentam a história da descoberta da ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 10 (AEC10 no Brasil, desde o primeiro relato em uma família com ancestrais portugueses com ataxia cerebelar pura, autossômica dominante, até a identificação de famílias sem ancestrais mexicanos. Essas famílias apresentam um fenótipo de AEC10, com ataxia cerebelar "pura", distinta daquele descrito nas famílias no México.

  7. Prevalence of spinocerebellar ataxia 36 in a US population.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valera, Juliana M; Diaz, Tatyana; Petty, Lauren E; Quintáns, Beatriz; Yáñez, Zuleima; Boerwinkle, Eric; Muzny, Donna; Akhmedov, Dmitry; Berdeaux, Rebecca; Sobrido, Maria J; Gibbs, Richard; Lupski, James R; Geschwind, Daniel H; Perlman, Susan; Below, Jennifer E; Fogel, Brent L

    2017-08-01

    To assess the prevalence and clinical features of individuals affected by spinocerebellar ataxia 36 (SCA36) at a large tertiary referral center in the United States. A total of 577 patients with undiagnosed sporadic or familial cerebellar ataxia comprehensively evaluated at a tertiary referral ataxia center were molecularly evaluated for SCA36. Repeat primed PCR and fragment analysis were used to screen for the presence of a repeat expansion in the NOP56 gene. Fragment analysis of triplet repeat primed PCR products identified a GGCCTG hexanucleotide repeat expansion in intron 1 of NOP56 in 4 index cases. These 4 SCA36-positive families comprised 2 distinct ethnic groups: white (European) (2) and Asian (Japanese [1] and Vietnamese [1]). Individuals affected by SCA36 exhibited typical clinical features with gait ataxia and age at onset ranging between 35 and 50 years. Patients also suffered from ataxic or spastic limbs, altered reflexes, abnormal ocular movement, and cognitive impairment. In a US population, SCA36 was observed to be a rare disorder, accounting for 0.7% (4/577 index cases) of disease in a large undiagnosed ataxia cohort.

  8. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) : widespread brain damage in an adult-onset patient with progressive visual impairments in comparison with an adult-onset patient without visual impairments

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rueb, U.; Brunt, E. R.; Seidel, K.; Gierga, K.; Mooy, C. M.; Kettner, M.; Van Broeckhoven, C.; Bechmann, I.; La Spada, A. R.; Schoels, L.; den Dunnen, W.; de Vos, R. A. I.; Deller, T.

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) represents a rare and severe autosomal dominantly inherited ataxic disorder and is among the known CAG-repeat, or polyglutamine, diseases. In contrast to other currently known autosomal dominantly inherited ataxic disorders, SCA7 may manifest itself with

  9. Spinocerebellar ataxias in Venezuela: genetic epidemiology and their most likely ethnic descent.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Paradisi, Irene; Ikonomu, Vassiliki; Arias, Sergio

    2016-03-01

    Dominantly inherited ataxias (spinocerebellar ataxias, SCAs) are a genetically heterogeneous group of neurologic diseases characterized by progressive cerebellar and spinal tract degeneration with ataxia and other signs, common to all known subtypes. Several types are relatively frequent worldwide, but in several countries, one specific SCA may show a higher prevalence owing to founder phenomena. In Venezuela, genetic epidemiological features of SCAs have been assessed during the last 30 years; mutations in ATXN1 (SCA1), ATXN2 (SCA2), ATXN3 (SCA3), CACNA1A (SCA6), ATXN7 (SCA7), ATXN8 (SCA8), ATXN10 (SCA10), TBP (SCA17) and ATN1 (dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy, DRPLA) loci were searched among 115 independent families. SCA7 was the most frequent subtype (26.6%), followed by SCA3 (25.0%), SCA2 (21.9%), SCA1 (17.2%), SCA10 (4.7%) and DRPLA (3.1%); in 43% of the families, the subtype remained unidentified. SCA7 mutations displayed strong geographic aggregation in two independent founder foci, and SCA1 showed a very remote founder effect for a subset of families. SCA10 families were scattered across the country, but all had an identical in-phase haplotype carried also by Mexican, Brazilian and Sioux patients, supporting a very old common Amerindian origin. Prevalence for dominant SCAs in Venezuela was estimated as 1:25 000 nuclear families, provenances of which are either Caucasoid, African or Amerindian.

  10. Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2: Clinicogenetic Aspects, Mechanistic Insights, and Management Approaches

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    Luis C. Velázquez-Pérez

    2017-09-01

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2 is an autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia that occurs as a consequence of abnormal CAG expansions in the ATXN2 gene. Progressive clinical features result from the neurodegeneration of cerebellum and extra-cerebellar structures including the pons, the basal ganglia, and the cerebral cortex. Clinical, electrophysiological, and imaging approaches have been used to characterize the natural history of the disease, allowing its classification into four distinct stages, with special emphasis on the prodromal stage, which is characterized by a plethora of motor and non-motor features. Neuropathological investigations of brain tissue from SCA2 patients reveal a widespread involvement of multiple brain systems, mainly cerebellar and brainstem systems. Recent findings linking ataxin-2 intermediate expansions to other neurodegenerative diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis have provided insights into the ataxin-2-related toxicity mechanism in neurodegenerative diseases and have raised new ethical challenges to molecular predictive diagnosis of SCA2. No effective neuroprotective therapies are currently available for SCA2 patients, but some therapeutic options such as neurorehabilitation and some emerging neuroprotective drugs have shown palliative benefits.

  11. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (Machado-Joseph disease) : severe destruction of the lateral reticular nucleus

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rub, U; de Vos, RAI; Schultz, C; Brunt, ER; Paulson, H; Braak, H

    The lateral reticular nucleus (LRT) of the medulla oblongata is a precerebellar nucleus involved in proprioception and somatomotor automatisms. We investigated this nucleus in five individuals with clinically diagnosed and genetically confirmed spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3, Machado-Joseph

  12. Operation of a P300-based brain-computer interface by patients with spinocerebellar ataxia

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    Yoji Okahara

    Full Text Available Objective: We investigated the efficacy of a P300-based brain-computer interface (BCI for patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA, which is often accompanied by cerebellar impairment. Methods: Eight patients with SCA and eight age- and gender-matched healthy controls were instructed to input Japanese hiragana characters using the P300-based BCI with green/blue flicker. All patients depended on some assistance in their daily lives (modified Rankin scale: mean 3.5. The chief symptom was cerebellar ataxia; no cognitive deterioration was present. A region-based, two-step P300-based BCI was used. During the P300 task, eight-channel EEG data were recorded, and a linear discriminant analysis distinguished the target from other nontarget regions of the matrix. Results: The mean online accuracy in BCI operation was 82.9% for patients with SCA and 83.2% for controls; no significant difference was detected. Conclusion: The P300-based BCI was operated successfully not only by healthy controls but also by individuals with SCA. Significance: These results suggest that the P300-based BCI may be applicable for patients with SCA. Keywords: BCI, BMI, P300, Visual stimuli, Spinocerebellar ataxia

  13. Molecular genetics of a Chinese family with spinocerebellar ataxia

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    Dan-dan WU

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Objective To study the genotype of the members of a Chinese family with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA. Methods The peripheral blood samples of 6 patients and 40 asymptomatic people belonged to the family were collected. Referring to the clinical manifestations of the proband and second-generation sequencing results, the CAG trinucleotide repeats of the pathogenic gene ATXN2 were amplified by polymerase chain reaction (PCR. The repeated times of the trinucleotide in normally and abnormally amplified alleles were defined by agarose gel electrophoresis and PCR products sequencing. Results Autosomal dominant heredity was the cause of the SCA in this family. Six out of 46 in the fourth-generation were SCA2 patients, 7 were the carriers of pathogenic allele. The repeated times of CAG trinucleotide were within the normal range in one of the two alleles of ATXN2, but they were in abnormal range in the another one. The repeated times of CAG trinucleotide were 40-46 in abnormal alleles of patients. Conclusion Autosomal dominant heredity SCA2 has been diagnosed in this family caused by the dynamic nutation of CAG trinucleotide repeats, and 7 pathogenic allele carriers in this family were confirmed by genetic diagnosis. DOI: 10.11855/j.issn.0577-7402.2015.08.07

  14. Induced pluripotent stem cell - derived neurons for the study of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Hansen, Susanne Kofoed; Stummann, Tina C.; Madsen, Helena Borland

    2016-01-01

    The neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is caused by a CAG-repeat expansion in the ATXN3 gene. In this study, induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC) lines were established from two SCA3 patients. Dermal fibroblasts were reprogrammed using an integration-free method...

  15. Automated home cage assessment shows behavioral changes in a transgenic mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 17.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Portal, Esteban; Riess, Olaf; Nguyen, Huu Phuc

    2013-08-01

    Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 17 (SCA17) is an autosomal dominantly inherited, neurodegenerative disease characterized by ataxia, involuntary movements, and dementia. A novel SCA17 mouse model having a 71 polyglutamine repeat expansion in the TATA-binding protein (TBP) has shown age related motor deficit using a classic motor test, yet concomitant weight increase might be a confounding factor for this measurement. In this study we used an automated home cage system to test several motor readouts for this same model to confirm pathological behavior results and evaluate benefits of automated home cage in behavior phenotyping. Our results confirm motor deficits in the Tbp/Q71 mice and present previously unrecognized behavioral characteristics obtained from the automated home cage, indicating its use for high-throughput screening and testing, e.g. of therapeutic compounds. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  16. Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 6 Protein Aggregates Cause Deficits in Motor Learning and Cerebellar Plasticity

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Mark, Melanie D; Krause, Martin; Boele, Henk-Jan; Kruse, Wolfgang; Pollok, Stefan; Kuner, Thomas; Dalkara, Deniz; Koekkoek, Sebastiaan; De Zeeuw, Chris I; Herlitze, Stefan

    2015-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) is linked to poly-glutamine (polyQ) within the C terminus (CT) of the pore-forming subunits of P/Q-type Ca(2+) channels (Cav2.1) and is characterized by CT protein aggregates found in cerebellar Purkinje cells (PCs). One hypothesis regarding SCA6 disease is that

  17. Peripheral Neuropathy in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1, 2, 3, and 6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Linnemann, Christoph; Tezenas du Montcel, Sophie; Rakowicz, Maryla; Schmitz-Hübsch, Tanja; Szymanski, Sandra; Berciano, Jose; van de Warrenburg, Bart P; Pedersen, Karine; Depondt, Chantal; Rola, Rafal; Klockgether, Thomas; García, Antonio; Mutlu, Gurkan; Schöls, Ludger

    2016-04-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are characterized by autosomal dominantly inherited progressive ataxia but are clinically heterogeneous due to variable involvement of non-cerebellar parts of the nervous system. Non-cerebellar symptoms contribute significantly to the burden of SCAs, may guide the clinician to the underlying genetic subtype, and might be useful markers to monitor disease. Peripheral neuropathy is frequently observed in SCA, but subtype-specific features and subclinical manifestations have rarely been evaluated. We performed a multicenter nerve conduction study with 162 patients with genetically confirmed SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, and SCA6. The study proved peripheral nerves to be involved in the neurodegenerative process in 82 % of SCA1, 63 % of SCA2, 55 % of SCA3, and 22 % of SCA6 patients. Most patients of all subtypes revealed affection of both sensory and motor fibers. Neuropathy was most frequently of mixed type with axonal and demyelinating characteristics in all SCA subtypes. However, nerve conduction velocities of SCA1 patients were slower compared to other genotypes. SCA6 patients revealed less axonal damage than patients with other subtypes. No influence of CAG repeat length or biometric determinants on peripheral neuropathy could be identified in SCA1, SCA3, and SCA6. In SCA2, earlier onset and more severe ataxia were associated with peripheral neuropathy. We proved peripheral neuropathy to be a frequent site of the neurodegenerative process in all common SCA subtypes. Since damage to peripheral nerves is readily assessable by electrophysiological means, nerve conduction studies should be performed in a longitudinal approach to assess these parameters as potential progression markers.

  18. Progression of brain atrophy in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: a longitudinal tensor-based morphometry study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mascalchi, Mario; Diciotti, Stefano; Giannelli, Marco; Ginestroni, Andrea; Soricelli, Andrea; Nicolai, Emanuele; Aiello, Marco; Tessa, Carlo; Galli, Lucia; Dotti, Maria Teresa; Piacentini, Silvia; Salvatore, Elena; Toschi, Nicola

    2014-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is the second most frequent autosomal dominant inherited ataxia worldwide. We investigated the capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to track in vivo progression of brain atrophy in SCA2 by examining twice 10 SCA2 patients (mean interval 3.6 years) and 16 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (mean interval 3.3 years) on the same 1.5 T MRI scanner. We used T1-weighted images and tensor-based morphometry (TBM) to investigate volume changes and the Inherited Ataxia Clinical Rating Scale to assess the clinical deficit. With respect to controls, SCA2 patients showed significant higher atrophy rates in the midbrain, including substantia nigra, basis pontis, middle cerebellar peduncles and posterior medulla corresponding to the gracilis and cuneatus tracts and nuclei, cerebellar white matter (WM) and cortical gray matter (GM) in the inferior portions of the cerebellar hemisphers. No differences in WM or GM volume loss were observed in the supratentorial compartment. TBM findings did not correlate with modifications of the neurological deficit. In conclusion, MRI volumetry using TBM is capable of demonstrating the progression of pontocerebellar atrophy in SCA2, supporting a possible role of MRI as biomarker in future trials.

  19. Progression of brain atrophy in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: a longitudinal tensor-based morphometry study.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mario Mascalchi

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2 is the second most frequent autosomal dominant inherited ataxia worldwide. We investigated the capability of magnetic resonance imaging (MRI to track in vivo progression of brain atrophy in SCA2 by examining twice 10 SCA2 patients (mean interval 3.6 years and 16 age- and gender-matched healthy controls (mean interval 3.3 years on the same 1.5 T MRI scanner. We used T1-weighted images and tensor-based morphometry (TBM to investigate volume changes and the Inherited Ataxia Clinical Rating Scale to assess the clinical deficit. With respect to controls, SCA2 patients showed significant higher atrophy rates in the midbrain, including substantia nigra, basis pontis, middle cerebellar peduncles and posterior medulla corresponding to the gracilis and cuneatus tracts and nuclei, cerebellar white matter (WM and cortical gray matter (GM in the inferior portions of the cerebellar hemisphers. No differences in WM or GM volume loss were observed in the supratentorial compartment. TBM findings did not correlate with modifications of the neurological deficit. In conclusion, MRI volumetry using TBM is capable of demonstrating the progression of pontocerebellar atrophy in SCA2, supporting a possible role of MRI as biomarker in future trials.

  20. Evidence of oxidative stress and mitochondrial dysfunction in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) patient fibroblasts

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Cornelius, Nanna; Wardman, Jonathan H; Hargreaves, Iain P

    2017-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a rare neurodegenerative disorder caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the ataxin-2 gene. We show increased oxidative stress, abnormalities in the antioxidant system, changes in complexes involved in oxidative phosphorylation and changes in mitochondrial mor...

  1. Sleep disorders in cerebellar ataxias

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    José L. Pedroso

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Cerebellar ataxias comprise a wide range of etiologies leading to central nervous system-related motor and non-motor symptoms. Recently, a large body of evidence has demonstrated a high frequency of non-motor manifestations in cerebellar ataxias, specially in autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA. Among these non-motor dysfunctions, sleep disorders have been recognized, although still under or even misdiagnosed. In this review, we highlight the main sleep disorders related to cerebellar ataxias focusing on REM sleep behavior disorder (RBD, restless legs syndrome (RLS, periodic limb movement in sleep (PLMS, excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS, insomnia and sleep apnea.

  2. Cellular protein quality control and the evolution of aggregates in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Seidel, K.; Meister, M.; Dugbartey, G. J.; Zijlstra, M. P.; Vinet, J.; Brunt, E. R. P.; van Leeuwen, F. W.; Rueb, U.; Kampinga, H. H.; den Dunnen, W. F. A.

    2012-01-01

    K. Seidel, M. Meister, G. J. Dugbartey, M. P. Zijlstra, J. Vinet, E. R. P. Brunt, F. W. van Leeuwen, U. Rub, H. H. Kampinga and W. F. A. den Dunnen (2012) Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology38, 548558 Cellular protein quality control and the evolution of aggregates in spinocerebellar ataxia type

  3. Motor Training in Degenerative Spinocerebellar Disease: Ataxia-Specific Improvements by Intensive Physiotherapy and Exergames

    Science.gov (United States)

    2014-01-01

    The cerebellum is essentially involved in movement control and plays a critical role in motor learning. It has remained controversial whether patients with degenerative cerebellar disease benefit from high-intensity coordinative training. Moreover, it remains unclear by which training methods and mechanisms these patients might improve their motor performance. Here, we review evidence from different high-intensity training studies in patients with degenerative spinocerebellar disease. These studies demonstrate that high-intensity coordinative training might lead to a significant benefit in patients with degenerative ataxia. This training might be based either on physiotherapy or on whole-body controlled videogames (“exergames”). The benefit shown in these studies is equal to regaining one or more years of natural disease progression. In addition, first case studies indicate that even subjects with advanced neurodegeneration might benefit from such training programs. For both types of training, the observed clinical improvements are paralleled by recoveries in ataxia-specific dysfunctions (e.g., multijoint coordination and dynamic stability). Importantly, for both types of training, the retention of the effects seems to depend on the frequency and continuity of training. Based on these studies, we here present preliminary recommendations for clinical practice, and articulate open questions that might guide future studies on neurorehabilitation in degenerative spinocerebellar disease. PMID:24877117

  4. Motor Training in Degenerative Spinocerebellar Disease: Ataxia-Specific Improvements by Intensive Physiotherapy and Exergames

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Matthis Synofzik

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available The cerebellum is essentially involved in movement control and plays a critical role in motor learning. It has remained controversial whether patients with degenerative cerebellar disease benefit from high-intensity coordinative training. Moreover, it remains unclear by which training methods and mechanisms these patients might improve their motor performance. Here, we review evidence from different high-intensity training studies in patients with degenerative spinocerebellar disease. These studies demonstrate that high-intensity coordinative training might lead to a significant benefit in patients with degenerative ataxia. This training might be based either on physiotherapy or on whole-body controlled videogames (“exergames”. The benefit shown in these studies is equal to regaining one or more years of natural disease progression. In addition, first case studies indicate that even subjects with advanced neurodegeneration might benefit from such training programs. For both types of training, the observed clinical improvements are paralleled by recoveries in ataxia-specific dysfunctions (e.g., multijoint coordination and dynamic stability. Importantly, for both types of training, the retention of the effects seems to depend on the frequency and continuity of training. Based on these studies, we here present preliminary recommendations for clinical practice, and articulate open questions that might guide future studies on neurorehabilitation in degenerative spinocerebellar disease.

  5. Two in one: report of a patient with spinocerebellar ataxia types 2 and 10.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kapur, Sachin S; Goldman, Jennifer G

    2012-09-01

    To report a rare case of the coexistence of 2 spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) mutations in a single patient. Case report. University hospital, Movement Disorders Center. A 54-year-old man of Mexican, American Indian, and French descent with an 11-year history of gait and limb ataxia. Findings of clinical examination, magnetic resonance imaging, and video electroencephalographic monitoring. Neurologic history revealed a gradually progressive gait and limb ataxia along with muscle cramps and sensory symptoms in his distal extremities; examination revealed executive dysfunction, dysarthria, ataxia, and sensory neuronopathy. Episodes of loss of awareness were reported, but electroencephalograms were negative. Brain imaging demonstrated severe cerebellar and brainstem atrophy. Genetic evaluation of the case revealed mutations in both the SCA2 and SCA10 genes. Our patient has a unique combination of genetic mutations for 2 different SCAs, types 2 and 10, which to our knowledge, has not been previously reported. His clinical phenotype is largely consistent with SCA2, but his possible seizures and Mexican heritage suggest influences of SCA10.

  6. The natural history of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, 2, 3, and 6: a 2-year follow-up study

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Jacobi, H.; Bauer, P.; Giunti, P.; Labrum, R.; Sweeney, M.G.; Charles, P.; Durr, A.; Marelli, C.; Globas, C.; Linnemann, C.; Schols, L.; Rakowicz, M.; Rola, R.; Zdzienicka, E.; Schmitz-Hubsch, T.; Fancellu, R.; Mariotti, C.; Tomasello, C.; Baliko, L.; Melegh, B.; Filla, A.; Rinaldi, C.; Warrenburg, B.P.C. van de; Verstappen, C.C.P.; Szymanski, S.; Berciano, J.; Infante, J.; Timmann, D.; Boesch, S.; Hering, S.; Depondt, C.; Pandolfo, M.; Kang, J.S.; Ratzka, S.; Schulz, J.; Tezenas du Montcel, S.; Klockgether, T.

    2011-01-01

    OBJECTIVE: To obtain quantitative data on the progression of the most common spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) and identify factors that influence their progression, we initiated the EUROSCA natural history study, a multicentric longitudinal cohort study of 526 patients with SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, or SCA6.

  7. Missense mutation in CAPN1 is associated with spinocerebellar ataxia in the Parson Russell Terrier dog breed.

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    Oliver P Forman

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA in the Parson Russell Terrier (PRT dog breed is a disease of progressive incoordination of gait and loss of balance. Clinical signs usually become notable between 6 and 12 months of age with affected dogs presenting with symmetric spinocerebellar ataxia particularly evident in the pelvic limbs. The degree of truncal ataxia, pelvic limb hypermetria and impaired balance is progressive, particularly during the initial months of disease. A certain degree of stabilisation as well as intermittent worsening may occur. At the later stages of the disease ambulation often becomes difficult, with owners often electing to euthanise affected dogs on welfare grounds. Using a GWAS approach and target-enriched massively-parallel sequencing, a strongly associated non-synonymous SNP in the CAPN1 gene, encoding the calcium dependent cysteine protease calpain1 (mu-calpain, was identified. The SNP is a missense mutation causing a cysteine to tyrosine substitution at residue 115 of the CAPN1 protein. Cysteine 115 is a highly conserved residue and forms a key part of a catalytic triad of amino acids that are crucial to the enzymatic activity of cysteine proteases. The CAPN1 gene shows high levels of expression in the brain and nervous system and roles for the protein in both neuronal necrosis and maintenance have been suggested. Given the functional implications and high level of conservation observed across species, the CAPN1 variant represents a provocative candidate for the cause of SCA in the PRT and a novel potential cause of ataxia in humans.

  8. Repeat interruptions in spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 expansions are strongly associated with epileptic seizures

    Science.gov (United States)

    McFarland, Karen N.; Liu, Jilin; Landrian, Ivette; Zeng, Desmond; Raskin, Salmo; Moscovich, Mariana; Gatto, Emilia M.; Ochoa, Adriana; Teive, Hélio A. G.; Rasmussen, Astrid; Ashizawa, Tetsuo

    2014-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCA10), an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder, is the result of a non-coding, pentanucleotide repeat expansion within intron 9 of the Ataxin 10 gene. SCA10 patients present with pure cerebellar ataxia; yet, some families also have a high incidence of epilepsy. SCA10 expansions containing penta- and heptanucleotide interruption motifs, termed “ATCCT interruptions,” experience large contractions during germline transmission, particularly in paternal lineages. At the same time, these alleles confer an earlier age at onset which contradicts traditional rules of genetic anticipation in repeat expansions. Previously, ATCCT interruptions have been associated with a higher prevalence of epileptic seizures in one Mexican-American SCA10 family. In a large cohort of SCA10 families, we analyzed whether ATCCT interruptions confers a greater risk for developing seizures in these families. Notably, we find that the presence of repeat interruptions within the SCA10 expansion confers a 6.3-fold increase in the risk of an SCA10 patient developing epilepsy (6.2-fold when considering patients of Mexican ancestry only) and a 13.7-fold increase in having a positive family history of epilepsy (10.5-fold when considering patients of Mexican ancestry only). We conclude that the presence of repeat interruptions in SCA10 repeat expansion indicates a significant risk for the epilepsy phenotype and should be considered during genetic counseling. PMID:24318420

  9. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 29 due to mutations in ITPR1: a case series and review of this emerging congenital ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Zambonin, Jessica L; Bellomo, Allison; Ben-Pazi, Hilla; Everman, David B; Frazer, Lee M; Geraghty, Michael T; Harper, Amy D; Jones, Julie R; Kamien, Benjamin; Kernohan, Kristin; Koenig, Mary Kay; Lines, Matthew; Palmer, Elizabeth Emma; Richardson, Randal; Segel, Reeval; Tarnopolsky, Mark; Vanstone, Jason R; Gibbons, Melissa; Collins, Abigail; Fogel, Brent L; Dudding-Byth, Tracy; Boycott, Kym M

    2017-06-28

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 29 (SCA29) is an autosomal dominant, non-progressive cerebellar ataxia characterized by infantile-onset hypotonia, gross motor delay and cognitive impairment. Affected individuals exhibit cerebellar dysfunction and often have cerebellar atrophy on neuroimaging. Recently, missense mutations in ITPR1 were determined to be responsible. Clinical information on 21 individuals from 15 unrelated families with ITPR1 mutations was retrospectively collected using standardized questionnaires, including 11 previously unreported singletons and 2 new patients from a previously reported family. We describe the genetic, clinical and neuroimaging features of these patients to further characterize the clinical features of this rare condition and assess for any genotype-phenotype correlation for this disorder. Our cohort consisted of 9 males and 12 females, with ages ranging from 28 months to 49 years. Disease course was non-progressive with infantile-onset hypotonia and delays in motor and speech development. Gait ataxia was present in all individuals and 10 (48%) were not ambulating independently between the ages of 3-12 years of age. Mild-to-moderate cognitive impairment was present in 17 individuals (85%). Cerebellar atrophy developed after initial symptom presentation in 13 individuals (72%) and was not associated with disease progression or worsening functional impairment. We identified 12 different mutations including 6 novel mutations; 10 mutations were missense (with 4 present in >1 individual), 1 a splice site mutation leading to an in-frame insertion and 1 an in-frame deletion. No specific genotype-phenotype correlations were observed within our cohort. Our findings document significant clinical heterogeneity between individuals with SCA29 in a large cohort of molecularly confirmed cases. Based on the retrospective observed clinical features and disease course, we provide recommendations for management. Further research into the natural

  10. Friedreich's ataxia and other hereditary ataxias in Greece: an 18-year perspective.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koutsis, Georgios; Kladi, Athina; Karadima, Georgia; Houlden, Henry; Wood, Nicholas W; Christodoulou, Kyproula; Panas, Marios

    2014-01-15

    Limited data exist on the spectrum of heredoataxias in Greece, including the prevalence and phenotype of Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) and the prevalence and subtypes of dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs). We analyzed clinically and investigated genetically for FRDA and triplet-repeat expansion SCAs a consecutive series of 186 patients with suspected heredoataxia referred to Athens over 18 years. For prevalence estimates we included patients with molecular diagnosis from Cyprus that were absent from the Athens cohort. The minimum prevalence of FRDA was ~0.9/100,000, with clusters of high prevalence in Aegean islands. FRDA was diagnosed in 73 probands. The genotypic and phenotypic spectrum of FRDA was similar to other populations, with one patient compound heterozygote for a known point mutation in FXN (Asn146Lys). Undiagnosed recessive ataxias included FRDA-like and spastic ataxias. The minimum prevalence of dominant SCAs was ~0.7/100,000. SCA1 (4), SCA7 (4), SCA2, SCA6, and SCA17 (1 each) probands were identified. A molecular diagnosis was reached in 31% of dominant cases. Undiagnosed dominant patients included a majority of type III autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias. FRDA is the commonest heredoataxia in the Greek population with prevalence towards the lower end of other European populations. Dominant SCAs are almost as prevalent. SCA1, SCA2, SCA6, SCA7 and SCA17 patients complete the spectrum of cases with a specific molecular diagnosis. © 2013.

  11. Clinical features, neurogenetics and neuropathology of the polyglutamine spinocerebellar ataxias type 1, 2, 3, 6 and 7.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rüb, Udo; Schöls, Ludger; Paulson, Henry; Auburger, Georg; Kermer, Pawel; Jen, Joanna C; Seidel, Kay; Korf, Horst-Werner; Deller, Thomas

    2013-05-01

    The spinocerebellar ataxias type 1 (SCA1), 2 (SCA2), 3 (SCA3), 6 (SCA6) and 7 (SCA7) are genetically defined autosomal dominantly inherited progressive cerebellar ataxias (ADCAs). They belong to the group of CAG-repeat or polyglutamine diseases and share pathologically expanded and meiotically unstable glutamine-encoding CAG-repeats at distinct gene loci encoding elongated polyglutamine stretches in the disease proteins. In recent years, progress has been made in the understanding of the pathogenesis of these currently incurable diseases: Identification of underlying genetic mechanisms made it possible to classify the different ADCAs and to define their clinical and pathological features. Furthermore, advances in molecular biology yielded new insights into the physiological and pathophysiological role of the gene products of SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6 and SCA7 (i.e. ataxin-1, ataxin-2, ataxin-3, α-1A subunit of the P/Q type voltage-dependent calcium channel, ataxin-7). In the present review we summarize our current knowledge about the polyglutamine ataxias SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6 and SCA7 and compare their clinical and electrophysiological features, genetic and molecular biological background, as well as their brain pathologies. Furthermore, we provide an overview of the structure, interactions and functions of the different disease proteins. On the basis of these comprehensive data, similarities, differences and possible disease mechanisms are discussed. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  12. Identification of IFRD1 variant in a Han Chinese family with autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia associated with peripheral neuropathy and ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lin, Pengfei; Zhang, Dong; Xu, Guangrun; Yan, Chuanzhu

    2018-04-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of autosomal dominant, clinically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders. SCA18 is a rare autosomal dominant sensory/motor neuropathy with ataxia (OMIM#607458) associated with a single missense variant c.514 A>G in the interferon related developmental regulator 1 (IFRD1) gene previously reported in a five-generation American family of Irish origin. However, to date, there have been no other reports of the IFRD1 mutation to confirm its role in SCA. Here, we report a Han Chinese family with SCA18; the family members presented with a slowly progressing gait ataxia, pyramidal tract signs, and peripheral neuropathy. We identified a missense variant (c.514 A>G, p.I172V) in IFRD1 gene in the family using targeted next-generation sequencing and Sanger direct sequencing with specific primers. Our results suggest that the IFRD1 gene may be the causative allele for SCA18.

  13. Spinocerebellar ataxia 36 (SCA36): «Costa da Morte ataxia».

    Science.gov (United States)

    Arias, M; García-Murias, M; Sobrido, M J

    To describe the history of the discovery of SCA36 and review knowledge of this entity, which is currently the most prevalent hereditary ataxia in Galicia (Spain) owing to a founder effect. SCA36 is an autosomal dominant hereditary ataxia with late onset and slow progression. It presents with cerebellar ataxia, sensorineural hearing loss, and discrete motor neuron impairment (tongue atrophy with denervation, discrete pyramidal signs). SCA36 was first described in Japan (Asida River ataxia) and in Galicia(Costa da Morte ataxia). The condition is caused by a genetic mutation (intronic hexanucleotide repeat expansion) in the NOP56 gene on the short arm of chromosome 20 (20p13). Magnetic resonance image study initially shows cerebellar vermian atrophy that subsequently extends to the rest of the cerebellum and finally to the pontomedullary region of the brainstem without producing white matter lesions. Peripheral nerve conduction velocities are normal, and sensorimotor evoked potential studies show delayed conduction of stimuli to lower limbs. In patients with hearing loss, audiometric studies show a drop of >40dB in frequencies exceeding 2,500Hz. Auditory evoked potential studies may also show lack of waves I and II. Costa da Morte ataxia or SCA36 is the most prevalent SCA in the Spanish region of Galicia. Given the region's history of high rates of emigration, new cases may be diagnosed in numerous countries, especially in Latin America. Genetic studies are now available to patients and asymptomatic carriers. Since many people are at risk for this disease, we will continue our investigations aimed at elucidating the underlying pathogenic molecular mechanisms and discovering effective treatment. Copyright © 2014 Sociedad Española de Neurología. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  14. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 in eastern India: Some new observations.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bhattacharyya, Kalyan B; Pulai, Debabrata; Guin, Deb Shankar; Ganguly, Goutam; Joardar, Anindita; Roy, Sarnava; Rai, Saurabh; Biswas, Atanu; Pandit, Alok; Roy, Arijit; Senapati, Asit Kumar

    2016-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are hereditary, autosomal dominant progressive neurodegenerative disorders showing clinical and genetic heterogeneity. They are usually manifested clinically in the third to fifth decade of life although there is a wide variability in the age of onset. More than 36 different types of SCAs have been reported so far and about half of them are caused by pathological expansion of the trinucleotide, Cytosine Alanine Guanine (CAG) repeat. The global prevalence of SCA is 0.3-2 per 100,000 population, SCA3 being the commonest variety worldwide, accounting for 20-50 per cent of all cases, though SCA 2 is generally considered as the commonest one in India. However, SCA6 has not been addressed adequately from India though it is common in the eastern Asian countries like, Japan, Korea and Thailand. The present study was undertaken to identify the prevalence of SCA6 in the city of Kolkata and the eastern part of India. 83 consecutive patients were recruited for the study of possible SCAs and their clinical features and genotype were investigated. 6 of the 83 subjects turned out positive for SCA6, constituting therefore, 13.33% of the patient pool. SCA6 is prevalent in the eastern part of India, though not as frequent as the other common varieties. Further community based studies are required in order to understand the magnitude of SCA6 in the eastern part, as well as in other regions of India.

  15. Rare Disease Patient Registry & Natural History Study - Coordination of Rare Diseases at Sanford

    Science.gov (United States)

    2017-09-28

    -Hirschhorn Syndrome; 4p16.3 Microduplication Syndrome; 4p Deletion Syndrome, Non-Wolf-Hirschhorn Syndrome; Autosomal Recessive Stickler Syndrome; Stickler Syndrome Type 2; Stickler Syndrome Type 1; Stickler Syndrome; Mucolipidosis Type 4; X-linked Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 4; X-linked Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3; X-linked Intellectual Disability - Ataxia - Apraxia; X-linked Progressive Cerebellar Ataxia; X-linked Non Progressive Cerebellar Ataxia; X-linked Cerebellar Ataxia; Vitamin B12 Deficiency Ataxia; Toxic Exposure Ataxia; Unclassified Autosomal Dominant Spinocerebellar Ataxia; Thyroid Antibody Ataxia; Sporadic Adult-onset Ataxia of Unknown Etiology; Spinocerebellar Ataxia With Oculomotor Anomaly; Spinocerebellar Ataxia With Epilepsy; Spinocerebellar Ataxia With Axonal Neuropathy Type 2; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 8; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 7; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 6; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 5; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 4; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 37; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 36; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 35; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 34; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 32; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 31; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 30; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 29; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 28; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 27; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 26; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 25; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 23; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 22; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 21; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 20; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 19/22; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 18; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 17; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 16; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 15/16; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 14; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 13; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 12; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 11; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 10; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1 With Axonal Neuropathy; Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 1; Spinocerebellar Ataxia - Unknown; Spinocerebellar Ataxia - Dysmorphism

  16. Generation of an isogenic, gene-corrected control cell line of the spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 patient-derived iPSC line H266

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marthaler, Adele Gabriele; Tubsuwan, Alisa; Schmid, Benjamin

    2016-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a neurodegenerative disease primarily affecting the cerebellum. Very little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and, to date, no cure or treatment is available. We have successfully generated bona fide induced pluripotent stem cell...

  17. Generation of an isogenic, gene-corrected control cell line of the spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 patient-derived iPSC line H271

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marthaler, Adele Gabriele; Schmid, Benjamin; Tubsuwan, Alisa

    2016-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a neurodegenerative disease primarily affecting the cerebellum. Very little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and, to date, no cure or treatment is available. We have successfully generated bona fide induced pluripotent stem cell...

  18. Generation of an isogenic, gene-corrected control cell line of the spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 patient-derived iPSC line H196

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Marthaler, Adele Gabriele; Schmid, Benjamin; Tubsuwan, Alisa

    2016-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is a neurodegenerative disease primarily affecting the cerebellum. Very little is known about the molecular mechanisms underlying the disease and, to date, no cure or treatment is available. We have successfully generated bona fide induced pluripotent stem cell...

  19. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 in eastern India: Some new observations

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kalyan B Bhattacharyya

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs are hereditary, autosomal dominant progressive neurodegenerative disorders showing clinical and genetic heterogeneity. They are usually manifested clinically in the third to fifth decade of life although there is a wide variability in the age of onset. More than 36 different types of SCAs have been reported so far and about half of them are caused by pathological expansion of the trinucleotide, Cytosine Alanine Guanine (CAG repeat. The global prevalence of SCA is 0.3-2 per 100,000 population, SCA3 being the commonest variety worldwide, accounting for 20-50 per cent of all cases, though SCA 2 is generally considered as the commonest one in India. However, SCA6 has not been addressed adequately from India though it is common in the eastern Asian countries like, Japan, Korea and Thailand. Objective: The present study was undertaken to identify the prevalence of SCA6 in the city of Kolkata and the eastern part of India. Materials and Methods: 83 consecutive patients were recruited for the study of possible SCAs and their clinical features and genotype were investigated. Results: 6 of the 83 subjects turned out positive for SCA6, constituting therefore, 13.33% of the patient pool. Discussion: SCA6 is prevalent in the eastern part of India, though not as frequent as the other common varieties. Conclusions: Further community based studies are required in order to understand the magnitude of SCA6 in the eastern part, as well as in other regions of India.

  20. Frequency of the different mutations causing spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1, SCA2, MJD/SCA3 and DRPLA in a large group of Brazilian patients Freqüência das mutações que causam ataxia espinocerebelar (SCA1, SCA2, MJD/SCA3 e DRPLA em um grupo numeroso de pacientes Brasileiros

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iscia Lopes-Cendesi

    1997-09-01

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1, spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2 and Machado-Joseph disease or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (MJD/SCA3 are three distinctive forms of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA caused by expansions of an unstable CAG repeat localized in the coding region of the causative genes. Another related disease, dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA is also caused by an unstable triplet repeat and can present as SCA in late onset patients. We investigated the frequency of the SCA1, SCA2, MJD/SCA3 and DRPLA mutations in 328 Brazilian patients with SCA, belonging to 90 unrelated families with various patterns of inheritance and originating in different geographic regions of Brazil. We found mutations in 35 families (39%, 32 of them with a clear autosomal dominant inheritance. The frequency of the SCA1 mutation was 3% of all patients; and 6 % in the dominantly inherited SCAs. We identified the SCA2 mutation in 6% of all families and in 9% of the families with autosomal dominant inheritance. The MJD/SCA3 mutation was detected in 30 % of all patients; and in the 44% of the dominantly inherited cases. We found no DRPLA mutation. In addition, we observed variability in the frequency of the different mutations according to geographic origin of the patients, which is probably related to the distinct colonization of different parts of Brazil. These results suggest that SCA may be occasionally caused by the SCA1 and SCA2 mutations in the Brazilian population, and that the MJD/SCA3 mutation is the most common cause of dominantly inherited SCA in Brazil.Ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 1 (SCA1, ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 2 (SCA2 e doença de Machado-Joseph ou ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 3 (MJD/SCA3 são três formas de ataxia espinocerebelar (SCA que apresentam herança genética autossômica dominante. Nessas três doenças foi encontrada uma expansão instável de trinucleotídeo CAG localizada na região codificadora dos

  1. Partial Body Weight-Supported Treadmill Training in Spinocerebellar Ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira, Laura Alice Santos; Martins, Camilla Polonini; Horsczaruk, Carlos Henrique Ramos; da Silva, Débora Cristina Lima; Vasconcellos, Luiz Felipe; Lopes, Agnaldo José; Meira Mainenti, Míriam Raquel; Rodrigues, Erika de Carvalho

    2018-01-01

    The motor impairments related to gait and balance have a huge impact on the life of individuals with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). Here, the aim was to assess the possibility of retraining gait, improving cardiopulmonary capacity, and challenging balance during gait in SCA using a partial body weight support (BWS) and a treadmill. Also, the effects of this training over functionality and quality of life were investigated. Eight SCA patients were engaged in the first stage of the study that focused on gait training and cardiovascular conditioning. From those, five took part in a second stage of the study centered on dynamic balance training during gait. The first and second stages lasted 8 and 10 weeks, respectively, both comprising sessions of 50 min (2 times per week). The results showed that gait training using partial BWS significantly increased gait performance, treadmill inclination, duration of exercise, and cardiopulmonary capacity in individuals with SCA. After the second stage, balance improvements were also found. Combining gait training and challenging tasks to the postural control system in SCA individuals is viable, well tolerated by patients with SCA, and resulted in changes in capacity for walking and balance.

  2. Challenges in sleep stage R scoring in patients with autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA1, SCA2 and SCA3) and oculomotor abnormalities: a whole night polysomnographic evaluation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seshagiri, Doniparthi Venkata; Sasidharan, Arun; Kumar, Gulshan; Pal, Pramod Kumar; Jain, Sanjeev; Kutty, Bindu M; Yadav, Ravi

    2018-02-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxias are progressive neurodegenerative disorders characterized by progressive cerebellar features with additional neuro-axis involvement. Oculomotor abnormality is one of the most frequent manifestations. This study was done to assess the polysomnographic abnormalities in patients with Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA1, SCA2 and SCA3) and also to evaluate whether oculomotor abnormalities interfere with sleep stage R scoring. The study was carried out using 36 genetically positive SCA patients. All patients underwent neurological examination with special focus on oculomotor function (optokinetic nystagmus-OKN and extraocular movement restriction-EOM). The sleep quality was measured with Pittsburgh Sleep Quality Index (PSQI) and Epworth Sleepiness Scale (ESS). Disease severity was assessed with International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). All the patients underwent over-night video-polysomnography (VPSG). Out of 36 patients studied, the data of 34 patients [SCA1 (n = 12), SCA2 (n = 13), SCA3 (n = 9)] were used for final analysis. Patients from SCA1, SCA2, and SCA3 category did not show significant differences in age and diseases severity (ICARS). All patients had vertical OKN impairment. Oculomotor impairment was higher in SCA2 patients. Sleep macro-architecture analysis showed absent stage R sleep, predominantly in SCA2 (69%) followed by SCA3 (44%) and SCA1 (8%). Patients showed a strong negative correlation of stage R sleep percentage with disease severity and oculomotor dysfunction. Voluntary saccadic eye movement velocity and rapid eye movements (REMs) in sleep are strongly correlated. The more severe the saccadic velocity impairment, the less likely was it to generate REMs (rapid eye movements) during stage R. Accordingly 69% of SCA2 patients with severe occulomotor impairments showed absent stage R as per the AASM sleep scoring. We presume that the impaired REMs generation in sleep could be due to oculomotor abnormality and has

  3. Spinocerebellar ataxia: a critical review of cognitive and socio-cognitive deficits.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Giocondo, Flora; Curcio, Giuseppe

    2018-02-01

    The primary aim of this contribution is to provide a critical discussion on cognitive and sociocognitive implications of spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) subtypes. The term SCA refers to a group of neurodegenerative disorders that have been increasingly investigated in the last years, sharing the characteristic of progressive ataxia resulting from degeneration of cerebellum and its connections. In past decades only involvement of cerebellum in behaviour and timing has been investigated, bringing to the belief about its central role in timing of movement and sensation, particularly for short intervals of time. Only very recently the cerebellum has been considered as a potentially important centre for cognitive processing and related spheres of social cognition, so that several studies with SCA patients have been carried out on these topics: as a consequence a section of this review will be dedicated to this important aspect. After a brief discussion on most commonly used methods to assess cognitive and socio-cognitive abilities in SCAs, cognitive and socio-cognitive profiles of principal SCA subtypes have been thoroughly reviewed and critically discussed. Due to the very poor literature in this field the most common SCA variants have been fully included (i.e. SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6 and SCA7). A comparative summary of the main characteristics of cognitive and social cognition deficit in SCA subtypes has been proposed together with a research agenda for future investigation in this field principally aimed at using measures of cognition and/or social cognition as potential predictors of the extent and progression of disease.

  4. Cellular protein quality control and the evolution of aggregates in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Seidel, K; Meister, M; Dugbartey, G J; Zijlstra, M P; Vinet, J; Brunt, E R P; van Leeuwen, F W; Rüb, U; Kampinga, H H; den Dunnen, W F A

    2012-10-01

    A characteristic of polyglutamine diseases is the increased propensity of disease proteins to aggregate, which is thought to be a major contributing factor to the underlying neurodegeneration. Healthy cells contain mechanisms for handling protein damage, the protein quality control, which must be impaired or inefficient to permit proteotoxicity under pathological conditions. We used a quantitative analysis of immunohistochemistry of the pons of eight patients with the polyglutamine disorder spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. We employed the anti-polyglutamine antibody 1C2, antibodies against p62 that is involved in delivering ubiquitinated protein aggregates to autophagosomes, antibodies against the chaperones HSPA1A and DNAJB1 and the proteasomal stress marker UBB⁺¹. The 1C2 antibody stained neuronal nuclear inclusions (NNIs), diffuse nuclear staining (DNS), granular cytoplasmic staining (GCS) and combinations, with reproducible distribution. P62 always co-localized with 1C2 in NNI. DNS and GCS co-stained with a lower frequency. UBB⁺¹ was present in a subset of neurones with NNI. A subset of UBB⁺¹-containing neurones displayed increased levels of HSPA1A, while DNAJB1 was sequestered into the NNI. Based on our results, we propose a model for the aggregation-associated pathology of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3: GCS and DNS aggregation likely represents early stages of pathology, which progresses towards formation of p62-positive NNI. A fraction of NNI exhibits UBB⁺¹ staining, implying proteasomal overload at a later stage. Subsequently, the stress-inducible HSPA1A is elevated while DNAJB1 is recruited into NNIs. This indicates that the stress response is only induced late when all endogenous protein quality control systems have failed. © 2011 The Authors. Neuropathology and Applied Neurobiology © 2011 British Neuropathological Society.

  5. Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia type I: A review of the phenotypic and genotypic characteristics

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fujioka Shinsuke

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Type I autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia (ADCA is a type of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA characterized by ataxia with other neurological signs, including oculomotor disturbances, cognitive deficits, pyramidal and extrapyramidal dysfunction, bulbar, spinal and peripheral nervous system involvement. The global prevalence of this disease is not known. The most common type I ADCA is SCA3 followed by SCA2, SCA1, and SCA8, in descending order. Founder effects no doubt contribute to the variable prevalence between populations. Onset is usually in adulthood but cases of presentation in childhood have been reported. Clinical features vary depending on the SCA subtype but by definition include ataxia associated with other neurological manifestations. The clinical spectrum ranges from pure cerebellar signs to constellations including spinal cord and peripheral nerve disease, cognitive impairment, cerebellar or supranuclear ophthalmologic signs, psychiatric problems, and seizures. Cerebellar ataxia can affect virtually any body part causing movement abnormalities. Gait, truncal, and limb ataxia are often the most obvious cerebellar findings though nystagmus, saccadic abnormalities, and dysarthria are usually associated. To date, 21 subtypes have been identified: SCA1-SCA4, SCA8, SCA10, SCA12-SCA14, SCA15/16, SCA17-SCA23, SCA25, SCA27, SCA28 and dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA. Type I ADCA can be further divided based on the proposed pathogenetic mechanism into 3 subclasses: subclass 1 includes type I ADCA caused by CAG repeat expansions such as SCA1-SCA3, SCA17, and DRPLA, subclass 2 includes trinucleotide repeat expansions that fall outside of the protein-coding regions of the disease gene including SCA8, SCA10 and SCA12. Subclass 3 contains disorders caused by specific gene deletions, missense mutation, and nonsense mutation and includes SCA13, SCA14, SCA15/16, SCA27 and SCA28. Diagnosis is based on clinical history, physical

  6. [123I]-IMP SPECT findings in spinocerebellar ataxia type 6

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ito, Yasuhiko; Nakabayashi, Haruo; Iguchi, Yasuyuki; Suzuki, Masahiko; Kobayashi, Masayuki; Nakajima, Takashi

    2000-01-01

    To study the dynamics of metabolic function in the cerebellar hemispheres, vermis and brain stem of patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6), we used single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) with N-isopropyl-p-[ 123 I] iodoamphetamine (IMP) to measure regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) in six Japanese patients with SCA6 and nine normal control subjects. All patients with SCA6 were found to have expanded CAG repeats (from 22 to 24 repeats). The SPECT data were also analyzed semiquantitatively. The rCBF in the cerebellar hemisphere, vermis and brain stem was not significantly lower in patients with SCA6 than in normal controls. However, the ratio of the cerebellar hemisphere to occipital lobe (C/O ratio) was significantly lower in patients. The ratio of the vermis and brain stem to occipital lobe (V/O, P/O ratio) were not significantly lower in patients. The C/O, V/O and P/O ratio were especially sensitive indexes for regional cerebral function in patients with SCA6. Results of this study suggest that the functional decrease in SCA6 may begin in the cerebellar hemispheres. IMP SPECT was useful for evaluating rCBF in patients with SCA6. (author)

  7. Recent Advancements in Targeted Delivery of Therapeutic Molecules in Neurodegenerative Disease - Spinocerebellar Ataxia - Opportunities and Challenges

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Satya Prakash

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Drug discovery and its methodologies have been very effective in terms of treating cancers and immunological disorders but have not been able to stop genetic diseases as most of the drugs target at the protein level. They merely mitigate the symptoms of the disease. Spinocerebellar ataxia is a neurological genetic disorder that is caused by the formation of an abnormal protein. There have been several reports on ataxic drug development but actual clinical treatment is yet to be achieved. Oligonucleotide therapy called sequence specific siRNA mediated gene silencing has evolved with promising results. This approach emphasizes on suppressing the expression of the diseased gene at mRNA level. However, there is a limitation in delivery of siRNA to the target site. Several methods have been developed over the last decade to enhance the target specific delivery of DNA, siRNA, protein and small drug molecules for therapeutic purpose with less or no side effects. This review discusses the latest upcoming technologies in the field that focus on a number of nonviral nanocarriers for targeted delivery. In this review, we explore the promise and potential of novel therapeutics with interest on ataxia therapy.

  8. Increased protein kinase C gamma activity induces Purkinje cell pathology in a mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia 14.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ji, Jingmin; Hassler, Melanie L; Shimobayashi, Etsuko; Paka, Nagendher; Streit, Raphael; Kapfhammer, Josef P

    2014-10-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are hereditary diseases leading to Purkinje cell degeneration and cerebellar dysfunction. Most forms of SCA are caused by expansion of CAG repeats similar to other polyglutamine disorders such as Huntington's disease. In contrast, in the autosomal dominant SCA-14 the disease is caused by mutations in the protein kinase C gamma (PKCγ) gene which is a well characterized signaling molecule in cerebellar Purkinje cells. The study of SCA-14, therefore, offers the unique opportunity to reveal the molecular and pathological mechanism eventually leading to Purkinje cell dysfunction and degeneration. We have created a mouse model of SCA-14 in which PKCγ protein with a mutation found in SCA-14 is specifically expressed in cerebellar Purkinje cells. We find that in mice expressing the mutated PKCγ protein the morphology of Purkinje cells in cerebellar slice cultures is drastically altered and mimics closely the morphology seen after pharmacological PKC activation. Similar morphological abnormalities were seen in localized areas of the cerebellum of juvenile transgenic mice in vivo. In adult transgenic mice there is evidence for some localized loss of Purkinje cells but there is no overall cerebellar atrophy. Transgenic mice show a mild cerebellar ataxia revealed by testing on the rotarod and on the walking beam. Our findings provide evidence for both an increased PKCγ activity in Purkinje cells in vivo and for pathological changes typical for cerebellar disease thus linking the increased and dysregulated activity of PKCγ tightly to the development of cerebellar disease in SCA-14 and possibly also in other forms of SCA. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  9. A Novel TTBK2 De Novo Mutation in a Danish Family with Early-Onset Spinocerebellar Ataxia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Lindquist, Suzanne Granhøj; Møller, Lisbeth Birk; Dali, Christine I.

    2017-01-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 11 (SCA11) is rare and has previously been described in four families worldwide. We report a Danish family with onset of symptoms in early childhood and affected family members in two generations. The proband, a Danish female born in 1968, and family members were...... examined. Exome sequencing was performed and a “movement disorders” gene panel consisting of approximately 200 genes was used for filtering, while Sanger sequencing was used for subsequent testing for the mutation in the family. Onset of symptoms in affected family members was in early childhood. A novel...... delineates the phenotypic spectrum of the rare SCA11 disease. In contrast to previously reported cases, onset of symptoms was in early childhood and the mutation was de novo in the proband....

  10. Mutation in the kv3.3 voltage-gated potassium channel causing spinocerebellar ataxia 13 disrupts sound-localization mechanisms.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    John C Middlebrooks

    Full Text Available Normal sound localization requires precise comparisons of sound timing and pressure levels between the two ears. The primary localization cues are interaural time differences, ITD, and interaural level differences, ILD. Voltage-gated potassium channels, including Kv3.3, are highly expressed in the auditory brainstem and are thought to underlie the exquisite temporal precision and rapid spike rates that characterize brainstem binaural pathways. An autosomal dominant mutation in the gene encoding Kv3.3 has been demonstrated in a large Filipino kindred manifesting as spinocerebellar ataxia type 13 (SCA13. This kindred provides a rare opportunity to test in vivo the importance of a specific channel subunit for human hearing. Here, we demonstrate psychophysically that individuals with the mutant allele exhibit profound deficits in both ITD and ILD sensitivity, despite showing no obvious impairment in pure-tone sensitivity with either ear. Surprisingly, several individuals exhibited the auditory deficits even though they were pre-symptomatic for SCA13. We would expect that impairments of binaural processing as great as those observed in this family would result in prominent deficits in localization of sound sources and in loss of the "spatial release from masking" that aids in understanding speech in the presence of competing sounds.

  11. Caffeine alleviates progressive motor deficits in a transgenic mouse model of spinocerebellar ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gonçalves, Nélio; Simões, Ana T; Prediger, Rui D; Hirai, Hirokazu; Cunha, Rodrigo A; Pereira de Almeida, Luís

    2017-03-01

    Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is a neurodegenerative spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) associated with an expanded polyglutamine tract within ataxin-3 for which there is currently no available therapy. We previously showed that caffeine, a nonselective adenosine receptor antagonist, delays the appearance of striatal damage resulting from expression of full-length mutant ataxin-3. Here we investigated the ability of caffeine to alleviate behavioral deficits and cerebellar neuropathology in transgenic mice with a severe ataxia resulting from expression of a truncated fragment of polyglutamine-expanded ataxin-3 in Purkinje cells. Control and transgenic c57Bl6 mice expressing in the mouse cerebella a truncated form of human ataxin-3 with 69 glutamine repeats were allowed to freely drink water or caffeinated water (1g/L). Treatments began at 7 weeks of age, when motor and ataxic phenotype emerges in MJD mice, and lasted up to 20 weeks. Mice were tested in a panel of locomotor behavioral paradigms, namely rotarod, beam balance and walking, pole, and water maze cued-platform version tests, and then sacrificed for cerebellar histology. Caffeine consumption attenuated the progressive loss of general and fine-tuned motor function, balance, and grip strength, in parallel with preservation of cerebellar morphology through decreasing the loss of Purkinje neurons and the thinning of the molecular layer in different folia. Caffeine also rescued the putative striatal-dependent executive and cognitive deficiencies in MJD mice. Our findings provide the first in vivo demonstration that caffeine intake alleviates behavioral disabilities in a severely impaired animal model of SCA. Ann Neurol 2017;81:407-418. © 2016 American Neurological Association.

  12. The effect of piracetam on ataxia: clinical observations in a group of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ince Gunal, D; Agan, K; Afsar, N; Borucu, D; Us, O

    2008-04-01

    Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias are clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders. There is no known treatment to prevent neuronal cell death in these disorders. Current treatment is purely symptomatic; ataxia is one of the most disabling symptoms and represents the main therapeutic challenge. A previous case report suggesting benefit from administration of high dose piracetam inspired the present study of the efficacy of this agent in patients with cerebellar ataxia. Piracetam is a low molecular weight derivative of gamma-aminobutyric acid. Although little is known of its mode of action, its efficacy has been documented in a wide range of clinical indications, such as cognitive disorders, dementia, vertigo and dyslexia, as well as cortical myoclonus. The present report investigated the role of high dose piracetam in patients with cerebellar ataxia. Eight patients with autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia were given intravenous piracetam 60 g/day by a structured protocol for 14 days. The baseline and end-of-the study evaluations were based on the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale. Statistical analysis demonstrated a significant improvement in the patients' total score (P = 0.018) and a subscale analysis showed statistical significance for only the posture and gait disturbances item (P = 0.018). This study is providing good clinical observation in favour of high dose piracetam infusion to reduce the disability of the patients by improving their gait ataxia.

  13. Language Impairment in Cerebellar Ataxia

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Gaalen, Judith; de Swart, Bert J. M.; Oostveen, Judith; Knuijt, Simone; van de Warrenburg, Bart P. C.; Kremer, Berry (H. ) P. H.

    Background: Several studies have suggested that language impairment can be observed in patients with cerebellar pathology. The aim of this study was to investigate language performance in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6). Methods: We assessed speech and language in 29 SCA6 patients

  14. Modifications of resting state networks in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cocozza, Sirio; Saccà, Francesco; Cervo, Amedeo; Marsili, Angela; Russo, Cinzia Valeria; Giorgio, Sara Maria Delle Acque; De Michele, Giuseppe; Filla, Alessandro; Brunetti, Arturo; Quarantelli, Mario

    2015-09-01

    We aimed to investigate the integrity of the Resting State Networks in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) and the correlations between the modification of these networks and clinical variables. Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (RS-fMRI) data from 19 SCA2 patients and 29 healthy controls were analyzed using an independent component analysis and dual regression, controlling at voxel level for the effect of atrophy by co-varying for gray matter volume. Correlations between the resting state networks alterations and disease duration, age at onset, number of triplets, and clinical score were assessed by Spearman's coefficient, for each cluster which was significantly different in SCA2 patients compared with healthy controls. In SCA2 patients, disruption of the cerebellar components of all major resting state networks was present, with supratentorial involvement only for the default mode network. When controlling at voxel level for gray matter volume, the reduction in functional connectivity in supratentorial regions of the default mode network, and in cerebellar regions within the default mode, executive and right fronto-parietal networks, was still significant. No correlations with clinical variables were found for any of the investigated resting state networks. The SCA2 patients show significant alterations of the resting state networks, only partly explained by the atrophy. The default mode network is the only resting state network that shows also supratentorial changes, which appear unrelated to the cortical gray matter volume. Further studies are needed to assess the clinical significance of these changes. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  15. The SCA1 (Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and MJD (Machado-Joseph disease CAG repeats in normal individuals: segregation analysis and allele frequencies

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cláudia Emília Vieira Wiezel

    2003-01-01

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1 and Machado-Joseph disease (MJD/SCA3 are autosomal dominant neurodegenerative diseases caused by expansions of a CAG trinucleotide repeat in the SCA1 and MJD genes. These expanded sequences are unstable upon transmission, leading to an intergeneration increase in the number of repeats (dynamic mutation. The transmission of the CAG repeat was studied in normal mother-father-child trios, referred for paternity testing (SCA1, n = 367; MJD, n = 879. No segregation distortion was detected. The CAG allele frequencies were determined in 330 unrelated individuals (fathers from couples tested for paternity. The allele frequency distributions did not differ from those previously reported for European populations. The estimated values for the statistic parameters indicating diversity at the SCA1 locus did not differ much from those reported previously for other STRs in the Brazilian population, while those for the MJD locus were close to or higher than the maximum values of previous reports. This shows that SCA1 and MJD are highly informative loci for applications in genetic and population studies and for forensic analysis.

  16. Reduced cardiac {sup 123}I-metaiodobenzylguanidine uptake in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: a comparative study with Parkinson's disease

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    De Rosa, Anna; De Leva, Maria Fulvia; Maddaluno, Gennaro; Filla, Alessandro; De Michele, Giuseppe [University Federico II, Department of Neurosciences and Reproductive and Odontostomatologic Sciences, Naples (Italy); Pappata, Sabina; Pellegrino, Teresa [National Council of Research, Institute of Biostructure and Bioimaging, Naples (Italy); Fiumara, Giovanni [Institute of Diagnostic and Nuclear Development, SDN Foundation, Naples (Italy); Carotenuto, Raffaella; Cuocolo, Alberto [University Federico II, Department of Advanced Biomedical Sciences, Naples (Italy); Petretta, Mario [University Federico II, Department of Translational Medical Sciences, Naples (Italy)

    2013-12-15

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by cerebellar ataxia, supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, and peripheral neuropathy. Autonomic nervous system dysfunction is often present. This study evaluated the cardiac sympathetic function in patients with SCA2 using {sup 123}I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) in comparison with patients with Parkinson's disease (PD) and control subjects. Nine patients with SCA2, nine patients with PD, and nine control subjects underwent {sup 123}I-MIBG imaging studies from which early and late heart-to-mediastinum (H/M) ratios and myocardial washout rates were calculated. Early (F = 12.3, p < 0.0001) and late (F = 16.8, p < 0.0001) H/M ratios were significantly different among groups. In controls, early and late H/M ratios (2.2 {+-} 0.12 and 2.1 {+-} 0.20) were significantly higher than in patients with SCA2 (1.9 {+-} 0.23 and 1.8 {+-} 0.20, both p < 0.05) and with patients with PD (1.7 {+-} 0.29 and 1.4 {+-} 0.35, both p < 0.001). There was also a significant difference in washout rates among groups (F = 11.7, p < 0.0001). In controls the washout rate (19.9 {+-} 9.6 %) was significantly lower (p < 0.005) than in patients with PD (51.0 {+-} 23.7 %), but not different from that in SCA2 patients (19.5 {+-} 9.4 %). In SCA2 patients, in a multivariable linear regression analysis only the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia score was independently associated with early H/M ratio ({beta} = -0.12, p < 0.05). {sup 123}I-MIBG myocardial scintigraphy demonstrated an impairment of cardiac sympathetic function in patients with SCA2, which was less marked than in PD patients. These results suggest that {sup 123}I-MIBG cardiac imaging could become a useful tool for analysing the pathophysiology of SCA2. (orig.)

  17. Double-blind crossover trial of trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schulte, T; Mattern, R; Berger, K; Szymanski, S; Klotz, P; Kraus, P H; Przuntek, H; Schöls, L

    2001-09-01

    To evaluate the efficiency of a combination of trimethoprim and sulfamethoxazole in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD). Placebo-controlled, double-blind crossover trial in 22 patients with genetically confirmed SCA3/MJD. Study phases of 6 months were separated by a washout period of 4 weeks. Dosages were a combination of trimethoprim, 160 mg, and sulfamethoxazole, 800 mg, twice daily for 2 weeks, followed by a combination of trimethoprim, 80 mg, and sulfamethoxazole, 400 mg, twice daily for 5.5 months. Outpatient department of the Neurological Clinic, Ruhr-University, Bochum, Germany. Ataxia ranking scale, self-assessment score, static posturography, and results of motor performance testing. Effects on the visual system were studied using the achromatic Vision Contrast Test System and the Farnsworth-Munsell 100-hue test for color discrimination. Physical and mental health were documented using the Medical Outcomes Study 36-Item Short-Form Health Survey. Subgroup analyses assessed the influence of age, sex, age at onset, duration of the disease, phenotype, and CAG repeat length on test performance. Twenty of 22 patients completed the study. Dropouts were due to a rash (placebo phase) and an attempted suicide in a family conflict. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole therapy had no significant effect in SCA3/MJD patients in the short-term analysis (2 weeks) or in the long-term interval (6 months). In contrast to previous reports that studied smaller groups of patients, treatment with trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole did not improve the diverse and complex movement disorders caused by SCA3/MJD. Trimethoprim-sulfamethoxazole had no effect on the visual system and cannot be recommended as a continuous treatment for SCA3/MJD patients.

  18. Genetic testing for clinically suspected spinocerebellar ataxias ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Mahesh

    Research Article. Genetic ... Melbourne, Australia and Department of Animal Science, School of Life .... The patients were assessed according to the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating ..... The Indian Journal of Medical Research 126(5):.

  19. Cerebellar ataxia of early onset

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamashita, Sumimasa; Miyake, Shota; Yamada, Michiko; Iwamoto, Hiroko; Yamada, Kazuhiko.

    1989-01-01

    Eight cases of childhood cerebellar ataxia were reported. All these cases showed chronic cerebellar ataxia with early onset, and the other diseases of cerebellum such as infections, neoplasms and storage diseases were excluded by clinical symptoms and laboratory findings including blood counts, blood chemistry, lactate, pyruvate, ceruloplasmine, urinalysis, serum immunoglobulins, amino acid analysis in blood and urine, CSF analysis, leukocyte lysosomal enzymes, MCV, EMG, EEG and brain X-CT. Two pairs of siblings were included in this study. The clinical diagnosis were cerebellar type (5), spinocerebellar type (1), one Marinesco-Sjoegren syndrome and undetermined type (1). The age of onset was 1 to 5 years. The chief complaint was motor developmental delay in 6 cases; among them 5 patients could walk alone at the ages of 2 to 3 years'. Mental retardation was observed in 7 cases and epilepsy in 2. TRH was effective in 5 cases. The MRI study revealed that the area of medial sagittal slice of the cerebellum was reduced significantly in all cases and also that of pons was reduced in 5 cases. Different from typical adult onset spinocerebellar degenerations, most of the present cases have achieved slow developmental milestones and the clinical course was not progressive. Genetic factors are suspected in the pathogenesis of this disease in some cases. (author)

  20. Dominant KCNA2 mutation causes episodic ataxia and pharmacoresponsive epilepsy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corbett, Mark A; Bellows, Susannah T; Li, Melody; Carroll, Renée; Micallef, Silvana; Carvill, Gemma L; Myers, Candace T; Howell, Katherine B; Maljevic, Snezana; Lerche, Holger; Gazina, Elena V; Mefford, Heather C; Bahlo, Melanie; Berkovic, Samuel F; Petrou, Steven; Scheffer, Ingrid E; Gecz, Jozef

    2016-11-08

    To identify the genetic basis of a family segregating episodic ataxia, infantile seizures, and heterogeneous epilepsies and to study the phenotypic spectrum of KCNA2 mutations. A family with 7 affected individuals over 3 generations underwent detailed phenotyping. Whole genome sequencing was performed on a mildly affected grandmother and her grandson with epileptic encephalopathy (EE). Segregating variants were filtered and prioritized based on functional annotations. The effects of the mutation on channel function were analyzed in vitro by voltage clamp assay and in silico by molecular modeling. KCNA2 was sequenced in 35 probands with heterogeneous phenotypes. The 7 family members had episodic ataxia (5), self-limited infantile seizures (5), evolving to genetic generalized epilepsy (4), focal seizures (2), and EE (1). They had a segregating novel mutation in the shaker type voltage-gated potassium channel KCNA2 (CCDS_827.1: c.765_773del; p.255_257del). A rare missense SCN2A (rs200884216) variant was also found in 2 affected siblings and their unaffected mother. The p.255_257del mutation caused dominant negative loss of channel function. Molecular modeling predicted repositioning of critical arginine residues in the voltage-sensing domain. KCNA2 sequencing revealed 1 de novo mutation (CCDS_827.1: c.890G>A; p.Arg297Gln) in a girl with EE, ataxia, and tremor. A KCNA2 mutation caused dominantly inherited episodic ataxia, mild infantile-onset seizures, and later generalized and focal epilepsies in the setting of normal intellect. This observation expands the KCNA2 phenotypic spectrum from EE often associated with chronic ataxia, reflecting the marked variation in severity observed in many ion channel disorders. © 2016 American Academy of Neurology.

  1. Depression as the Primary Cause of Insomnia and Excessive Daytime Sleepiness in a Family with Multiple Cases of Spinocerebellar Ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hsu, Chun-Hsien; Chen, Yen-Lin; Pei, Dee; Yu, Shu-Man; Liu, I-Chao

    2016-07-15

    Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is a hereditary disease characterized by central nervous system-related motor dysfunctions. Sleep disorders and frequent non-motor manifestations are commonly comorbid with SCA. To elucidate this relationship, we present three cases in a family that included multiple SCA type 2 patients with various sleep disorders. Complete physical examination, and genetic and imaging studies were performed. Anti-parkinsonism medications were prescribed after neurological examination. Clonazepam and/or quetiapine were administered for sleep disorders but failed to resolve insomnia and excessive daytime sleepiness (EDS). Based on DSM-5 criteria, all cases were diagnosed with depression. After treatment with serotonin-norepinephrine reuptake inhibitors and noradrenergic and specific serotonergic antidepressants, symptoms of insomnia and EDS, which are strongly associated with depression in SCA type 2 patients, improved significantly. It is crucial to recognize insomnia and EDS in neurodegenerative diseases, not only for earlier diagnosis, but also to improve quality of life. © 2016 American Academy of Sleep Medicine.

  2. Speech changes after coordinative training in patients with cerebellar ataxia: a pilot study

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Tykalová, T.; Pospíšilová, M.; Čmejla, R.; Jeřábek, J.; Mareš, Pavel; Rusz, J.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 37, č. 2 (2016), s. 293-296 ISSN 1590-1874 Institutional support: RVO:67985823 Keywords : spinocerebellar ataxia * rehabilitation * physiotherapy * ataxic dysarthria * postural alignment * acoustic analysis Subject RIV: FH - Neurology Impact factor: 1.749, year: 2016

  3. Deep Brain Stimulation for Tremor Associated with Underlying Ataxia Syndromes: A Case Series and Discussion of Issues

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Genko Oyama

    2014-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Deep brain stimulation (DBS has been utilized to treat various symptoms in patients suffering from movement disorders such as Parkinson's disease, dystonia, and essential tremor. Though ataxia syndromes have not been formally or frequently addressed with DBS, there are patients with ataxia and associated medication refractory tremor or dystonia who may potentially benefit from therapy.Methods: A retrospective database review was performed, searching for cases of ataxia where tremor and/or dystonia were addressed by utilizing DBS at the University of Florida Center for Movement Disorders and Neurorestoration between 2008 and 2011. Five patients were found who had DBS implantation to address either medication refractory tremor or dystonia. The patient's underlying diagnoses included spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2, fragile X associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS, a case of idiopathic ataxia (ataxia not otherwise specified [NOS], spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 (SCA17, and a senataxin mutation (SETX.Results: DBS improved medication refractory tremor in the SCA2 and the ataxia NOS patients. The outcome for the FXTAS patient was poor. DBS improved dystonia in the SCA17 and SETX patients, although dystonia did not improve in the lower extremities of the SCA17 patient. All patients reported a transient gait dysfunction postoperatively, and there were no reports of improvement in ataxia‐related symptoms.Discussion: DBS may be an option to treat tremor, inclusive of dystonic tremor in patients with underlying ataxia; however, gait and other symptoms may possibly be worsened.Erratum published on July 27, 2016

  4. Huntington's disease-like and ataxia syndromes: identification of a family with a de novo SCA17/TBP mutation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bech, Sara; Petersen, Thor; Nørremølle, Anne

    2010-01-01

    The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias, commonly referred to as SCAs, are clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative disorders. Twenty-eight genetic subtypes have been identified, of which 7 are caused by expansion of a CAG trinucleotide repeat that encodes a polyglutamine....... The patient's mother and father both carried normal range repeats, 38/38 and 33/39 respectively. Analysis of the repeat structures revealed that the expansion had occurred upon expansion of the longer paternal allele. We conclude that, however rare, SCA17 must be considered as a cause of Huntington's disease...

  5. [Spinocerebellar ataxia type 8: the case of a Spanish family].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mayo-Cabrero, D; Sánchez-Migallón, M; Cantarero, S; García-Ruiz Espiga, P J; Giménez-Pardo, A; Trujillo-Tiebas, M; Ayuso-García, C

    Dominant autosomic ataxias include a group of neurodegenerative diseases characterized by the abnormal expansion of triplets. Male aged 33, with expansion of the SCA 8 gene (100 repetitions), who presented a clinical picture compatible with a pancerebellar syndrome. The patient had been diagnosed 11 years earlier as suffering from previously of histiocytosis X. A clinico genetic study was conducted on the patient and several members of his family (parents and two sisters). Both sisters and the father were found to be carriers of the expansion (110 and 150 repetitions, respectively), and are currently asymptomatic. There is no relation between the number of repetitions and the age of onset of the disease. The normal interval in our population oscillates between 16 37 repetitions, and the pathological interval has not been well determined. There may be a relation between the SCA 8 form and histiocytosis X.

  6. Clinical and molecular characteristics of a Brazilian family with spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 Características clínicas e moleculares de uma família Brasileira com ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 1

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Iscia Lopes-Cendes

    1996-09-01

    Full Text Available The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs are a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of late onset neurodegenerative disorders. To date, seven different genes causing autosomal dominant SCA have been mapped: SCA1, SCA2, Machado-Joseph disease (MJD/SCA3, SCA4, SCA5, SCA7 and dentatorubropallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA. Expansions of an unstable trinucleotide CAG repeat cause three of these disorders: SCA1, MJD/SCA3 and DRPLA. We studied one Brazilian family segregating an autosomal dominant type of SCA. A total of ten individuals were examined and tested for the presence of the SCA1, MJD and DRPLA mutations. Three individuals, one male and two females, were considered affected based on neurological examination; ages at onset were: 32, 36 and 41 years. The first complaint in all three patients was gait ataxia which progressed slowly over the years. Six individuals showed one allele containing an expanded CAG repeat in the SCA1 gene. The mean size of the expanded allele was 48.2 CAG units. Instability of the expanded CAG tract was seen in the two transmissions that were observed in this family. In both occasions there was a contraction of the CAG tract. Our study demonstrates that SCA1 occurs in the Brazilian population. In addition, our results stress the importance of molecular studies in the confirmation of diagnosis and for pre-symptomatic testing in SCAs.As ataxias espinocerebelares (AECs fazem parte de um grupo de doenças neurodegenerativas que apresentam grande heterogeneidade clínica e genética. Existem até o momento sete genes mapeados responsáveis pelas AECs de transmissão autossômica dominante: SCA1, SCA2, doença de Machado-Joseph (DA/7 ou SCA3, SCA4, SCA5, SCA7 e atrofia dentatorubropalidoluisiana (ADRPL. Uma expansão de um trínucletídeo CAG foi identificada como a mutação responsável na SCA], DMJ e ADRPL. Estudamos uma família brasileira com uma forma autossômica dominante de AEC. Dez indivíduos foram examinados e

  7. Mutations in DNMT1 cause autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness and narcolepsy

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Winkelmann, Juliane; Lin, Ling; Schormair, Barbara

    2012-01-01

    to HDAC2. It is also highly expressed in immune cells and required for the differentiation of CD4+ into T regulatory cells. Mutations in exon 20 of this gene were recently reported to cause hereditary sensory neuropathy with dementia and hearing loss (HSAN1). Our mutations are all located in exon 21......Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness and narcolepsy (ADCA-DN) is characterized by late onset (30-40 years old) cerebellar ataxia, sensory neuronal deafness, narcolepsy-cataplexy and dementia. We performed exome sequencing in five individuals from three ADCA-DN kindreds and identified DNMT...

  8. Video game-based coordinative training improves ataxia in children with degenerative ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ilg, Winfried; Schatton, Cornelia; Schicks, Julia; Giese, Martin A; Schöls, Ludger; Synofzik, Matthis

    2012-11-13

    Degenerative ataxias in children present a rare condition where effective treatments are lacking. Intensive coordinative training based on physiotherapeutic exercises improves degenerative ataxia in adults, but such exercises have drawbacks for children, often including a lack of motivation for high-frequent physiotherapy. Recently developed whole-body controlled video game technology might present a novel treatment strategy for highly interactive and motivational coordinative training for children with degenerative ataxias. We examined the effectiveness of an 8-week coordinative training for 10 children with progressive spinocerebellar ataxia. Training was based on 3 Microsoft Xbox Kinect video games particularly suitable to exercise whole-body coordination and dynamic balance. Training was started with a laboratory-based 2-week training phase and followed by 6 weeks training in children's home environment. Rater-blinded assessments were performed 2 weeks before laboratory-based training, immediately prior to and after the laboratory-based training period, as well as after home training. These assessments allowed for an intraindividual control design, where performance changes with and without training were compared. Ataxia symptoms were significantly reduced (decrease in Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia score, p = 0.0078) and balance capacities improved (dynamic gait index, p = 0.04) after intervention. Quantitative movement analysis revealed improvements in gait (lateral sway: p = 0.01; step length variability: p = 0.01) and in goal-directed leg placement (p = 0.03). Despite progressive cerebellar degeneration, children are able to improve motor performance by intensive coordination training. Directed training of whole-body controlled video games might present a highly motivational, cost-efficient, and home-based rehabilitation strategy to train dynamic balance and interaction with dynamic environments in a large variety of young-onset neurologic

  9. Misclassification of Patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia as having Psychogenic Postural Instability based on Computerized Dynamic Posturography

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Susan J Herdman

    2011-04-01

    Full Text Available Specific criteria have been developed based on computerized dynamic posturography (CDP to assist clinicians in identifying patients with psychogenic balance problems1-4. Patients with known Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA meet several of the criteria for psychogenic balance problem and risk being misclassified as having imbalance of psychogenic origin. However, our research shows that patients with SCA may be distinguished from patients with psychogenic balance problems in several ways. We compared test performance on CDP and the observation of specific behaviors that are associated with psychogenic balance problems in patients with SCA (n = 43 and patients with known psychogenic balance problems (n = 40. Chi square analysis was used to determine if there were significant differences between the groups for the frequency of each criterion for psychogenic CDP and Observed Behaviors. Level of significance was Bonferroni corrected for multiple comparisons. Sensitivity, specificity, and positive likelihood ratios were calculated for each criterion. Hierarchical cluster analysis was used to examine whether the two patient groups demonstrated similar groupings of criteria. Comparison of the results of these analyses identified two criteria that were significantly more frequent in the Psychogenic group than in the SCA group: Regular Periodicity of sway and Circular Sway. Sensitivity, specificity and positive likelihood ratios identified two additional criteria, Inconsistent Motor Responses and Large lateral Sway that also seem to suggest a psychogenic component to a person’s imbalance. Prospective studies are needed to validate the usefulness of these findings.

  10. Structural and Functional Magnetic Resonance Imaging of the Cerebellum: Considerations for Assessing Cerebellar Ataxias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Deistung, Andreas; Stefanescu, Maria R; Ernst, Thomas M; Schlamann, Marc; Ladd, Mark E; Reichenbach, Jürgen R; Timmann, Dagmar

    2016-02-01

    Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain is of high interest for diagnosing and understanding degenerative ataxias. Here, we present state-of-the-art MRI methods to characterize structural alterations of the cerebellum and introduce initial experiments to show abnormalities in the cerebellar nuclei. Clinically, T1-weighted MR images are used to assess atrophy of the cerebellar cortex, the brainstem, and the spinal cord, whereas T2-weighted and PD-weighted images are typically employed to depict potential white matter lesions that may be associated with certain types of ataxias. More recently, attention has also focused on the characterization of the cerebellar nuclei, which are discernible on spatially highly resolved iron-sensitive MR images due to their relatively high iron content, including T2 (*)-weighted images, susceptibility-weighted images (SWI), effective transverse relaxation rate (R2 (*)) maps, and quantitative susceptibility maps (QSM). Among these iron-sensitive techniques, QSM reveals the best contrast between cerebellar nuclei and their surroundings. In particular, the gyrification of the dentate nuclei is prominently depicted, even at the clinically widely available field strength of 3 T. The linear relationship between magnetic susceptibility and local iron content allows for determination of iron deposition in cerebellar nuclei non-invasively. The increased signal-to-noise ratio of ultrahigh-field MRI (B0 ≥ 7 T) and advances in spatial normalization methods enable functional MRI (fMRI) at the level of the cerebellar cortex and cerebellar nuclei. Data from initial fMRI studies are presented in three common forms of hereditary ataxias (Friedreich's ataxia, spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, and spinocerebellar ataxia type 6). Characteristic changes in the fMRI signal are discussed in the light of histopathological data and current knowledge of the underlying physiology of the fMRI signal in the cerebellum.

  11. Social and cultural elements associated with neurocognitive dysfunctions in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 patients

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Roberto Emmanuele Mercadillo

    2015-06-01

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2 (SCA2 is a rare genetic disorder producing cerebellar degeneration and affecting motor abilities. Neuroimaging studies also show neurodegeneration in subcortical and cortical regions related to emotional and social processes. From social neuroscience it is suggested that motor and social abilities can be influenced by particular cultural dynamics so, culture is fundamental to understand the effect of brain related alterations. Here we present the first analysis about the cultural elements related to the SCA2 disorder in 15 patients previously evaluated with neuroimaging and psychometric instruments, and their nuclear relationships distributed in six geographical and cultural regions in Mexico. Ethnographic records and photographic and video archives about the quotidian participant’s routine were obtained from the patients, their relatives and their caregivers. The information was categorized and interpreted taking into consideration cultural issues and patients’ medical files. Our analyses suggest that most of the participants do not understand the nature of the disease and this misunderstanding favors magic and non-medical explanations. Patients’ testimonies suggest a decrease in pain perception as well as motor alterations that may be related to interoceptive dysfunctions. Relatives’ testimonies indicate patients’ lack of social and emotional interests that may be related to frontal, temporal and cerebellar degeneration. In general, participants use their religious beliefs to deal with the disease and only a few of them trust the health system. Patients and their families are either openly rejected and ignored, tolerated or even helped by their community accordingly to different regional traits. We propose that ethnography can provide social representations to understand the patients’ alterations, to formulate neurobiological hypotheses, to develop neurocognitive interventions, and to improve the

  12. SCA28

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Svenstrup, Kirsten; Nielsen, Troels Tolstrup; Aidt, Frederik

    2017-01-01

    The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) are a group of rare inherited neurodegenerative diseases characterized by slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia, resulting in unsteady gait, clumsiness, and dysarthria. The disorders are predominantly inherited in an autosomal dominant manner. Mutations in the gen...

  13. Rapid and Complete Reversal of Sensory Ataxia by Gene Therapy in a Novel Model of Friedreich Ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Piguet, Françoise; de Montigny, Charline; Vaucamps, Nadège; Reutenauer, Laurence; Eisenmann, Aurélie; Puccio, Hélène

    2018-05-28

    Friedreich ataxia (FA) is a rare mitochondrial disease characterized by sensory and spinocerebellar ataxia, hypertrophic cardiomyopathy, and diabetes, for which there is no treatment. FA is caused by reduced levels of frataxin (FXN), an essential mitochondrial protein involved in the biosynthesis of iron-sulfur (Fe-S) clusters. Despite significant progress in recent years, to date, there are no good models to explore and test therapeutic approaches to stop or reverse the ganglionopathy and the sensory neuropathy associated to frataxin deficiency. Here, we report a new conditional mouse model with complete frataxin deletion in parvalbumin-positive cells that recapitulate the sensory ataxia and neuropathy associated to FA, albeit with a more rapid and severe course. Interestingly, although fully dysfunctional, proprioceptive neurons can survive for many weeks without frataxin. Furthermore, we demonstrate that post-symptomatic delivery of frataxin-expressing AAV allows for rapid and complete rescue of the sensory neuropathy associated with frataxin deficiency, thus establishing the pre-clinical proof of concept for the potential of gene therapy in treating FA neuropathy. Copyright © 2018 The American Society of Gene and Cell Therapy. Published by Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Ataxia espinocerebelosa 7: Investigación clínica y genética en una familia argentina Spinocerebellar ataxia 7: Clinical and genetic investigation in an Argentine family

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Juan I. Rojas

    2007-04-01

    Full Text Available Las ataxias espino cerebelosas (AEC, constituyen un grupo de trastornos hereditarios neurodegenerativos de herencia autosómica dominante. Se caracterizan principalmente por la presencia clínica de ataxia cerebelosa asociada a oftalmoplejía, disartria, signos piramidales o extrapiramidales y pérdida de la sensibilidad profunda. La AEC 7 pertenece al grupo de las ataxias espinocerebelosas en la cual el trastorno es consecuencia de la expansión del triplete CAG localizado en el cromosoma 3 p12-p21. La característica clínica de dicha ataxia es la pérdida de la agudeza visual y posterior ceguera. Presentamos tres individuos de una familia con ataxia cerebelosa, pérdida de la agudeza visual y otros signos neurológicos. El diagnóstico fue confirmado por medio del análisis genético en el cual se observó la anormalidad característica de la AEC 7. Este es el primer caso de AEC 7 en Argentina confirmado por estudio genético. En la revisión de la literatura (hasta enero 2006 se hallaron sólo dos familias notificadas en América Latina. El objetivo del trabajo es el de enfocar la atención en el diagnóstico de esta enfermedad degenerativa en pacientes que se presentan con ataxia cerebelosa progresiva asociada con disminución de la agudeza visual e historia familiar positiva.Spino cerebellar ataxia (SCA are a complex group of hereditary neurodegenerative disturbances of autosomal dominant pattern. They are largely characterized by the clinical presence of cerebellar ataxia related to ophtalmoplegia, dysarthria, pyramidal and extra-pyramidal signs and loss of deep sensitivity. SCA 7 belongs to the SCA group in which the disturbance is a result of the expansion of CAG triplet repetition located in the 3p12-p21 chromosome. The characteristic clinical feature of SCA7 is the loss of visual acuity and blindness. We present here three cases of ataxia, from the same family, with loss of visual acuity and other neurological disorders. The diagnosis

  15. [Voluntary postural control learning with a use of visual bio-feedback in patients with spinocerebellar degenerations].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ustinova, K I; Ioffe, M E; Chernikova, L A; Kulikov, M A; Illarioshkin, S N; Markova, E D

    2004-01-01

    The study aimed at evaluation of possibility and features of voluntary postural control learning using biofeedback from a force platform in patients with spinocerebellar ataxias. Thirty-seven patients with different forms of spinocerebellar degenerations and 13 age-matched healthy subjects were trained to shift the center of pressure (CP) during several stabilographic computer games which tested an ability to learn 2 different types of voluntary postural control: general strategy and precise coordination of CP shifting. Despite the disturbances of static posture and ability for voluntary control of CP position, patients with spinocerebellar degenerations can learn to control a vertical posture using biofeedback on stabilogram. In contrast to healthy subjects, improvement of coordination in the training process does not exert a significant influence on the static posture characteristics, in particular on lateral CP oscillations. The results obtained suggest involvement of the cerebellum in both types of postural control that distinguishes them from pathology caused by motor cortex and nigro-striatal system involved only in one type of postural control.

  16. Aqueous Extract of Paeonia lactiflora and Paeoniflorin as Aggregation Reducers Targeting Chaperones in Cell Models of Spinocerebellar Ataxia 3

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    Kuo-Hsuan Chang

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA types 1, 2, 3, 6, 7, and 17 as well as Huntington’s disease are a group of neurodegenerative disorders caused by expanded CAG repeats encoding a long polyglutamine (polyQ tract in the respective proteins. Evidence has shown that the accumulation of intranuclear and cytoplasmic misfolded polyQ proteins leads to apoptosis and cell death. Thus suppression of aggregate formation is expected to inhibit a wide range of downstream pathogenic events in polyQ diseases. In this study, we established a high-throughput aggregation screening system using 293 ATXN3/Q75-GFP cells and applied this system to test the aqueous extract of Paeonia lactiflora (P. lactiflora and its constituents. We found that the aggregation can be significantly prohibited by P. lactiflora and its active compound paeoniflorin. Meanwhile, P. lactiflora and paeoniflorin upregulated HSF1 and HSP70 chaperones in the same cell models. Both of them further reduced the aggregation in neuronal differentiated SH-SY5Y ATXN3/Q75-GFP cells. Our results demonstrate how P. lactiflora and paeoniflorin are likely to work on polyQ-aggregation reduction and provide insight into the possible working mechanism of P. lactiflora in SCA3. We anticipate our paper to be a starting point for screening more potential herbs for the treatment of SCA3 and other polyQ diseases.

  17. Mangifera indica L. extract (Vimang improves the aversive memory in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 transgenic mice.

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    Natasha Maurmann

    2014-06-01

    Full Text Available Context: The spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA-2 is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder without specific therapy identified, and it is related to the loss of function in the cerebellum, mitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress and neurotoxic processes. Scientific evidence indicates that Mangifera indica L. aqueous extract (MiE and its major constituent (mangiferin display antioxidant, anti-inflammatory and neuroprotective actions. Aims: To investigate the MiE and mangiferin effects on behavioral outcomes of neurological function in SCA-2 transgenic mice. Methods: The SCA-2 transgenic mice were daily and orally administered during 12 months with MiE (10, 50, and 100 mg/kg, mangiferin (10 mg/kg or vehicle. It was evaluated locomotion (open-field, aversive memory (inhibitory avoidance and declarative memory (object recognition. To explore possible cellular mechanisms underlying the in vivo effects was also evaluated their effects on nerve grow factor (NGF and tumor necrosis factor-α (TNF-α levels in the human glioblastoma cell line U138-MG supernatant. Results: MiE administration did not affect the object recognition memory, but mangiferin did. The natural extract improved selectively the aversive memory in SCA-2 mice, indicating that MiE can affect behavioral parameters regarding fear-related memory. MiE also induced a significant increase in supernatant levels of NGF and TNF-α in vitro in human U138-MG glioblastoma cells. Conclusions: The results suggest that MiE enhances the aversive memory through a mechanism that might involve an increase in neurotrophin and cytokine levels. These findings constitute the basis for the use of the natural extract in the prevention/treatment of memory deficits in SCA-2.

  18. Paula Coutinho's outstanding contribution to the definition of Machado-Joseph disease.

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    Garcia, Bruno Carniatto Marques; Germiniani, Francisco Manoel Branco; Marques, Paula; Sequeiros, Jorge; Teive, Hélio Afonso Ghizoni

    2017-10-01

    Machado-Joseph disease, also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, is the most common form of autosomal dominant ataxia in the world. Paula Coutinho, a highly-regarded Portuguese neurologist worldwide, had a seminal participation in the definition of this disease, more than 40 years ago.

  19. [A sporadic case of episodic ataxia with nystagmus (EA-2)].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Namekawa, M; Takiyama, Y; Ueno, N; Nishizawa, M

    1998-05-01

    A 39-year-old man with episodic ataxia with nystagmus (EA-2) was reported. He showed intermittent cerebellar dysfunction, i.e., ataxia, nystagmus, dysarthria and vertigo, since he was 10 years old. Although this attack lasted for several hours, he was normal with exception of interictal nystagmus. His parents and sister showed no episodic ataxia. We ruled out the diseases, which may cause episodic ataxia, such as multiple sclerosis, vascular disorders, metabolic disorders and congenital anomalies. He was released from the attack by treatment with acetazolamide. EA-2 has been associated with mutations in the alpha 1A-voltage dependent calcium channel gene (CACNL1A4), which is also affected in familial hemiplegic migraine (FMH) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6). In EA-2, frame-shift mutation leading to premature stop and splice-site mutation leading to truncated, non-functional channel protein have been reported. However, our patient did not have the mutations in the CACNL1A4 gene that were previously reported. In addition, our patient did not have an expanded CAG allele in the CACNL1A4 gene which is responsible for SCA6. Further examination is required to address whether a new mutation exists in the CACNL1A4 gene in our patient.

  20. Cerebellar ataxia of early onset. Clinical symptoms and MRI findings

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    Yamashita, Sumimasa; Miyake, Shota; Yamada, Michiko; Iwamoto, Hiroko (Kanagawa Children' s Medical Center, Yokohama (Japan)); Yamada, Kazuhiko

    1989-07-01

    Eight cases of childhood cerebellar ataxia were reported. All these cases showed chronic cerebellar ataxia with early onset, and the other diseases of cerebellum such as infections, neoplasms and storage diseases were excluded by clinical symptoms and laboratory findings including blood counts, blood chemistry, lactate, pyruvate, ceruloplasmine, urinalysis, serum immunoglobulins, amino acid analysis in blood and urine, CSF analysis, leukocyte lysosomal enzymes, MCV, EMG, EEG and brain X-CT. Two pairs of siblings were included in this study. The clinical diagnosis were cerebellar type (5), spinocerebellar type (1), one Marinesco-Sjoegren syndrome and undetermined type (1). The age of onset was 1 to 5 years. The chief complaint was motor developmental delay in 6 cases; among them 5 patients could walk alone at the ages of 2 to 3 years'. Mental retardation was observed in 7 cases and epilepsy in 2. TRH was effective in 5 cases. The MRI study revealed that the area of medial sagittal slice of the cerebellum was reduced significantly in all cases and also that of pons was reduced in 5 cases. Different from typical adult onset spinocerebellar degenerations, most of the present cases have achieved slow developmental milestones and the clinical course was not progressive. Genetic factors are suspected in the pathogenesis of this disease in some cases. (author).

  1. Understanding the Pathophysiology of Spinocerebellar Ataxias through genetics, neurophysiology, structural and functional neuroimaging

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    Pramod Kumar Pal

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Over the past 10 years a large cohort of 656 index patients with clinically suspected degenerative ataxias were clinically evaluated under various research projects. Of these, 625 index patients underwent genetic tests for the clinically suspected most probable diagnosis. A diagnosis could be achieved in 218 patients (34.9%. Among these 218 index patients, 82 each were SCA1 and SCA2, 32 were SCA3, 4 were SCA12, and 18 were Friedreich's Ataxia. Thus among the Autosomal Dominant Ataxias (SCAs there was equal prevalence of SCA1 and SCA2 (41% each followed by SCA3 (16% and SCA12 (2%. This high prevalence of SCA1 is in contrast to the available National and International literature. The rate of clinical disease progression, especially in SCA2, was dependent on the CAG repeat size, and may commence linearly from birth.Apart from cerebellar involvement, a comprehensive evaluation of the neuroaxis in various subsets of this genetically proved cohort showedsubclinicalinvolvement of the cerebral cortex, central motor and sensory pathways, peripheral nervous system and autonomic nervous system. Important findings include: (aAmixedsensorimotor and pure sensory neuropathy was seen in all the three subtypes of SCAs, while pure motor neuropathy was uncommon; (b There was reduced cortical excitability and prolonged central motor conduction time, most evident in SCA1 and least in SCA2; (c Cardiac autonomic dysfunction, predominantly parasympathetic, was seen in SCA, and the severity correlated with the duration of illness in SCA1; (d In SCA1 there was a global impairment of balance, with greater instability in anterior–posterior than medio–lateral directions; (e In all the three SCAs there was a significant loss of gray matter in both cerebellar hemispheres and vermis. Vermian atrophy was more pronounced in SCA3, while SCA1 and SCA2 had significant white matter atrophy. Pontine white matter atrophy was more pronounced in SCA2; (f Cerebellar activity was

  2. Capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis and clone sequencing in detection of dynamic mutations of spinocerebellar ataxia

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    Yuan-yuan CHEN

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective To estimate the accuracy and stability of capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis and clone sequencing in detecting dynamic mutations of spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA. Methods Capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis and clone sequencing were used in detecting trinucleotide repeated sequence of 14 SCA patients (3 cases of SCA2, 2 cases of SCA7, 7 cases of SCA8 and 2 cases of SCA17. Results Capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis of 3 SCA2 cases showed the expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG repeats were 31, 30 and 32, and the copy numbers of 3 clone sequencing for 3 colonies in each case were 37/40/40, 37/38/39 and 38/39/40 respectively. Capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis of 2 SCA7 cases showed the expanded CAG repeats were 57 and 34, and the copy numbers of repeats were 69, 74, 75 in 3 colonies of one case, and was 45 in the other case. For the 7 SCA8 cases with the expanded cytosine-thymine-adenine (CTA/cytosine-thymine-guanine (CTG repeats of 99, 111, 104, 92, 89, 104 and 75, the results of clone sequencing were 97, 116, 104, 90, 90, 102 and 76 respectively. For 2 SCA17 cases with the short/expanded CAG repeats of 37/50 and 36/45, the results of clone sequencing were 51/50/52 and 45/44 for 3 and 2 colonies. Conclusions Although the higher mobility of polymerase chain reaction (PCR products containing dynamic mutation in the capillary electrophoresis fragment analysis might cause the deviation for analysis of copy numbers, the deviation was predictable and the results were repeatable. The clone sequencing results showed obvious instability, especially for SCA2 and SCA7 genes, which might owing to their simple CAG repeats. Consequently, clone sequencing is not suited for detection of dynamic mutation, not to mention the quantitative criteria of dynamic mutation sequencing. DOI: 10.3969/j.issn.1672-6731.2018.03.008

  3. Recent Advancements in Targeted Delivery of Therapeutic Molecules in Neurodegenerative Disease–-Spinocerebellar Ataxia–-Opportunities and Challenges

    OpenAIRE

    Satya Prakash; Meenakshi Malhotra

    2008-01-01

    Drug discovery and its methodologies have been very effective in terms of treating cancers and immunological disorders but have not been able to stop genetic diseases as most of the drugs target at the protein level. They merely mitigate the symptoms of the disease. Spinocerebellar ataxia is a neurological genetic disorder that is caused by the formation of an abnormal protein. There have been several reports on ataxic drug development but actual clinical treatment is yet to be achieved. Olig...

  4. Targeting the CACNA1A IRES as a Treatment for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 6.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pastor, Parviz Daniel Hejazi; Du, Xiaofei; Fazal, Sarah; Davies, Andre N; Gomez, Christopher M

    2018-02-01

    We have discovered that the P/Q-type voltage-gated Ca 2+ channel (VGCC) gene, CACNA1A, encodes both the α1A (Cav2.1) subunit and a newly recognized transcription factor, α1ACT, by means of a novel internal ribosomal entry site (IRES) within the α1A C-terminal coding region. α1ACT, when mutated with an expansion of the polyglutamine tract in the C-terminus, gives rise to spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6). Because silencing of the entire CACNA1A gene would result in the loss of the essential Cav2.1 channel, the IRES controlling α1ACT expression is an excellent target for selective silencing of α1ACT as a therapeutic intervention for SCA6. We performed a high-throughput screen of FDA-approved small molecules using a dual luciferase reporter system and identified ten hits able to selectively inhibit the IRES. We identified four main candidates that showed selective suppression of α1ACT relative to α1A in HEK cells expressing a native CACNA1A vector. We previously pursued another avenue of molecular intervention through miRNA silencing. We studied three human miRNAs (miRNA-711, -3191-5p, -4786) that would potentially bind to sequences within the CACNA1A IRES region, based on an miRNA prediction program. Only miRNA-3191-5p was found to selectively inhibit the translation of α1ACT in cells. We developed a hyperacute model of SCA6 in mice by injecting a pathogenic form of the IRES-mediated α1ACT (AAV9-α1ACTQ33). Finally, we tested the effectiveness of the miRNA therapy by co-expressing either control miRNA or miRNA-3191-5p and found that miRNA-3191-5p decreased the levels of α1ACTQ33 and prevented the hyperacute disease in mice. These studies provide the proof of principle that a therapy directed at selectively preventing α1ACT expression could be used to treat SCA6.

  5. Cardiopatía dilatada en ataxia de Friedreich: el punto sin retorno Dilated cardiomyopathy in Friedreich's ataxia: point of no return

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    Luis E Silva

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Las cardiopatías infiltrativas se caracterizan por el depósito de sustancias en el miocardio que causan un impacto negativo en la arquitectura de la pared ventricular. La ataxia espino-cerebelosa de Friedreich es una enfermedad degenerativa, heredada, con carácter autosómico recesivo. Clínicamente se caracteriza por ataxia de extremidades y tronco, hiporreflexia, neuropatía periférica, retinopatía y cardiopatía, entre otros. La afectación cardíaca es muy frecuente y se detectan alteraciones en estudios pos-mortem en 95% a 100% de los pacientes. La tasa de mortalidad es elevada y se considera una enfermedad incurable, a pesar de la existencia actual de múltiples medicamentos en estudio basados en los fundamentos fisiopatológicos de esta afección.Infiltrative heart diseases are characterized by deposit of substances in the myocardium that cause a negative impact on the architecture of the ventricular wall. Friedreich's spino-cerebellar ataxia is a degenerative disease, inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern. Clinically it is characterized by limb and trunk ataxia, hyporeflexia, peripheral neuropathy, retinopathy and heart disease among others. Cardiac involvement is common and on post-mortem studies cardiac abnormalities are found in 95% to 100% of patients. The mortality rate is high and it is considered an incurable disease, despite the current existence of multiple medications being studied, based on the pathophysiological basis of this condition.

  6. Cerebello-cerebral functional relationship in spinocerebellar degeneration using positron emission tomography

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koshi, Yasuhiko; Kitamura, Shin; Sakayori, Osamu; Komaba, Yuichi; Terashi, Akiro

    1995-01-01

    In order to investigate the laterality of cerebellar ataxia and its influence for the cerebral cortex in spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using positron emission tomography (PET) in 10 patients with sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy (sOPCA), 7 patients with hereditary SCD (hSCD), and 10 age matched control subjects. The laterality of cerebellar ataxia was evaluated by the total score of the difference between left and right limbs of three limb-coordination tests. The lateralities of rCBF were calculated by asymmetry indices (AIs) of each region of interest in the cerebellum, thalamus, caudate, putamen, cerebral cortices. The laterality of cerebellar ataxia was significantly correlated with AI in the cerebellum in patients with sOPCA. Furthermore, significant negative correlations were observed between AI in the cerebellum and each AI in the thalamus, frontal cortex in patients with sOPCA. However, no correlations were observed between AI in the cerebellum and the other AIs in controls and patients with h SCD. Duration of illness in patients with sOPCA with laterality is shorter than that in patients without laterality. These results suggest that the existence of crossed cerebello-cerebral diaschisis (CCCD) resulting from transneuronal deactivation through cerebello-thalamo-cerebral pathway in patients with the early stage of sOPCA with laterality. (author)

  7. Cerebello-cerebral functional relationship in spinocerebellar degeneration using positron emission tomography

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    Koshi, Yasuhiko; Kitamura, Shin; Sakayori, Osamu; Komaba, Yuichi; Terashi, Akiro [Nippon Medical School, Tokyo (Japan)

    1995-07-01

    In order to investigate the laterality of cerebellar ataxia and its influence for the cerebral cortex in spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD), regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) was measured using positron emission tomography (PET) in 10 patients with sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy (sOPCA), 7 patients with hereditary SCD (hSCD), and 10 age matched control subjects. The laterality of cerebellar ataxia was evaluated by the total score of the difference between left and right limbs of three limb-coordination tests. The lateralities of rCBF were calculated by asymmetry indices (AIs) of each region of interest in the cerebellum, thalamus, caudate, putamen, cerebral cortices. The laterality of cerebellar ataxia was significantly correlated with AI in the cerebellum in patients with sOPCA. Furthermore, significant negative correlations were observed between AI in the cerebellum and each AI in the thalamus, frontal cortex in patients with sOPCA. However, no correlations were observed between AI in the cerebellum and the other AIs in controls and patients with h SCD. Duration of illness in patients with sOPCA with laterality is shorter than that in patients without laterality. These results suggest that the existence of crossed cerebello-cerebral diaschisis (CCCD) resulting from transneuronal deactivation through cerebello-thalamo-cerebral pathway in patients with the early stage of sOPCA with laterality. (author).

  8. Far-infrared radiation protects viability in a cell model of Spinocerebellar Ataxia by preventing polyQ protein accumulation and improving mitochondrial function.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chang, Jui-Chih; Wu, Shey-Lin; Hoel, Fredrik; Cheng, Yu-Shan; Liu, Ko-Hung; Hsieh, Mingli; Hoel, August; Tronstad, Karl Johan; Yan, Kuo-Chia; Hsieh, Ching-Liang; Lin, Wei-Yong; Kuo, Shou-Jen; Su, Shih-Li; Liu, Chin-San

    2016-07-29

    Far infrared radiation (FIR) is currently investigated as a potential therapeutic strategy in various diseases though the mechanism is unknown. Presently, we tested if FIR mediates beneficial effects in a cell model of the neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). SCA3 is caused by a mutation leading to an abnormal polyglutamine expansion (PolyQ) in ataxin-3 protein. The consequent aggregation of mutant ataxin-3 results in disruption of vital cell functions. In this study, neuroblastoma cells (SK-N-SH) was transduced to express either non-pathogenic ataxin-3-26Q or pathogenic ataxin-3-78Q proteins. The cells expressing ataxin-3-78Q demonstrated decreased viability, and increased sensitivity to metabolic stress in the presence rotenone, an inhibitor of mitochondrial respiration. FIR exposure was found to protect against these effects. Moreover, FIR improved mitochondrial respiratory function, which was significantly compromised in ataxin-3-78Q and ataxin-3-26Q expressing cells. This was accompanied by decreased levels of mitochondrial fragmentation in FIR treated cells, as observed by fluorescence microscopy and protein expression analysis. Finally, the expression profile LC3-II, Beclin-1 and p62 suggested that FIR prevent the autophagy inhibiting effects observed in ataxin-3-78Q expressing cells. In summary, our results suggest that FIR have rescuing effects in cells expressing mutated pathogenic ataxin-3, through recovery of mitochondrial function and autophagy.

  9. Overexpression of mutant ataxin-3 in mouse cerebellum induces ataxia and cerebellar neuropathology.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nóbrega, Clévio; Nascimento-Ferreira, Isabel; Onofre, Isabel; Albuquerque, David; Conceição, Mariana; Déglon, Nicole; de Almeida, Luís Pereira

    2013-08-01

    Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), is a fatal, dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by the polyglutamine-expanded protein ataxin-3. Clinical manifestations include cerebellar ataxia and pyramidal signs culminating in severe neuronal degeneration. Currently, there is no therapy able to modify disease progression. In the present study, we aimed at investigating one of the most severely affected brain regions in the disorder--the cerebellum--and the behavioral defects associated with the neuropathology in this region. For this purpose, we injected lentiviral vectors encoding full-length human mutant ataxin-3 in the mouse cerebellum of 3-week-old C57/BL6 mice. We show that circumscribed expression of human mutant ataxin-3 in the cerebellum mediates within a short time frame--6 weeks, the development of a behavioral phenotype including reduced motor coordination, wide-based ataxic gait, and hyperactivity. Furthermore, the expression of mutant ataxin-3 resulted in the accumulation of intranuclear inclusions, neuropathological abnormalities, and neuronal death. These data show that lentiviral-based expression of mutant ataxin-3 in the mouse cerebellum induces localized neuropathology, which is sufficient to generate a behavioral ataxic phenotype. Moreover, this approach provides a physiologically relevant, cost-effective and time-effective animal model to gain further insights into the pathogenesis of MJD and for the evaluation of experimental therapeutics of MJD.

  10. Movement disorders in hereditary ataxias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Garcia Ruiz, Pedro J; Mayo, David; Hernandez, Jaime; Cantarero, Susana; Ayuso, Carmen

    2002-10-15

    Movement disorders are well known features of some dominant hereditary ataxias (HA), specially SCA3/Machado-Joseph disease and dentatorubropallidolusyan atrophy. However, little is known about the existence and classification of movement disorders in other dominant and recessive ataxias. We prospectively studied the presence of movement disorders in patients referred for HA over the last 3 years. Only those patients with a confirmed family history of ataxia were included. We studied 84 cases of HA, including 46 cases of recessive and 38 cases of dominant HA. Thirty out of 46 cases of recessive HA could be classified as: Friedreich ataxia (FA), 29 cases; vitamin E deficiency, 1 case. Twenty-three out of 38 cases of dominant HA could be classified as: SCA 2, 4 cases; SCA 3, 8 cases; SCA 6, 4 cases; SCA 7, 6 cases and SCA 8, 1 case. We observed movement disorders in 20/38 (52%) patients with dominant HA and 25/46 (54%) cases with recessive HA, including 16 patients (16/29) with FA. In general, postural tremor was the most frequent observed movement disorder (27 cases), followed by dystonia (22 cases). Five patients had akinetic rigid syndrome, and in 13 cases, several movement disorders coexisted. Movement disorders are frequent findings in HA, not only in dominant HA but also in recessive HA. Copyright 2002 Elsevier Science B.V.

  11. A novel nuclear DnaJ protein, DNAJC8, can suppress the formation of spinocerebellar ataxia 3 polyglutamine aggregation in a J-domain independent manner

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ito, Norie [Department of Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556 (Japan); Department of Neurology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556 (Japan); Kamiguchi, Kenjiro; Nakanishi, Katsuya; Sokolovskya, Alice; Hirohashi, Yoshihiko; Tamura, Yasuaki; Murai, Aiko; Yamamoto, Eri; Kanaseki, Takayuki; Tsukahara, Tomohide; Kochin, Vitaly [Department of Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556 (Japan); Chiba, Susumu [Department of Neurology, Clinical Brain Research Laboratory, Toyokura Memorial Hall, Sapporo Yamano-ue Hospital (Japan); Shimohama, Shun [Department of Neurology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556 (Japan); Sato, Noriyuki [Department of Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556 (Japan); Torigoe, Toshihiko, E-mail: torigoe@sapmed.ac.jp [Department of Pathology, Sapporo Medical University School of Medicine, South-1, West-17, Chuo-ku, Sapporo 060-8556 (Japan)

    2016-06-10

    Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases comprise neurodegenerative disorders caused by expression of expanded polyQ-containing proteins. The cytotoxicity of the expanded polyQ-containing proteins is closely associated with aggregate formation. In this study, we report that a novel J-protein, DNAJ (HSP40) Homolog, Subfamily C, Member 8 (DNAJC8), suppresses the aggregation of polyQ-containing protein in a cellular model of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), which is also known as Machado-Joseph disease. Overexpression of DNAJC8 in SH-SY5Y neuroblastoma cells significantly reduced the polyQ aggregation and apoptosis, and DNAJC8 was co-localized with the polyQ aggregation in the cell nucleus. Deletion mutants of DNAJC8 revealed that the C-terminal domain of DNAJC8 was essential for the suppression of polyQ aggregation, whereas the J-domain was dispensable. Furthermore, 22-mer oligopeptide derived from C-termilal domain could suppress the polyQ aggregation. These results indicate that DNAJC8 can suppress the polyQ aggregation via a distinct mechanism independent of HSP70-based chaperone machinery and have a unique protective role against the aggregation of expanded polyQ-containing proteins such as pathogenic ataxin-3 proteins.

  12. Population genetics and new insight into range of CAG repeats of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 in the Han Chinese population.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Shi-Rui Gan

    Full Text Available Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3, also called Machado-Joseph disease (MJD, is one of the most common SCAs worldwide and caused by a CAG repeat expansion located in ATXN3 gene. Based on the CAG repeat numbers, alleles of ATXN3 can be divided into normal alleles (ANs, intermediate alleles (AIs and expanded alleles (AEs. It was controversial whether the frequency of large normal alleles (large ANs is related to the prevalence of SCA3 or not. And there were huge chaos in the comprehension of the specific numbers of the range of CAG repeats which is fundamental for genetic analysis of SCA3. To illustrate these issues, we made a novel CAG repeat ladder to detect CAG repeats of ATXN3 in 1003 unrelated Chinese normal individuals and studied haplotypes defined by three single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs closed to ATXN3. We found that the number of CAG repeats ranged from 13 to 49, among them, 14 was the most common number. Positive skew, the highest frequency of large ANs and 4 AIs which had never been reported before were found. Also, AEs and large ANs shared the same haplotypes defined by the SNPs. Based on these data and other related studies, we presumed that de novo mutations of ATXN3 emerging from large ANs are at least one survival mechanisms of mutational ATXN3 and we can redefine the range of CAG repeats as: ANs≤44, 45 ≤AIs ≤49 and AEs≥50.

  13. Defects in the CAPN1 Gene Result in Alterations in Cerebellar Development and Cerebellar Ataxia in Mice and Humans

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    Yubin Wang

    2016-06-01

    Full Text Available A CAPN1 missense mutation in Parson Russell Terrier dogs is associated with spinocerebellar ataxia. We now report that homozygous or heterozygous CAPN1-null mutations in humans result in cerebellar ataxia and limb spasticity in four independent pedigrees. Calpain-1 knockout (KO mice also exhibit a mild form of ataxia due to abnormal cerebellar development, including enhanced neuronal apoptosis, decreased number of cerebellar granule cells, and altered synaptic transmission. Enhanced apoptosis is due to absence of calpain-1-mediated cleavage of PH domain and leucine-rich repeat protein phosphatase 1 (PHLPP1, which results in inhibition of the Akt pro-survival pathway in developing granule cells. Injection of neonatal mice with the indirect Akt activator, bisperoxovanadium, or crossing calpain-1 KO mice with PHLPP1 KO mice prevented increased postnatal cerebellar granule cell apoptosis and restored granule cell density and motor coordination in adult mice. Thus, mutations in CAPN1 are an additional cause of ataxia in mammals, including humans.

  14. Impact of presymptomatic genetic testing for hereditary ataxia and neuromuscular disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Corrine O; Lipe, Hillary P; Bird, Thomas D

    2004-06-01

    With the exception of Huntington disease, the psychological and psychosocial impact of DNA testing for neurogenetic disorders has not been well studied. To evaluate the psychosocial impact of genetic testing for autosomal dominant forms of hereditary ataxia and neuromuscular disorders. Patients Fifty subjects at risk for autosomal dominant forms of spinocerebellar ataxia (n = 11), muscular dystrophy (n = 28), and hereditary neuropathy (n = 12). A prospective, descriptive, observational study in a university setting of individuals who underwent genetic counseling and DNA testing. Participants completed 3 questionnaires before testing and at regular intervals after testing. The questionnaire set included the Revised Impact of Event Scale, the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale, demographic information, and an assessment of attitudes and feelings about genetic testing. Thirty-nine subjects (78%) completed 6 months to 5 years of posttest follow-up. Common reasons for pursuing genetic testing were to provide an explanation for symptoms, emotional relief, and information for future planning. Thirty-four (68%) had positive and 16 (32%) had negative genetic results. In those with a positive result, 26 (76%) had nonspecific signs or symptoms of the relevant disorder. Forty-two participants (84%) felt genetic testing was beneficial. Groups with positive and negative test results coped well with results. However, 13 subjects (10 with positive and 3 with negative results) reported elevated anxiety levels, and 3 (1 with positive and 2 with negative results) expressed feelings of depression during the follow-up period. The test result was not predictive of anxiety or depression. Most individuals find neurogenetic testing to be beneficial, regardless of the result. Anxiety or depression may persist in some persons with positive or negative test results. Testing can have a demonstrable impact on family planning and interpersonal relationships. Further studies are needed to

  15. The human dorsal spinocerebellar tract: myelinated fiber spectrum and fiber density in controls, autosomal dominant spinocerebellar atrophy, Huntington's chorea, radiation myelopathy, and diseases with peripheral sensory nerve involvement

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ringelstein, E.B.; Schroeder, J.M.

    1982-01-01

    The human dorsal spinocerebellar tract (DSCT) was evaluated morphometrically in 14 control cases of different age and sex using semithin sections of epon-embedded cross sections from the C3, T5, and T10 segments of the spinal cord. A bimodal fiber spectrum was revealed with one peak at 2-3 microns, and a second, broader peak at about 6-8 microns. Fiber density at C3 was 11,188 fibers/mm2 and at T5, 11,156 fibers/mm2. Regression analysis relating fiber density to age disclosed a highly significant loss of myelinated fibers at T5 amounting to about 2.5% per decade. A severe reduction of fiber density and a distinct change in the fiber spectrum with predominant loss of large myelinated fibers were noted in a case of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar atrophy with late onset, and, to a lesser degree, in a case of Huntington's chorea. A subtotal loss of fibers with a persistent normal distribution of fiber sizes was observed rostral to a focus of severe radiation myelopathy, indicating Wallerian degeneration of large numbers of fibers, and a reduction of fiber diameters caudal to the lesion, suggesting retrograde fiber change. By contrast, no primary or transneural changes in the DSCT were detected in six cases of long-term alcoholism, carcinomatous sensory neuropathy, and neurofibromatosis in spite of the involvement of numerous nerve roots.

  16. White matter damage is related to ataxia severity in SCA3.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kang, J-S; Klein, J C; Baudrexel, S; Deichmann, R; Nolte, D; Hilker, R

    2014-02-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is the most frequent inherited cerebellar ataxia in Europe, the US and Japan, leading to disability and death through motor complications. Although the affected protein ataxin-3 is found ubiquitously in the brain, grey matter atrophy is predominant in the cerebellum and the brainstem. White matter pathology is generally less severe and thought to occur in the brainstem, spinal cord, and cerebellar white matter. Here, we investigated both grey and white matter pathology in a group of 12 SCA3 patients and matched controls. We used voxel-based morphometry for analysis of tissue loss, and tract-based spatial statistics (TBSS) on diffusion magnetic resonance imaging to investigate microstructural pathology. We analysed correlations between microstructural properties of the brain and ataxia severity, as measured by the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) score. SCA3 patients exhibited significant loss of both grey and white matter in the cerebellar hemispheres, brainstem including pons and in lateral thalamus. On between-group analysis, TBSS detected widespread microstructural white matter pathology in the cerebellum, brainstem, and bilaterally in thalamus and the cerebral hemispheres. Furthermore, fractional anisotropy in a white matter network comprising frontal, thalamic, brainstem and left cerebellar white matter strongly and negatively correlated with SARA ataxia scores. Tractography identified the thalamic white matter thus implicated as belonging to ventrolateral thalamus. Disruption of white matter integrity in patients suffering from SCA3 is more widespread than previously thought. Moreover, our data provide evidence that microstructural white matter changes in SCA3 are strongly related to the clinical severity of ataxia symptoms.

  17. Deregulation of the actin cytoskeleton and macropinocytosis in response to phorbol ester by the mutant protein kinase C gamma that causes spinocerebellar ataxia type 14

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    Kazuhiro eYamamoto

    2014-04-01

    Full Text Available Several missense mutations in the protein kinase Cγ (γPKC gene have been found to cause spinocerebellar ataxia type 14 (SCA14, an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disease. γPKC is a neuron-specific member of the classical PKCs and is activated and translocated to subcellular regions as a result of various stimuli, including diacylglycerol synthesis, increased intracellular Ca2+ and phorbol esters. We investigated whether SCA14 mutations affect the γPKC-related functions by stimulating HeLa cells with TPA (12-O-tetradecanoylpholbol 13-acetate, a type of phorbol ester. Wild-type (WT γPKC-GFP was translocated to the plasma membrane within 10 min of TPA stimulation, followed by its perinuclear translocation and cell shrinkage, in a PKC kinase activity- and microtubule-dependent manner. On the other hand, although SCA14 mutant γPKC-GFP exhibited a similar translocation to the plasma membrane, the subsequent perinuclear translocation and cell shrinkage were significantly impaired in response to TPA. Translocated WT γPKC colocalized with F-actin and formed large vesicular structures in the perinuclear region. The uptake of FITC-dextran, a marker of macropinocytosis, was promoted by TPA stimulation in cells expressing WT γPKC, and FITC-dextran was surrounded by γPKC-positive vesicles. Moreover, TPA induced the phosphorylation of MARCKS, which is a membrane-substrate of PKC, resulting in the translocation of phosphorylated MARCKS to the perinuclear region, suggesting that TPA induces macropinocytosis via γPKC activation. However, TPA failed to activate macropinocytosis and trigger the translocation of phosphorylated MARCKS in cells expressing the SCA14 mutant γPKC. These findings suggest that γPKC is involved in the regulation of the actin cytoskeleton and macropinocytosis in HeLa cells, while SCA14 mutant γPKC fails to regulate these processes due to its reduced kinase activity at the plasma membrane. This property might be involved in

  18. Incidentalome in Neurogenetics: Pathogenic Variant of NSD1 in a Patient With Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA).

    Science.gov (United States)

    Velasco, Harvy; Ramírez-Montaño, Diana

    2018-01-01

    Background: Genetic studies of late-onset sporadic ataxias (>40 years of age) are not routinely indicated. For unresolved cases, next-generation sequencing (NGS) tools, such as whole-exome sequencing (WES), are available for a definitive diagnosis. Case presentation: Our patient is a woman with a usual facial phenotype and anthropometry, who developed ataxia at 45 years of age, with no relevant family history and an initial clinical approach that ruled out common aetiologies. WES was performed when the patient was 54 years old. The results identified the heterozygous pathogenic variant c.248delA (p.N83MfsX4) in the nuclear receptor-binding SET domain protein 1 ( NSD1 ; MIM 606681) gene (related to Sotos syndrome), which was not associated with ataxia and is not related to the patient's phenotype. Sanger sequencing of NSD1 in two different laboratories confirmed the variant. Conclusions: NGS findings generally offer valuable information that can be used for clinical decision-making. However, an incidental finding that leads to defining new clinical and bioethical actions is also possible. Consequently, the biological importance of this type of genetic "incidentalome" must be determined.

  19. Incidentalome in Neurogenetics: Pathogenic Variant of NSD1 in a Patient With Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA

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    Harvy Velasco

    2018-03-01

    Full Text Available Background: Genetic studies of late-onset sporadic ataxias (>40 years of age are not routinely indicated. For unresolved cases, next-generation sequencing (NGS tools, such as whole-exome sequencing (WES, are available for a definitive diagnosis.Case presentation: Our patient is a woman with a usual facial phenotype and anthropometry, who developed ataxia at 45 years of age, with no relevant family history and an initial clinical approach that ruled out common aetiologies. WES was performed when the patient was 54 years old. The results identified the heterozygous pathogenic variant c.248delA (p.N83MfsX4 in the nuclear receptor-binding SET domain protein 1 (NSD1; MIM 606681 gene (related to Sotos syndrome, which was not associated with ataxia and is not related to the patient's phenotype. Sanger sequencing of NSD1 in two different laboratories confirmed the variant.Conclusions: NGS findings generally offer valuable information that can be used for clinical decision-making. However, an incidental finding that leads to defining new clinical and bioethical actions is also possible. Consequently, the biological importance of this type of genetic “incidentalome” must be determined.

  20. Late onset autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia a family description and linkage analysis with the hla system

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    Walter O. Arruda

    1991-09-01

    Full Text Available A family suffering an autosomal dominant form of late onset hereditary cerebellar ataxia is described. Eight affected family members were personally studied, and data from another four were obtained through anamnesis. The mean age of onset was 37.1±5.4 years (27-47 years. The clinical picture consisted basically of a pure ataxic cerebellar syndrome. CT-scan disclosed diffuse cerebellar atrophy with relative sparing of the brainstem (and no involvement of supratentorial structures. Neurophysiological studies (nerve conduction, VEP and BAEP were normal. Twenty-six individuals were typed for HLA histocompatibility antigens. Lod scores were calculated with the computer program LINKMAP. Close linkage of the ataxia gene with the HLA system in this family could be excluded - 0==0,02, z=(-2,17 - and the overall analysis of the lod scores suggest another chromossomal location than chromosome 6.

  1. Individualized exergame training improves postural control in advanced degenerative spinocerebellar ataxia: A rater-blinded, intra-individually controlled trial.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schatton, Cornelia; Synofzik, Matthis; Fleszar, Zofia; Giese, Martin A; Schöls, Ludger; Ilg, Winfried

    2017-06-01

    Treatment options are rare in degenerative ataxias, especially in advanced, multisystemic disease. Exergame training might offer a novel treatment strategy, but its effectiveness has not been investigated in advanced stages. We examined the effectiveness of a 12-week home-based training with body-controlled videogames in 10 young subjects with advanced degenerative ataxia unable or barely able to stand. Training was structured in two 6-weeks phases, allowing to adapt the training according to individual training progress. Rater-blinded clinical assessment (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia; SARA), individual goal-attainment scoring (GAS), and quantitative movement analysis were performed two weeks before training, immediately prior to training, and after training phases 1 and 2 (intra-individual control design). This study is registered with ClinicalTrials.gov, NCT02874911). After intervention, ataxia symptoms were reduced (SARA -2.5 points, p training (p = 0.04). Goal attainment during daily living was higher than expected (GAS: 0.45). Movement analysis revealed reduced body sway while sitting (p training-induced improvements in posture control mechanisms. This study provides first evidence that, even in advanced stages, subjects with degenerative ataxia may benefit from individualized training, with effects translating into daily living and improving underlying control mechanisms. The proposed training strategy can be performed at home, is motivating and facilitates patient self-empowerment. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  2. Fragile X-Associated Tremor Ataxia Syndrome: The Expanding Clinical Picture, Pathophysiology, Epidemiology, and Update on Treatment

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    Deborah A. Hall

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS is a progressive degenerative movement disorder characterized by kinetic tremor, cerebellar gait ataxia, parkinsonism, and cognitive decline. This disorder occurs in both males and females, frequently in families with children who have fragile X syndrome. The clinical features of this disorder, both classic and newly described, are summarized in this paper. In screening studies, fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1 gene premutation (55–200 CGG expansions are most frequently seen in men with ataxia who have tested negative for spinocerebellar ataxias. Since the original description, the classic FXTAS phenotype has now been reported in females and in carriers of smaller (45–54 CGG and larger (>200 CGG expansions in FMR1. Premutation carriers may present with a Parkinson disease phenotype or hypotension, rather than with tremor and/or ataxia. Parkinsonism and gait ataxia may also be seen in individuals with gray zone (41–54 CGG expansions. Studies regarding medication to treat the symptoms in FXTAS are few in number and suggest that medications targeted to specific symptoms, such as kinetic tremor or gait ataxia, may be most beneficial. Great progress has been made in regards to FXTAS research, likely given the readily available gene test and the screening of multiple family members, including parents and grandparents, of fragile X syndrome children. Expansion of genotypes and phenotypes in the disorder may suggest that a broader disease definition might be necessary in the future.

  3. Current concepts in the treatment of hereditary ataxias

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    Pedro Braga Neto

    2016-03-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Hereditary ataxias (HA represents an extensive group of clinically and genetically heterogeneous neurodegenerative diseases, characterized by progressive ataxia combined with extra-cerebellar and multi-systemic involvements, including peripheral neuropathy, pyramidal signs, movement disorders, seizures, and cognitive dysfunction. There is no effective treatment for HA, and management remains supportive and symptomatic. In this review, we will focus on the symptomatic treatment of the main autosomal recessive ataxias, autosomal dominant ataxias, X-linked cerebellar ataxias and mitochondrial ataxias. We describe management for different clinical symptoms, mechanism-based approaches, rehabilitation therapy, disease modifying therapy, future clinical trials and perspectives, genetic counseling and preimplantation genetic diagnosis.

  4. Parkinsonian phenotype in Machado-Joseph disease (MJD/SCA3): a two-case report

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Bettencourt, C.; Santos, C.; Coutinho, P.; Rizzu, P.; Vasconcelos, J.; Kay, T.; Cymbron, T.; Raposo, M.; Heutink, P.; Lima, M.

    2011-01-01

    Background: Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder of late onset, which is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the coding region of the ATXN3 gene. This disease presents clinical heterogeneity, which cannot be

  5. Recent Advancements in Targeted Delivery of Therapeutic Molecules in Neurodegenerative Disease–-Spinocerebellar Ataxia–-Opportunities and Challenges

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    Satya Prakash

    2008-01-01

    Full Text Available Drug discovery and its methodologies have been very effective in terms of treating cancers and immunological disorders but have not been able to stop genetic diseases as most of the drugs target at the protein level. They merely mitigate the symptoms of the disease. Spinocerebellar ataxia is a neurological genetic disorder that is caused by the formation of an abnormal protein. There have been several reports on ataxic drug development but actual clinical treatment is yet to be achieved. Oligonucleotide therapy called sequence specific siRNA mediated gene silencing has evolved with promising results. This approach emphasizes on suppressing the expression of the diseased gene at mRNA level. However, there is a limitation in delivery of siRNA to the target site. Several methods have been developed over the last decade to enhance the target specific delivery of DNA, siRNA, protein and small drug molecules for therapeutic purpose with less or no side effects. This review discusses the latest upcoming technologies in the field that focus on a number of nonviral nanocarriers for targeted delivery. In this review, we explore the promise and potential of novel therapeutics with interest on ataxia therapy.

  6. Genetics Home Reference: autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness, and narcolepsy

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... may help regulate nerve cell (neuron) maturation and specialization (differentiation), the ability of neurons to move (migrate) ... Ataxia Foundation National Sleep Foundation University of Kansas Medical Center Resource List: Deafness and Hard of Hearing ...

  7. Whole-Exome Sequencing Identifies Homozygous AFG3L2 Mutations in a Spastic Ataxia-Neuropathy Syndrome Linked to Mitochondrial m-AAA Proteases

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martinelli, Paola; Cherukuri, Praveen F.; Teer, Jamie K.; Hansen, Nancy F.; Cruz, Pedro; Mullikin for the NISC Comparative Sequencing Program, James C.; Blakesley, Robert W.; Golas, Gretchen; Kwan, Justin; Sandler, Anthony; Fuentes Fajardo, Karin; Markello, Thomas; Tifft, Cynthia; Blackstone, Craig; Rugarli, Elena I.; Langer, Thomas; Gahl, William A.; Toro, Camilo

    2011-01-01

    We report an early onset spastic ataxia-neuropathy syndrome in two brothers of a consanguineous family characterized clinically by lower extremity spasticity, peripheral neuropathy, ptosis, oculomotor apraxia, dystonia, cerebellar atrophy, and progressive myoclonic epilepsy. Whole-exome sequencing identified a homozygous missense mutation (c.1847G>A; p.Y616C) in AFG3L2, encoding a subunit of an m-AAA protease. m-AAA proteases reside in the mitochondrial inner membrane and are responsible for removal of damaged or misfolded proteins and proteolytic activation of essential mitochondrial proteins. AFG3L2 forms either a homo-oligomeric isoenzyme or a hetero-oligomeric complex with paraplegin, a homologous protein mutated in hereditary spastic paraplegia type 7 (SPG7). Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in AFG3L2 cause autosomal-dominant spinocerebellar ataxia type 28 (SCA28), a disorder whose phenotype is strikingly different from that of our patients. As defined in yeast complementation assays, the AFG3L2Y616C gene product is a hypomorphic variant that exhibited oligomerization defects in yeast as well as in patient fibroblasts. Specifically, the formation of AFG3L2Y616C complexes was impaired, both with itself and to a greater extent with paraplegin. This produced an early-onset clinical syndrome that combines the severe phenotypes of SPG7 and SCA28, in additional to other “mitochondrial” features such as oculomotor apraxia, extrapyramidal dysfunction, and myoclonic epilepsy. These findings expand the phenotype associated with AFG3L2 mutations and suggest that AFG3L2-related disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spastic ataxias. PMID:22022284

  8. Whole-exome sequencing identifies homozygous AFG3L2 mutations in a spastic ataxia-neuropathy syndrome linked to mitochondrial m-AAA proteases.

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    Tyler Mark Pierson

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available We report an early onset spastic ataxia-neuropathy syndrome in two brothers of a consanguineous family characterized clinically by lower extremity spasticity, peripheral neuropathy, ptosis, oculomotor apraxia, dystonia, cerebellar atrophy, and progressive myoclonic epilepsy. Whole-exome sequencing identified a homozygous missense mutation (c.1847G>A; p.Y616C in AFG3L2, encoding a subunit of an m-AAA protease. m-AAA proteases reside in the mitochondrial inner membrane and are responsible for removal of damaged or misfolded proteins and proteolytic activation of essential mitochondrial proteins. AFG3L2 forms either a homo-oligomeric isoenzyme or a hetero-oligomeric complex with paraplegin, a homologous protein mutated in hereditary spastic paraplegia type 7 (SPG7. Heterozygous loss-of-function mutations in AFG3L2 cause autosomal-dominant spinocerebellar ataxia type 28 (SCA28, a disorder whose phenotype is strikingly different from that of our patients. As defined in yeast complementation assays, the AFG3L2(Y616C gene product is a hypomorphic variant that exhibited oligomerization defects in yeast as well as in patient fibroblasts. Specifically, the formation of AFG3L2(Y616C complexes was impaired, both with itself and to a greater extent with paraplegin. This produced an early-onset clinical syndrome that combines the severe phenotypes of SPG7 and SCA28, in additional to other "mitochondrial" features such as oculomotor apraxia, extrapyramidal dysfunction, and myoclonic epilepsy. These findings expand the phenotype associated with AFG3L2 mutations and suggest that AFG3L2-related disease should be considered in the differential diagnosis of spastic ataxias.

  9. Promoter Variation and Expression Levels of Inflammatory Genes IL1A, IL1B, IL6 and TNF in Blood of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3) Patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Raposo, Mafalda; Bettencourt, Conceição; Ramos, Amanda; Kazachkova, Nadiya; Vasconcelos, João; Kay, Teresa; Bruges-Armas, Jácome; Lima, Manuela

    2017-03-01

    Age at onset in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3/MJD) is incompletely explained by the size of the CAG tract at the ATXN3 gene, implying the existence of genetic modifiers. A role of inflammation in SCA3 has been postulated, involving altered cytokines levels; promoter variants leading to alterations in cytokines expression could influence onset. Using blood from 86 SCA3 patients and 106 controls, this work aimed to analyse promoter variation of four cytokines (IL1A, IL1B, IL6 and TNF) and to investigate the association between variants detected and their transcript levels, evaluated by quantitative PCR. Moreover, the effect of APOE isoforms, known to modulate cytokines, was investigated. Correlations between cytokine variants and onset were tested; the cumulative modifier effects of cytokines and APOE were analysed. Patients carrying the IL6*C allele had a significant earlier onset (4 years in average) than patients carrying the G allele, in agreement with lower mRNA levels produced by IL6*C carriers. The presence of APOE*ɛ2 allele seems to anticipate onset in average 10 years in patients carrying the IL6*C allele; a larger number of patients will be needed to confirm this result. These results highlight the pertinence of conducting further research on the role of cytokines as SCA3 modulators, pointing to the presence of shared mechanisms involving IL6 and APOE.

  10. Excitatory inputs to four types of spinocerebellar tract neurons in the cat and the rat thoraco-lumbar spinal cord

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shrestha, Sony Shakya; Bannatyne, B Anne; Jankowska, Elzbieta; Hammar, Ingela; Nilsson, Elin; Maxwell, David J

    2012-01-01

    The cerebellum receives information from the hindlimbs through several populations of spinocerebellar tract neurons. Although the role of these neurons has been established in electrophysiological experiments, the relative contribution of afferent fibres and central neurons to their excitatory input has only been estimated approximately so far. Taking advantage of differences in the immunohistochemistry of glutamatergic terminals of peripheral afferents and of central neurons (with vesicular glutamate transporters VGLUT1 or VGLUT2, respectively), we compared sources of excitatory input to four populations of spinocerebellar neurons in the thoraco-lumbar spinal cord: dorsal spinocerebellar tract neurons located in Clarke's column (ccDSCT) and in the dorsal horn (dhDSCT) and ventral spinocerebellar tract (VSCT) neurons including spinal border (SB) neurons. This was done on 22 electrophysiologically identified intracellularly labelled neurons in cats and on 80 neurons labelled by retrograde transport of cholera toxin b subunit injected into the cerebellum of rats. In both species distribution of antibodies against VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 on SB neurons (which have dominating inhibitory input from limb muscles), revealed very few VGLUT1 contacts and remarkably high numbers of VGLUT2 contacts. In VSCT neurons with excitatory afferent input, the number of VGLUT1 contacts was relatively high although VGLUT2 contacts likewise dominated, while the proportions of VGLUT1 and VGLUT2 immunoreactive terminals were the reverse on the two populations of DSCT neurons. These findings provide morphological evidence that SB neurons principally receive excitatory inputs from central neurons and provide the cerebellum with information regarding central neuronal activity. PMID:22371473

  11. Properties of bilateral spinocerebellar activation of cerebellar cortical neurons

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    Pontus eGeborek

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available We aimed to explore the cerebellar cortical inputs from two spinocerebellar pathways, the spinal border cell-component of the ventral spinocerebellar tract (SBC-VSCT and the dorsal spinocerebellar tract (DSCT, respectively, in the sublobule C1 of the cerebellar posterior lobe. The two pathways were activated by electrical stimulation of the contralateral lateral funiculus (coLF and the ipsilateral LF (iLF at lower thoracic levels. Most granule cells in sublobule C1 did not respond at all but part of the granule cell population displayed high-intensity responses to either coLF or iLF stimulation. As a rule, Golgi cells and Purkinje cell simple spikes responded to input from both LFs, although Golgi cells could be more selective. In addition, a small population of granule cells responded to input from both the coLF and the iLF. However, in these cases, similarities in the temporal topography and magnitude of the responses suggested that the same axons were stimulated from the two LFs, i.e. that the axons of individual spinocerebellar neurons could be present in both funiculi. This was also confirmed for a population of spinal neurons located within known locations of SBC-VSCT neurons and dorsal horn DSCT neurons. We conclude that bilateral spinocerebellar responses can occur in cerebellar granule cells, but the VSCT and DSCT systems that provide the input can also be organized bilaterally. The implications for the traditional functional separation of VSCT and DSCT systems and the issue whether granule cells primarily integrate functionally similar information or not are discussed.

  12. Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome: phenotypic comparisons with other movement disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Robertson, Erin E; Hall, Deborah A; McAsey, Andrew R; O'Keefe, Joan A

    2016-08-01

    The purpose of this paper is to review the typical cognitive and motor impairments seen in fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), essential tremor (ET), Parkinson disease (PD), spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs), multiple system atrophy (MSA), and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in order to enhance diagnosis of FXTAS patients. We compared the cognitive and motor phenotypes of FXTAS with each of these other movement disorders. Relevant neuropathological and neuroimaging findings are also reviewed. Finally, we describe the differences in age of onset, disease severity, progression rates, and average lifespan in FXTAS compared to ET, PD, SCAs, MSA, and PSP. We conclude with a flow chart algorithm to guide the clinician in the differential diagnosis of FXTAS. By comparing the cognitive and motor phenotypes of FXTAS with the phenotypes of ET, PD, SCAs, MSA, and PSP we have clarified potential symptom overlap while elucidating factors that make these disorders unique from one another. In summary, the clinician should consider a FXTAS diagnosis and testing for the Fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene premutation if a patient over the age of 50 (1) presents with cerebellar ataxia and/or intention tremor with mild parkinsonism, (2) has the middle cerebellar peduncle (MCP) sign, global cerebellar and cerebral atrophy, and/or subcortical white matter lesions on MRI, or (3) has a family history of fragile X related disorders, intellectual disability, autism, premature ovarian failure and has neurological signs consistent with FXTAS. Peripheral neuropathy, executive function deficits, anxiety, or depression are supportive of the diagnosis. Distinct profiles in the cognitive and motor domains between these movement disorders may guide practitioners in the differential diagnosis process and ultimately lead to better medical management of FXTAS patients.

  13. Origin, course, and laterality of spinocerebellar axons in the North American opossum, Didelphis virginiana.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terman, J R; Wang, X M; Martin, G F

    1998-08-01

    Spinocerebellar axons have been studied extensively in placental mammals, but there have been no full reports on their origin, laterality, or spinal course in any marsupial. We have used the North American opossum (Didelphis virginiana) to obtain such information and to ask whether any spinocerebellar neurons innervate both the anterior and posterior lobes of the cerebellum through axonal collaterals. To identify spinal neurons that project to the cerebellum, we employed the retrograde transport of Fluoro-Gold (FG) from the anterior lobe, the main target of spinocerebellar axons. In some cases, cerebellar injections of FG were combined with hemisections of the rostral cervical or midthoracic spinal cord, so that laterality of spinocerebellar connections could be established. To determine whether single neurons project to both the anterior lobe and the posterior lobe, injections of Fast Blue (FB) into the anterior lobe were combined with injections of Diamidino yellow (DY) or rhodamine B dextran (RBD) into the posterior lobe, or vice versa. Following injections of FG into the anterior lobe, neurons were labeled throughout the length of the spinal cord, which differed in laminar distribution and laterality of their projections. Among other areas, neurons were labeled in the central cervical nucleus, the nucleus centrobasalis, Clarke's nucleus, the dorsal horn dorsal spinocerebellar tract area, the spinal border region, and Stilling's nucleus. When anterior lobe injections of FB were combined with injections of RBD or DY into the posterior lobe, or vice versa, some double-labeled neurons were present in all major spinocerebellar groups. Cerebellar injections of FG also retrogradely labeled spinocerebellar axons, allowing us to document their locations in the gray matter as well as within the periphery of the lateral and ventral funiculi at all spinal levels. A few spinocerebellar axons also were found in the dorsal funiculus (a dorsal column-spinocerebellar tract

  14. Increased sexual arousal in patients with movement disorders.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Teive, Hélio A G; Moro, Adriana; Moscovich, Mariana; Munhoz, Renato P

    2016-04-01

    Increased of sexual arousal (ISA) has been described in different neurological diseases. The purpose of this study was present a case series of ISA in patients with movement disorders. Fifteen patients with different forms of movement disorders (Parkinson's disease, Huntington's disease, Tourette's syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia type 3), were evaluated in the Movement Disorders Unit of the Federal University of Paraná. Among Parkinson's disease patients there were seven cases with different forms of ISA due to dopaminergic agonist use, levodopa abuse, and deep brain stimulation (DBS). In the group with hyperkinetic disorders, two patients with Huntington's disease, two with Tourette's syndrome, and four with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 presented with ISA. ISA in this group of patients had different etiologies, predominantly related to dopaminergic treatment or DBS in Parkinson's disease, part of the background clinical picture in Huntington's disease and Tourette's syndrome, and probably associated with cultural aspects in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.

  15. The 3-Second Rule in Hereditary Pure Cerebellar Ataxia: A Synchronized Tapping Study

    Science.gov (United States)

    Matsuda, Shunichi; Matsumoto, Hideyuki; Furubayashi, Toshiaki; Hanajima, Ritsuko; Tsuji, Shoji; Ugawa, Yoshikazu; Terao, Yasuo

    2015-01-01

    The ‘3-second rule’ has been proposed based on miscellaneous observations that a time period of around 3 seconds constitutes the fundamental unit of time related to the neuro-cognitive machinery in normal humans. The aim of paper was to investigate the temporal processing in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) and SCA31, pure cerebellar types of spinocerebellar degeneration, using a synchronized tapping task. Seventeen SCA patients (11 SCA6, 6 SCA31) and 17 normal age-matched volunteers participated. The task required subjects to tap a keyboard in synchrony with sequences of auditory stimuli presented at fixed interstimulus intervals (ISIs) between 200 and 4800 ms. In this task, the subjects required non-motor components to estimate the time of forthcoming tone in addition to motor components to tap. Normal subjects synchronized their taps to the presented tones at shorter ISIs, whereas as the ISI became longer, the normal subjects displayed greater latency between the tone and the tapping (transition zone). After the transition zone, normal subjects pressed the button delayed relative to the tone. On the other hand, SCA patients could not synchronize their tapping with the tone even at shorter ISIs, although they pressed the button delayed relative to the tone earlier than normal subjects did. The earliest time of delayed tapping appearance after the transition zone was 4800 ms in normal subjects but 1800 ms in SCA patients. The span of temporal integration in SCA patients is shortened compared to that in normal subjects. This could represent non-motor cerebellar dysfunction in SCA patients. PMID:25706752

  16. Hereditary spastic paraplegia with cerebellar ataxia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, J E; Johnsen, B; Koefoed, P

    2004-01-01

    Complex forms of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) are rare and usually transmitted in an autosomal recessive pattern. A family of four generations with autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia (AD-HSP) and a complex phenotype with variably expressed co-existing ataxia, dysarthria......, unipolar depression, epilepsy, migraine, and cognitive impairment was investigated. Genetic linkage analysis and sequencing of the SPG4 gene was performed and electrophysiologic investigations were carried out in six individuals and positron emission tomography (PET) in one patient. The disease was linked...... in those individuals who were clinically affected by a complex phenotype consisting of HSP and cerebellar ataxia. Other features noted in this kindred including epilepsy, cognitive impairment, depression, and migraine did not segregate with the HSP phenotype or mutation, and therefore the significance...

  17. Case report of novel CACNA1A gene mutation causing episodic ataxia type 2

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    David Alan Isaacs

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Background: Episodic ataxia type 2 (OMIM 108500 is an autosomal dominant channelopathy characterized by paroxysms of ataxia, vertigo, nausea, and other neurologic symptoms. More than 50 mutations of the CACNA1A gene have been discovered in families with episodic ataxia type 2, although 30%–50% of all patients with typical episodic ataxia type 2 phenotype have no detectable mutation of the CACNA1A gene. Case: A 46-year-old Caucasian man, with a long history of bouts of imbalance, vertigo, and nausea, presented to our hospital with 2 weeks of ataxia and headache. Subsequent evaluation revealed a novel mutation in the CACNA1A gene: c.1364 G > A Arg455Gln. Acetazolamide was initiated with symptomatic improvement. Conclusion: This case report expands the list of known CACNA1A mutations associated with episodic ataxia type 2.

  18. Treatment for speech disorder in Friedreich ataxia and other hereditary ataxia syndromes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vogel, Adam P; Folker, Joanne; Poole, Matthew L

    2014-10-28

    low dose of the intervention), in heterogenous groups of degenerative cerebellar ataxias. Three compounds were studied in two trials each: a levorotatory form of 5-hydroxytryptophan (L-5HT), idebenone and thyrotropin-releasing hormone tartrate (TRH-T); each of the other compounds (riluzole, varenicline, buspirone, betamethasone, coenzyme Q10 with vitamin E, α-tocopheryl quinone and erythropoietin) were studied in one trial. The 14th trial, involving a mixed group of participants with spinocerebellar ataxia, compared the effectiveness of nonspecific physiotherapy and occupational therapy within an inpatient hospital setting to no treatment. No studies utilised traditional speech therapies. We defined the primary outcome measure in this review as the percentage change (improvement) in overall speech production immediately following completion of the intervention or later, measured by any validated speech assessment tool. None of the trials included speech as a primary outcome or examined speech using any validated speech assessment tool. Eleven studies reported speech outcomes derived from a subscale embedded within disease rating scales. The remaining three studies used alternative assessments to measure speech, including mean time to produce a standard sentence, a subjective rating of speech on a 14-point analogue scale, patient-reported assessment of the impact of dysarthria on activities of daily living and acoustic measures of syllable length. One study measured speech both subjectively as part of a disease rating scale and with further measures of speech timing. Three studies utilised the Short Form-36 Health Survey (SF-36) and one used the Child Health Questionnaire as measures of general quality of life. A further study utilised the Functional Independence Measure to assess functional health.Five studies reported statistically significant improvement on an overall disease rating scale in which a speech subscale was included. Only three of those studies provided

  19. Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 neurodegeneration differentially affects error-based and strategic-based visuomotor learning.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vaca-Palomares, Israel; Díaz, Rosalinda; Rodríguez-Labrada, Roberto; Medrano-Montero, Jacqeline; Vázquez-Mojena, Yaimé; Velázquez-Pérez, Luis; Fernandez-Ruiz, Juan

    2013-12-01

    There are different types of visuomotor learning. Among the most studied is motor error-based learning where the sign and magnitude of the error are used to update motor commands. However, there are other instances where individuals show visuomotor learning even if the sign or magnitude of the error is precluded. Studies with patients suggest that the former learning is impaired after cerebellar lesions, while basal ganglia lesions disrupt the latter. Nevertheless, the cerebellar role is not restricted only to error-based learning, but it also contributes to several cognitive processes. Therefore, here, we tested if cerebellar ataxia patients are affected in two tasks, one that depends on error-based learning and the other that prevents the use of error-based learning. Our results showed that cerebellar patients have deficits in both visuomotor tasks; however, while error-based learning tasks deficits correlated with the motor impairments, the motor error-dependent task did not correlate with any motor measure.

  20. In children with Friedreich ataxia, muscle and ataxia parameters are associated

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Sival, Deborah A.; Pouwels, Maria E.; van Brederode, Agnes; Maurits, Natasha M.; Verschuuren - Bemelmans, Corien C.; Brunt, Ewout R.; Sarvaas, Gideon J. Du Marchie; Verbeek, Renate J.; Brouwer, Oebele F.; van der Hoeven, Johannes H.

    Aim In children with Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), ataxia is assessed using the surrogate marker the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). We aimed to determine whether ICARS scores in children with FRDA are confounded by muscle weakness. Method In 12 children with FRDA (10 males, two

  1. Increased sexual arousal in patients with movement disorders

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    Hélio A. G. Teive

    2016-04-01

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT Increased of sexual arousal (ISA has been described in different neurological diseases. The purpose of this study was present a case series of ISA in patients with movement disorders. Method Fifteen patients with different forms of movement disorders (Parkinson’s disease, Huntington’s disease, Tourette´s syndrome, spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, were evaluated in the Movement Disorders Unit of the Federal University of Paraná. Results Among Parkinson’s disease patients there were seven cases with different forms of ISA due to dopaminergic agonist use, levodopa abuse, and deep brain stimulation (DBS. In the group with hyperkinetic disorders, two patients with Huntington’s disease, two with Tourette’s syndrome, and four with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 presented with ISA. Conclusions ISA in this group of patients had different etiologies, predominantly related to dopaminergic treatment or DBS in Parkinson’s disease, part of the background clinical picture in Huntington’s disease and Tourette’s syndrome, and probably associated with cultural aspects in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3.

  2. Organization of spinocerebellar projection map in three types of agranular cerebellum: Purkinje cells vs. granule cells as organizer element

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Arsenio Nunes, M.L.; Sotelo, C.; Wehrle, R.

    1988-01-01

    The organization of the spinocerebellar projection was analysed by the anterograde axonal WGA-HRP (horseradish peroxidase-wheat germ agglutinin conjugate) tracing method in three different types of agranular cerebellar cortex either induced experimentally by X-irradiation or occurring spontaneously in weaver (wv/wv) and staggerer (sg/sg) mutant mice. The results of this study show that in the X-irradiated rat and weaver mouse, in both of which the granule cells are directly affected and die early in development, the spinal axons reproduce, with few differences, the normal spinocerebellar pattern. Conversely, in staggerer mouse, in which the Purkinje cells are intrinsically affected and granule neurons do not seem to be primarily perturbed by the staggerer gene action, the spinocerebellar organization is severely modified. These findings appear somewhat paradoxical because if granule cells, the synaptic targets of mossy spinocerebellar fibers, were necessary for the organization of spinocerebellar projection, the staggerer cerebellum would exhibit a much more normal projectional map than the weaver and the X-irradiated cerebella. It is, therefore, obvious that granule cells, and even specific synaptogenesis, are not essential for the establishment of the normal spinocerebellar topography. On the other hand, the fact that the Purkinje cells are primarily affected in the unique agranular cortex in which the spinocerebellar organization is severely modified suggests that these neurons could be the main element in the organization of the spinocerebellar projection map. This hypothesis is discussed in correlation with already-reported findings on the zonation of the cerebellar cortex by biochemically different clusters of Purkinje cells

  3. A Case of Ataxia with Isolated Vitamin E Deficiency Initially Diagnosed as Friedreich’s Ataxia

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    Michael Bonello

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Ataxia with isolated vitamin E deficiency (AVED is a rare autosomal recessive condition that is caused by a mutation in the alpha tocopherol transfer protein gene. It is almost indistinguishable clinically from Friedreich’s ataxia but with appropriate treatment its devastating neurological features can be prevented. Patients can present with a progressive cerebellar ataxia, pyramidal spasticity, and evidence of a neuropathy with absent deep tendon reflexes. It is important to screen for this condition on initial evaluation of a young patient presenting with progressive ataxia and it should be considered in patients with a long standing ataxia without any diagnosis in view of the potential therapeutics and genetic counselling. In this case report we present a patient who was initially diagnosed with Friedreich’s ataxia but was later found to have AVED.

  4. Clinical neurogenetics: friedreich ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Collins, Abigail

    2013-11-01

    Friedreich ataxia is the most common autosomal recessive ataxia. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, typically with onset before 20 years of age. Signs and symptoms include progressive ataxia, ascending weakness and ascending loss of vibration and joint position senses, pes cavus, scoliosis, cardiomyopathy, and arrhythmias. There are no disease-modifying medications to either slow or halt the progression of the disease, but research investigating therapies to increase endogenous frataxin production and decrease the downstream consequences of disrupted iron homeostasis is ongoing. Clinical trials of promising medications are underway, and the treatment era of Friedreich ataxia is beginning. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  5. Hashimoto thyroiditis associated with ataxia telangiectasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Patiroglu, Turkan; Gungor, Hatice Eke; Unal, Ekrem; Kurtoglu, Selim; Yikilmaz, Ali; Patiroglu, Tahir

    2012-01-01

    Ataxia telangiectasia is a rare genetic disease characterized by neurological manifestations, infections, and cancers. In addition to these cardinal features, different autoimmune diseases can be seen in patients with ataxia telangiectasia. Although there were reports of positive autoimmune thyroid antibodies associated with ataxia telangiectasia, to our knowledge, we report the first cases of nodular Hashimoto thyroiditis in two patients with ataxia telangiectasia in the English medical literature. These cases illustrate that despite the rarity of nodular Hashimoto thyroiditis associated with ataxia telangiectasia, physicians should be aware of this possibility. Furthermore, thyroid examination of patient with ataxia telangiectasia is recommended for early diagnosis.

  6. Direct and indirect spino-cerebellar pathways: shared ideas but different functions in motor control

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    Juan eJiang

    2015-07-01

    Full Text Available The impressive precision of mammalian limb movements relies on internal feedback pathways that convey information about ongoing motor output to cerebellar circuits. The spino-cerebellar tracts (SCT in the cervical, thoracic and lumbar spinal cord have long been considered canonical neural substrates for the conveyance of internal feedback signals. Here we consider the distinct features of an indirect spino-cerebellar route, via the brainstem lateral reticular nucleus (LRN, and the implications of this pre-cerebellar ‘detour’ for the execution and evolution of limb motor control. Both direct and indirect spino-cerebellar pathways signal spinal interneuronal activity to the cerebellum during movements, but evidence suggests that direct SCT neurons are mainly modulated by rhythmic activity, whereas the LRN also receives information from systems active during postural adjustment, reaching and grasping. Thus, while direct and indirect spino-cerebellar circuits can both be regarded as internal copy pathways, it seems likely that the direct system is principally dedicated to rhythmic motor acts like locomotion, while the indirect system also provides a means of pre-cerebellar integration relevant to the execution and coordination of de

  7. Evaluation of supra- and infratentorial brain atrophy by computerized tomography in spinocerebellar degeneration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Yamamoto, Hiroko; Asano, Yasuhiko; Watanabe, Takatoshi; Hirao, Yoshitaka; Mizuno, Yasushi; Sobue, Itsuro

    1986-01-01

    Measurement of various parameters of supra- and infratentorial brain atrophy in computerized tomographs of 142 cases of spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) and 100 age and sex matched controls was carried out in order to investigate whether these parameters would correspond to the subtypes of this disease and differing grades of various clinical manifestations. One supra- and all infratentorial parameters of SCD showed statistically significant atrophy with a risk of P < 0.005. Among the subtypes, OPCA had a more severely atrophied pons than LCCA (P < 0.005), Menzel (P < 0.05) and SSP (P < 0.01). There was a correlation between the distribution of symptoms like gait, speech, ataxia of extremities and ocular movement disorders, and distribution and degree of infratentorial atrophy with statistical significance (P < 0.05 ∼ P < 0.005). The degree of atrophy of the pons and the width of the IV ventricle were directly proportional to the duration of the illness in cases of less than 10 years, but not to those of over 10 years. Follow-up CT scan was done for 24 patients, 12 within 3 years, 12 after the lapse of 3 years. The latter group showed statistically significant atrophy between the 1st and 2nd scans in several parameters, but there was no significance between those of the former group. (author)

  8. Evaluation of supra- and infratentorial brain atrophy by computerized tomography in spinocerebellar degeneration

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Yamamoto, Hiroko; Asano, Yasuhiko; Watanabe, Takatoshi; Hirao, Yoshitaka; Mizuno, Yasushi; Sobue, Itsuro

    1986-08-01

    Measurement of various parameters of supra- and infratentorial brain atrophy in computerized tomographs of 142 cases of spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) and 100 age and sex matched controls was carried out in order to investigate whether these parameters would correspond to the subtypes of this disease and differing grades of various clinical manifestations. One supra- and all infratentorial parameters of SCD showed statistically significant atrophy with a risk of P < 0.005. Among the subtypes, OPCA had a more severely atrophied pons than LCCA (P < 0.005), Menzel (P < 0.05) and SSP (P < 0.01). There was a correlation between the distribution of symptoms like gait, speech, ataxia of extremities and ocular movement disorders, and distribution and degree of infratentorial atrophy with statistical significance (P < 0.05 -- P < 0.005). The degree of atrophy of the pons and the width of the IV ventricle were directly proportional to the duration of the illness in cases of less than 10 years, but not to those of over 10 years. Follow-up CT scan was done for 24 patients, 12 within 3 years, 12 after the lapse of 3 years. The latter group showed statistically significant atrophy between the 1st and 2nd scans in several parameters, but there was no significance between those of the former group.

  9. Neuronal vacuolation and spinocerebellar degeneration associated with altered neurotransmission

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    Aggeliki Giannakopoulou

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available Inherited neurodegenerative disorders are debilitating diseases that occur across different species, such as the domestic dog (Canis lupus familiaris, and many are caused by mutations in the same genes as corresponding human conditions. In the present study, we report an inherited neurodegenerative condition, termed ‘neuronal vacuolation and spinocerebellar degeneration’ (NVSD which affects neonatal or young dogs, mainly Rottweilers, which recently has been linked with the homozygosity for the RAB3GAP1:c.743delC allele. Mutations in human RAB3GAP1 cause Warburg micro syndrome (WARBM, a severe developmental disorder characterized predominantly by abnormalities of the nervous system including axonal peripheral neuropathy. RAB3GAP1 encodes the catalytic subunit of a GTPase activator protein and guanine exchange factor for Rab3 and Rab18 proteins, respectively. Rab proteins are involved in membrane trafficking in the endoplasmic reticulum, autophagy, axonal transport and synaptic transmission. The present study attempts to carry out a detailed histopathological examination of NVSD disease, extending from peripheral nerves to lower brain structures focusing on the neurotransmitter alterations noted in the cerebellum, the major structure affected. NVSD dogs presented with progressive cerebellar ataxia and some clinical manifestations that recapitulate the WARBM phenotype. Neuropathological examination revealed dystrophic axons, neurodegeneration and intracellular vacuolization in specific nuclei. In the cerebellum, severe vacuolation of cerebellar nuclei neurons, atrophy of Purkinje cells, and diminishing of GABAergic and glutamatergic fibres constitute the most striking lesions. The balance of evidence suggests that the neuropathological lesions are a reaction to the altered neurotransmission. The canine phenotype could serve as a model to delineate the disease-causing pathological mechanisms in RAB3GAP1 mutation.

  10. Adult onset sporadic ataxias: a diagnostic challenge

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    Orlando Graziani Povoas Barsottini

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Patients with adult onset non-familial progressive ataxia are classified in sporadic ataxia group. There are several disease categories that may manifest with sporadic ataxia: toxic causes, immune-mediated ataxias, vitamin deficiency, infectious diseases, degenerative disorders and even genetic conditions. Considering heterogeneity in the clinical spectrum of sporadic ataxias, the correct diagnosis remains a clinical challenge. In this review, the different disease categories that lead to sporadic ataxia with adult onset are discussed with special emphasis on their clinical and neuroimaging features, and diagnostic criteria.

  11. CT scanning of the brain and lumber CSF monoamine metabolites in spinocerebellar degenerative disorders

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Sasaki, Hidenao; Kanazawa, Ichiro; Nakanishi, Takao; Kuramoto, Kenmei

    1984-01-01

    Eight patients with parenchymatous cerebellar degeneration (PCD) group (3 with late cortical cerebellar atrophy and 5 with Holmes' hereditary ataxia), 14 with olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy (OPCA) group (4 with Shy-Drager syndrome, 6 with OPCA without family history and 4 with Menzel type SCS), 15 with Parkinson's disease and 44 control with other neurological diseases were studied. In all the spinocerebellar degenerative disorder s (SCD) cases, CVI values corresponding to the cerebellar atrophy were definitely reduced. On the other hand, PVI values corresponding to the pontine atrophy were only significantly decreased in OPCA group. However, since there were several cases showing only questionable pontine atrpphy, it seems difficult to clearly differentiate individual OPCA cases from other SCD cases on CT films alone. Concerning monoamine metabolites in CSF, it was noted that a significant reduction of HVA and total MHPG was found in the OPCA group. Among them, the patients with overt autonomic failure showed the lowest HVA level and the cases of Menzel type of SCD showed a slight reduction of HVA but an unexpected elevation of free MHPG values. The cases of Parkinson's disease showed a definite reduction of HVA. On the other hand, the cases of PCD group showed no significant difference against controls. 5-HIAA levels were not significantly different among the SCD subgroups. (J.P.N.)

  12. CT scanning of the brain and lumbar CSF monoamine metabolites in spinocerebellar degenerative disorders

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Sasaki, Hidenao; Kanazawa, Ichiro; Nakanishi, Takao; Kuramoto, Kenmei [Tsukuba Univ., Sakura, Ibaraki (Japan)

    1984-08-01

    Eight patients with parenchymatous cerebellar degeneration (PCD) group (3 with late cortical cerebellar atrophy and 5 with Holmes' hereditary ataxia), 14 with olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy (OPCA) group (4 with Shy-Drager syndrome, 6 with OPCA without family history and 4 with Menzel type SCS), 15 with Parkinson's disease and 44 control with other neurological diseases were studied. In all the spinocerebellar degenerative disorders (SCD) cases, CVI values corresponding to the cerebellar atrophy were definitely reduced. On the other hand, PVI values corresponding to the pontine atrophy were only significantly decreased in OPCA group. However, since there were several cases showing only questionable pontine atrophy, it seems difficult to clearly differentiate individual OPCA cases from other SCD cases on CT films alone. Concerning monoamine metabolites in CSF, it was noted that a significant reduction of HVA and total MHPG was found in the OPCA group. Among them, the patients with overt autonomic failure showed the lowest HVA level and the cases of Menzel type of SCD showed a slight reduction of HVA but an unexpected elevation of free MHPG values. The cases of Parkinson's disease showed a definite reduction of HVA. On the other hand, the cases of PCD group showed no significant difference against controls. 5-HIAA levels were not significantly different among the SCD subgroups.

  13. Recurrent Ataxia in Children and Adolescents.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Salman, Michael S; Klassen, Samantha F; Johnston, Janine L

    2017-07-01

    Recurrent ataxia is encountered infrequently in clinical pediatric neurology practise and presents with diagnostic challenges. It is caused by several disorders. Our aims were to describe the epidemiology and clinical features in children with recurrent ataxia. A retrospective review was undertaken in 185 children with chronic ataxia, who presented during 1991 to 2008. Several databases were searched to ensure optimum ascertainment. Patients with brain tumors or isolated disorders of the peripheral nerves or vestibular system were excluded. Recurrent ataxia was reported in 21 patients. Their age range was between 6 and 32.75 years (males=12). The crude period prevalence rate for the 18-year study period was 7.44/100,000. Eight patients had episodic ataxia and seven had inflammatory and metabolic disorders. In the rest the etiology was unknown. Many patients presented with ataxia, dizziness, and vertigo. The frequency and duration of the ataxic episodes varied from several per day to one every few months. Other clinical features included developmental delay and seizures. Neuroimaging in episodic ataxia was normal and abnormal in inflammatory or metabolic disorders. Acetazolamide provided symptomatic relief in patients with episodic ataxia, while steroids were beneficial in patients with an inflammatory etiology. One child with a metabolic disorder died. Recurrent ataxia is an uncommon presentation in children and mortality is rare. Genetic, metabolic, and inflammatory disorders should be considered in these patients. Neuroimaging is essential. Acetazolamide in selected patients provides good symptomatic relief.

  14. Tremor in neurodegenerative ataxias, Huntington disease and tic disorder.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Rudzińska, M; Krawczyk, M; Wójcik-Pędziwiatr, M; Szczudlik, A; Tomaszewski, T

    2013-01-01

    Tremor is the most prevalent movement disorder, defined as rhythmic oscillations of a body part, caused by alternating or synchronic contractions of agonistic or antagonistic muscles. The aim of the study was to assess prevalence and to characterize parameters of tremor accompanying de-generative ataxias, Huntington disease (HD) and tic disorders in comparison with a control group. Forty-three patients with degenerative ataxias, 28 with HD and 26 with tic disorders together with 51 healthy controls were included in the study. For each participant, clinical and instrumental assessment (accelerometer, electromyography [EMG], graphic tablet) of hand tremor was performed. Frequency and severity of tremor were assessed in three positions: at rest (rest tremor), with hands extended (postural tremor), during the 'finger-to-nose' test and during Archimedes spiral drawing (kinetic tremor). Based on the mass load test, the type of tremor was determined as essential tremor type or enhanced physiological tremor type. The incidence of tremor in the accelerometry in patients with degenerative ataxia (50%) significantly differs from controls (10%) (p = 0.001). The dominant tremor was postural, low-intense, with 7-Hz frequency, essential tremor (23%) or other tremor type (23%), while enhanced physiological tremor was the least frequent (2%). Tremor in patients with HD and tic disorders was found in 10% and 20% of patients, respectively, similarly to the control group. Tremor was mild, postural and of essential tremor type, less frequently of enhanced physiological tremor type. No correlation between severity of tremor and severity of disease was found. The prevalence of tremor is considerably higher among patients with degenerative ataxias compared with HD, tic disorder and the control group. The most common type of tremor accompanying ataxias, HD and tic disorders is essential tremor type.

  15. Frontal ataxia in childhood.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Erasmus, C.E.; Beems, T.; Rotteveel, J.J.

    2004-01-01

    Frontal ataxia may be the result of a unilateral frontal lesion. In this report three cases are presented with ataxia due to right frontal lesions. One case concerns a boy presenting with an unsteady gait and titubation of the trunk, mimicking developmental disequilibrium and with complex partial

  16. Interferon β induces clearance of mutant ataxin 7 and improves locomotion in SCA7 knock-in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chort, Alice; Alves, Sandro; Marinello, Martina; Dufresnois, Béatrice; Dornbierer, Jean-Gabriel; Tesson, Christelle; Latouche, Morwena; Baker, Darren P; Barkats, Martine; El Hachimi, Khalid H; Ruberg, Merle; Janer, Alexandre; Stevanin, Giovanni; Brice, Alexis; Sittler, Annie

    2013-06-01

    We showed previously, in a cell model of spinocerebellar ataxia 7, that interferon beta induces the expression of PML protein and the formation of PML protein nuclear bodies that degrade mutant ataxin 7, suggesting that the cytokine, used to treat multiple sclerosis, might have therapeutic value in spinocerebellar ataxia 7. We now show that interferon beta also induces PML-dependent clearance of ataxin 7 in a preclinical model, SCA7(266Q/5Q) knock-in mice, and improves motor function. Interestingly, the presence of mutant ataxin 7 in the mice induces itself the expression of endogenous interferon beta and its receptor. Immunohistological studies in brains from two patients with spinocerebellar ataxia 7 confirmed that these modifications are also caused by the disease in humans. Interferon beta, administered intraperitoneally three times a week in the knock-in mice, was internalized with its receptor in Purkinje and other cells and translocated to the nucleus. The treatment induced PML protein expression and the formation of PML protein nuclear bodies and decreased mutant ataxin 7 in neuronal intranuclear inclusions, the hallmark of the disease. No reactive gliosis or other signs of toxicity were observed in the brain or internal organs. The performance of the SCA7(266Q/5Q) knock-in mice was significantly improved on two behavioural tests sensitive to cerebellar function: the Locotronic® Test of locomotor function and the Beam Walking Test of balance, motor coordination and fine movements, which are affected in patients with spinocerebellar ataxia 7. In addition to motor dysfunction, SCA7(266Q/5Q) mice present abnormalities in the retina as in patients: ataxin 7-positive neuronal intranuclear inclusions that were reduced by interferon beta treatment. Finally, since neuronal death does not occur in the cerebellum of SCA7(266Q/5Q) mice, we showed in primary cell cultures expressing mutant ataxin 7 that interferon beta treatment improves Purkinje cell survival.

  17. Clinical spectrum of early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes: an autosomal recessive ataxia not to be missed Espectro clínico da ataxia cerebelar de início precoce com reflexos mantidos: uma ataxia autossômica recessiva para não ser esquecida

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    José Luiz Pedroso

    2013-06-01

    Full Text Available Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias are a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders. In 1981, a neurological entity comprised by early onset progressive cerebellar ataxia, dysarthria, pyramidal weakness of the limbs and retained or increased upper limb reflexes and knee jerks was described. This disorder is known as early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes. In this article, we aimed to call attention for the diagnosis of early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes as the second most common cause of autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias, after Friedreich ataxia, and also to perform a clinical spectrum study of this syndrome. In this data, 12 patients from different families met all clinical features for early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes. Dysarthria and cerebellar atrophy were the most common features in our sample. It is uncertain, however, whether early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes is a homogeneous disease or a group of phenotypically similar syndromes represented by different genetic entities. Further molecular studies are required to provide definitive answers to the questions that remain regarding early onset cerebellar ataxia with retained tendon reflexes.As ataxias cerebelares autossômicas recessivas são um grupo heterogêneo de doenças neurológicas. Em 1981, foi descrita uma entidade neurológica incluindo ataxia cerebelar progressiva de início precoce, disartria, liberação piramidal e manutenção ou aumento dos reflexos tendíneos nos membros superiores e inferiores. Essa síndrome é conhecida como ataxia cerebelar de início precoce com reflexos mantidos. Neste artigo, o objetivo foi chamar a atenção para o diagnóstico de ataxia cerebelar de início precoce com reflexos mantidos como a segunda causa mais comum de ataxia cerebelar autossômica recessiva, após a ataxia de Friedreich, e também realizar um estudo do espectro cl

  18. Frontal ataxia in childhood.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Erasmus, C E; Beems, T; Rotteveel, J J

    2004-12-01

    Frontal ataxia may be the result of a unilateral frontal lesion. In this report three cases are presented with ataxia due to right frontal lesions. One case concerns a boy presenting with an unsteady gait and titubation of the trunk, mimicking developmental disequilibrium and with complex partial seizures. It proved to be caused by a small right-sided cavernoma in the middle frontal gyrus. After surgical intervention the symptoms and the seizures disappeared. Two subsequent cases concern teenage patients presenting with headache after an ENT infection and on physical examination mild dysmetric function of the upper limbs and slight disequilibrium, due to right-sided frontal lobe abscesses. After neurosurgical and antibiotic therapy the symptoms were relieved. The frontal origin of ataxia should be considered in children presenting with a "cerebellar syndrome". Frontal gait disorders consist of a clinical pattern of different gait disorders. The syndrome has been mentioned in the literature under different names. Our patients show signs compatible with the term frontal disequilibrium, a clinical pattern of frontal gait disorder. This assumes walking problems characterized by loss of control of motor planning, leading to imbalance. Remarkably, frontal ataxia may mimic developmental delay as demonstrated in the first case and may be the leading mild symptom in extensive frontal lobe damage as demonstrated by the two other cases. We suppose that frontal ataxia is the result of a disturbance in the cerebellar-frontal circuitries and an impairment of executive and planning functions of the basal ganglia-frontal lobe circuitry.

  19. Genetics Home Reference: ataxia with vitamin E deficiency

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Conditions Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency Printable PDF Open All Close All Enable ... view the expand/collapse boxes. Description Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency is a disorder that impairs the body's ...

  20. Recessive mutations in SPTBN2 implicate β-III spectrin in both cognitive and motor development.

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    Stefano Lise

    Full Text Available β-III spectrin is present in the brain and is known to be important in the function of the cerebellum. Heterozygous mutations in SPTBN2, the gene encoding β-III spectrin, cause Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 5 (SCA5, an adult-onset, slowly progressive, autosomal-dominant pure cerebellar ataxia. SCA5 is sometimes known as "Lincoln ataxia," because the largest known family is descended from relatives of the United States President Abraham Lincoln. Using targeted capture and next-generation sequencing, we identified a homozygous stop codon in SPTBN2 in a consanguineous family in which childhood developmental ataxia co-segregates with cognitive impairment. The cognitive impairment could result from mutations in a second gene, but further analysis using whole-genome sequencing combined with SNP array analysis did not reveal any evidence of other mutations. We also examined a mouse knockout of β-III spectrin in which ataxia and progressive degeneration of cerebellar Purkinje cells has been previously reported and found morphological abnormalities in neurons from prefrontal cortex and deficits in object recognition tasks, consistent with the human cognitive phenotype. These data provide the first evidence that β-III spectrin plays an important role in cortical brain development and cognition, in addition to its function in the cerebellum; and we conclude that cognitive impairment is an integral part of this novel recessive ataxic syndrome, Spectrin-associated Autosomal Recessive Cerebellar Ataxia type 1 (SPARCA1. In addition, the identification of SPARCA1 and normal heterozygous carriers of the stop codon in SPTBN2 provides insights into the mechanism of molecular dominance in SCA5 and demonstrates that the cell-specific repertoire of spectrin subunits underlies a novel group of disorders, the neuronal spectrinopathies, which includes SCA5, SPARCA1, and a form of West syndrome.

  1. Heat shock proteins as potential targets for protective strategies in neurodegeneration

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Kampinga, Harm H.; Bergink, Steven

    Protein aggregates are hallmarks of nearly all age-related neurodegenerative diseases, including Alzheimer's disease, Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and several polyglutamine diseases such as Huntington's disease and different forms of spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA; SCA1-3, SCA6,

  2. Frontal ataxia in childhood.

    OpenAIRE

    Erasmus, C.E.; Beems, T.; Rotteveel, J.J.

    2004-01-01

    Frontal ataxia may be the result of a unilateral frontal lesion. In this report three cases are presented with ataxia due to right frontal lesions. One case concerns a boy presenting with an unsteady gait and titubation of the trunk, mimicking developmental disequilibrium and with complex partial seizures. It proved to be caused by a small right-sided cavernoma in the middle frontal gyrus. After surgical intervention the symptoms and the seizures disappeared. Two subsequent cases concern teen...

  3. PET Study in a Patient with Spinocerebellar Degeneration before and after Long-Term Administration of Thyrotropin Releasing Hormone

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    H. Tanji

    1996-01-01

    Full Text Available We studied the chronic effect of thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH in a patient with spinocerebellar degeneration by measuring cerebral metabolic rate for glucose (CMRG1c using 2-[18F]fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose (18FDG and positron emission tomography (PET. A 56-year-old female, who had suffered from progressive ataxia for 2 years, was treated by intravenous administration of 2 mg TRH for 3 weeks, and CMRG1c of the brain was measured before and after treatment. CMRG1c was markedly decreased in the cerebellum and there was no significant difference before and after the treatment, i.e. mean CMRG1c values were 4.92 and 4.90 mg/100 g/min, and the ratios of the cerebellum versus the frontal cortex were 0.50 and 0.51, respectively. The degree of disequilibrium of her body examined with stabilography became better by the 19th day and further improved by the 26th day after the start of TRH treatment. Based on the present study we conclude that long-term administration of TRH did not improve CMRG1c in the cerebellum, but evidently improved the sway of gravity center by stabilography. We speculate that the chronic effect of TRH was not necessarily due to an improvement of cerebellar function, because TRH receptors are widely distributed throughout the central nervous system.

  4. Preliminary Study of Intravenous Amantadine Treatment for Ataxia Management in Patients with Probable Multiple System Atrophy with Predominant Cerebellar Ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jinyoung Youn

    2012-05-01

    Full Text Available Background and Purpose: Multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia is a disabling neurologic disease. However, effective management has not yet been established. We conducted a short-term, open-label preliminary study to assess the benefits of intravenous amantadine treatment in patients with probable multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia. Methods: Twenty patients (10 male, 10 female with probable multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia received 400 mg of amantadine by intravenous per day for 5 days. Ataxia severity was evaluated by the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale before and after intravenous amantadine therapy and all subjects reported subjective improvement after intravenous amantadine treatment using a patient global impression scale. We analyzed the total and subscale scores by the ataxia scale and patient global impression scale. Results: The mean age was 57.4 years (range: 47–72 and the mean disease duration was 30.8 months (range: 11–79. The ataxia severity significantly decreased after intravenous amantadine therapy from 42.5 to 37.3 (p < 0.001. The mean patient global impression scale for improvement was 2.9 and there were no side effects of intravenous amantadine treatment observed. When we assessed responders, the duration of intravenous amantadine effect was more than 1 month in 4 subjects of 7 responders. Conclusions: Our findings suggest that intravenous amantadine treatment can be a safe management option in cerebellar ataxia, although the mechanism is unclear. Thus, further double-blind, long-term studies with a larger sample size are needed.

  5. A KCNC3 mutation causes a neurodevelopmental, non-progressive SCA13 subtype associated with dominant negative effects and aberrant EGFR trafficking.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Khare, Swati; Nick, Jerelyn A; Zhang, Yalan; Galeano, Kira; Butler, Brittany; Khoshbouei, Habibeh; Rayaprolu, Sruti; Hathorn, Tyisha; Ranum, Laura P W; Smithson, Lisa; Golde, Todd E; Paucar, Martin; Morse, Richard; Raff, Michael; Simon, Julie; Nordenskjöld, Magnus; Wirdefeldt, Karin; Rincon-Limas, Diego E; Lewis, Jada; Kaczmarek, Leonard K; Fernandez-Funez, Pedro; Nick, Harry S; Waters, Michael F

    2017-01-01

    The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a diverse group of neurological disorders anchored by the phenotypes of motor incoordination and cerebellar atrophy. Disease heterogeneity is appreciated through varying comorbidities: dysarthria, dysphagia, oculomotor and/or retinal abnormalities, motor neuron pathology, epilepsy, cognitive impairment, autonomic dysfunction, and psychiatric manifestations. Our study focuses on SCA13, which is caused by several allelic variants in the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNC3 (Kv3.3). We detail the clinical phenotype of four SCA13 kindreds that confirm causation of the KCNC3R423H allele. The heralding features demonstrate congenital onset with non-progressive, neurodevelopmental cerebellar hypoplasia and lifetime improvement in motor and cognitive function that implicate compensatory neural mechanisms. Targeted expression of human KCNC3R423H in Drosophila triggers aberrant wing veins, maldeveloped eyes, and fused ommatidia consistent with the neurodevelopmental presentation of patients. Furthermore, human KCNC3R423H expression in mammalian cells results in altered glycosylation and aberrant retention of the channel in anterograde and/or endosomal vesicles. Confirmation of the absence of plasma membrane targeting was based on the loss of current conductance in cells expressing the mutant channel. Mechanistically, genetic studies in Drosophila, along with cellular and biophysical studies in mammalian systems, demonstrate the dominant negative effect exerted by the mutant on the wild-type (WT) protein, which explains dominant inheritance. We demonstrate that ocular co-expression of KCNC3R423H with Drosophila epidermal growth factor receptor (dEgfr) results in striking rescue of the eye phenotype, whereas KCNC3R423H expression in mammalian cells results in aberrant intracellular retention of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR). Together, these results indicate that the neurodevelopmental consequences of

  6. Genetics Home Reference: X-linked sideroblastic anemia and ataxia

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... linked sideroblastic anemia and ataxia X-linked sideroblastic anemia and ataxia Printable PDF Open All Close All ... the expand/collapse boxes. Description X-linked sideroblastic anemia and ataxia is a rare condition characterized by ...

  7. Ataxia crónica en pediatría

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Erazo Torricelli

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Las ataxias crónicas constituyen un grupo heterogéneo de enfermedades, que afectan al niño a diferentes edades. Así las formas congénitas, generalmente no progresivas, se observan desde los primeros meses de vida y se expresan por hipotonía y retraso motor, mucho antes de que la ataxia se haga evidente. La resonancia magnética cerebral puede ser diagnóstica en algunos cuadros, como ocurre con el síndrome de Joubert. El grupo de ataxias hereditarias progresivas, en constante expansión, suelen comenzar después del período del lactante. Los signos clínicos destacables son la apraxia ocular y la inestabilidad de la marcha que pueden asociarse a telangiectasias oculocutáneas (ataxia-telangiectasia o a neuropatía sensitiva (ataxia de Friedreich. En esta revisión se describen en forma sucinta las ataxias congénitas y en forma más detallada las causas principales de ataxias hereditarias progresivas autosómicas recesivas, autosómicas dominantes y mitocondriales. Se destaca la importancia del estudio genético, que es la clave para lograr el diagnóstico en la mayoría de estas enfermedades. Aunque aún no hay tratamiento para la mayoría de las ataxias hereditarias progresivas, algunas sí lo tienen, como la enfermedad de Refsum, déficit de vitamina E, déficit de Coenzima Q10, por lo cual el diagnóstico en estos casos es aún más relevante. En la actualidad, el diagnóstico de los cuadros de ataxia hereditaria del niño aún no tratable es fundamental para lograr un manejo adecuado, determinar un pronóstico preciso y dar a la familia un consejo genético oportuno.

  8. Mass spectrometry analyses of normal and polyglutamine expanded ataxin-3 reveal novel interaction partners involved in mitochondrial function

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Line V.; Oppermann, Felix S.; Rauen, Matthias J.

    2018-01-01

    Deubiquitinating enzymes (DUBs) play important roles in a variety of cellular processes, including regulation of protein homeostasis. The DUB ataxin-3 is an enzyme implicated in protein quality control mechanisms. In the neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), ataxin-3...

  9. Clinical and CT features in cases of spinocerebellar degeneration occurring at infancy

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Eda, Isematsu; Nakano, Chizuko; Kawahara, Hitoshi; Takeshita, Kenzo

    1985-01-01

    Clinical symptoms and CT findings were evaluated in 7 patients in whom symptoms compatible with spinocerebellar degeneration had occurred at infancy. CT findings included atrophy of the vermis, hemisphere and brain-stem, and dilation of the forth ventricle. These were in accordance with those reported in adult cases of spinocerebellar degeneration. There was some correlation between the severity of clinical symptoms and CT findings. Clinical lesions tended to coincide with CT findings. None of the patients had typical adult types such as delayed cerebello-cortical atrophy and olivo-pontocerebellar atrophy. There were great differences in clinical symptoms among the patients. Many of the patients had complications such as pigmentary degeneration of the retina, optic atrophy and cataract, which are rare in adult cases. It is therefore considered impossible to categorize these cases, except for two cases of familial convulsive paraplegia, as a given type. (Namekawa, K.)

  10. Solving the puzzle of neurological diseases: an interview with Huda Zoghbi

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Huda Y. Zoghbi

    2017-05-01

    Full Text Available Huda Zoghbi's achievements in the field of neurology are internationally acclaimed. She is best known for elucidating the genetic basis of two complex neurological disorders, spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 and Rett syndrome, and has been honored with many prizes, including The Shaw Prize in Life Science and Medicine in 2016 and the 2017 Breakthrough Prize for Life Sciences. A diligent and creative research scientist at the bench, a respected lab mentor and founding Director of the Jan and Dan Duncan Neurological Research Institute at Texas Children's Hospital, her inspiration has always been the burning need to help patients faced with devastating neurological problems. Her pursuit of the mechanisms mediating spinocerebellar ataxia and Rett syndrome has been dogged, requiring 30 years of focused effort. As highlighted in this interview, her work is now paying dividends by starting to reveal potential therapeutic targets for these intractable and complex disorders.

  11. Friedreich's ataxia cardiomyopathy: case based discussion and management issues.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Hanley, A

    2010-04-01

    Cardiac involvement is common in Friedreich\\'s Ataxia and is a common cause of premature death. Evidence regarding treatment of congestive heart failure in patients with Friedreich\\'s Ataxia is lacking. The case of a 31-year-old male with advanced Friedreich\\'s Ataxia who presented with an acute diarrhoeal illness and features of acute heart failure is discussed. We then review the reported cardiac manifestations of Friedreich\\'s Ataxia and discuss management options.

  12. Characterizing POLG ataxia: clinics, electrophysiology and imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Synofzik, Matthis; Srulijes, Karin; Godau, Jana; Berg, Daniela; Schöls, Ludger

    2012-12-01

    Mutations in the mitochondrial DNA polymerase gamma (POLG) cause a highly pleomorphic disease spectrum, and reports about their frequencies in ataxia populations yield equivocal results. This leads to uncertainties about the role of POLG genetics in the workup of patients with unexplained ataxia. A comprehensive characterization of POLG-associated ataxia (POLG-A) will help guide genetic diagnostics and advance our understanding of the disease processes underlying POLG-A. Thirteen patients with POLG-A were assessed by standardized clinical investigation, nerve conduction studies, motor-evoked potentials, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and transcranial sonography (TCS). The findings were compared with 13 matched patients with Friedreich's ataxia (FA). In addition to the well-known POLG-associated features of chronic external ophthalmoplegia (100 %), areflexia to the lower extremity (100 %), impaired vibration sense (100 %), bilateral ptosis (69 %) and epilepsy (38 %), also hyperkinetic movement disorders were frequent in POLG-A patients, including chorea (31 %), dystonia (31 %) and myoclonus (23 %). Similar to FA, polyneuropathy was of sensory axonal type (100 %). In contrast to FA, none of the POLG-A patients showed impaired central motor conduction. TCS demonstrated less enlargement of the fourth ventricle and more diffuse cerebellar hyperechogenicity in POLG-A. Corresponding to TCS, MRI revealed no or only mild cerebellar atrophy in most POLG-A patients (85 %). POLG ataxia presents with the clinical characteristics of both afferent and cerebellar ataxia. Cerebellar alterations diffusely involve various parts of the cerebellum, yet cerebellar atrophy is generally mild. POLG-A presents with a high load of distinct non-ataxia features, namely, sensory neuropathy, external ophthalmoplegia, ptosis, epilepsy and/or hyperkinetic movement disorders. Involvement of the corticospinal tract, however, is rare.

  13. Acute Cerebellar Ataxia Induced by Nivolumab

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kawamura, Reina; Nagata, Eiichiro; Mukai, Masako; Ohnuki, Yoichi; Matsuzaki, Tomohiko; Ohiwa, Kana; Nakagawa, Tomoki; Kohno, Mitsutomo; Masuda, Ryota; Iwazaki, Masayuki; Takizawa, Shunya

    2017-01-01

    A 54-year-old woman with adenocarcinoma of the lung and lymph node metastasis experienced nystagmus and cerebellar ataxia 2 weeks after initiating nivolumab therapy. An evaluation for several autoimmune-related antibodies and paraneoplastic syndrome yielded negative results. We eventually diagnosed the patient with nivolumab-induced acute cerebellar ataxia, after excluding other potential conditions. Her ataxic gait and nystagmus resolved shortly after intravenous steroid pulse therapy followed by the administration of decreasing doses of oral steroids. Nivolumab, an immune checkpoint inhibitor, is known to induce various neurological adverse events. However, this is the first report of acute cerebellar ataxia associated with nivolumab treatment. PMID:29249765

  14. Localized Cerebral Energy Failure in DNA Polymerase Gamma-Associated Encephalopathy Syndromes

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tzoulis, Charalampos; Neckelmann, Gesche; Mork, Sverre J.; Engelsen, Bernt E.; Viscomi, Carlo; Moen, Gunnar; Ersland, Lars; Zeviani, Massimo; Bindoff, Laurence A.

    2010-01-01

    Mutations in the catalytic subunit of the mitochondrial DNA-polymerase gamma cause a wide spectrum of clinical disease ranging from infantile hepato-encephalopathy to juvenile/adult-onset spinocerebellar ataxia and late onset progressive external ophthalmoplegia. Several of these syndromes are associated with an encephalopathy that…

  15. Simulating spinal border cells and cerebellar granule cells under locomotion--a case study of spinocerebellar information processing.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anton Spanne

    Full Text Available The spinocerebellar systems are essential for the brain in the performance of coordinated movements, but our knowledge about the spinocerebellar interactions is very limited. Recently, several crucial pieces of information have been acquired for the spinal border cell (SBC component of the ventral spinocerebellar tract (VSCT, as well as the effects of SBC mossy fiber activation in granule cells of the cerebellar cortex. SBCs receive monosynaptic input from the reticulospinal tract (RST, which is an important driving system under locomotion, and disynaptic inhibition from Ib muscle afferents. The patterns of activity of RST neurons and Ib afferents under locomotion are known. The activity of VSCT neurons under fictive locomotion, i.e. without sensory feedback, is also known, but there is little information on how these neurons behave under actual locomotion and for cerebellar granule cells receiving SBC input this is completely unknown. But the available information makes it possible to simulate the interactions between the spinal and cerebellar neuronal circuitries with a relatively large set of biological constraints. Using a model of the various neuronal elements and the network they compose, we simulated the modulation of the SBCs and their target granule cells under locomotion and hence generated testable predictions of their general pattern of modulation under this condition. This particular system offers a unique opportunity to simulate these interactions with a limited number of assumptions, which helps making the model biologically plausible. Similar principles of information processing may be expected to apply to all spinocerebellar systems.

  16. Aspectos moleculares das ataxias espinocerebelares autossomicas recessivas

    OpenAIRE

    Flavia Chagas Costa

    2000-01-01

    Resumo: As ataxias espinocerebelares (ABC) formam um grupo heterogêneo de doenças degenerativas que envolvem o sistema nervoso central. Esse grupo se caracteriza clinicamente por apresentar disfunção cerebelar manifestada por ataxia de marcha, incoordenação e disartria. Nos casos familiares, o padrão de herança é variável, podendo ser compatível com herança autossômica dominante (HAD) ou herança autossômica recessiva (HAR). Para as ataxias espinocerebelares com HAR existem três lócus identifi...

  17. Ataxia with Vitamin E Deficiency in Norway

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Areej Elkamil

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Objective Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency (AVED is a rare autosomal recessive neurological disorder which usually starts in childhood. The clinical presentation is very similar to Friedreich ataxia, most patients have progressive truncal and extremity ataxia, areflexia, positive Babinski sign, dysarthria and sensory neuropathy. Methods We made an inquiry to our colleagues in Norway, we included information from a prevalence study published southern Norway and added data from our own known case. Results A newly published prevalence study of hereditary ataxias (total of 171 subjects found only one subject with AVED in Southeast Norway. We describe two more patients, one from the Central part and one from the Northern part of Norway. All 3 cases had age of onset in early childhood (age of 4–5 years and all experienced gait ataxia and dysarthria. The genetic testing confirmed that they had pathogenic mutations in the α-tocopherol transfer protein gene (TTPA. All were carriers of the non-sense c.400C > T mutation, one was homozygous for that mutation and the others were compound heterozygous, either with c.358G > A or c.513_514insTT. The homozygous carrier was by far the most severely affected case. Conclusions We estimate the occurrence of AVED in Norway to be at least 0.6 per million inhabitants. We emphasize that all patients who develop ataxia in childhood should be routinely tested for AVED to make an early diagnosis for initiating treatment with high dose vitamin E to avoid severe neurological deficits.

  18. Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hoem, Gry; Koht, Jeanette

    2017-10-31

    Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a hereditary neurodegenerative disorder caused by a mutation on the X chromosome. The major signs and symptoms are tremor, ataxia and parkinsonism. Up to one in 2 000 persons over 50 years of age will develop the syndrome. There is reason to believe that too few individuals in Norway undergo testing for this condition.

  19. Acute Cerebellar Ataxia Induced by Nivolumab

    OpenAIRE

    Kawamura, Reina; Nagata, Eiichiro; Mukai, Masako; Ohnuki, Yoichi; Matsuzaki, Tomohiko; Ohiwa, Kana; Nakagawa, Tomoki; Kohno, Mitsutomo; Masuda, Ryota; Iwazaki, Masayuki; Takizawa, Shunya

    2017-01-01

    A 54-year-old woman with adenocarcinoma of the lung and lymph node metastasis experienced nystagmus and cerebellar ataxia 2 weeks after initiating nivolumab therapy. An evaluation for several autoimmune-related antibodies and paraneoplastic syndrome yielded negative results. We eventually diagnosed the patient with nivolumab-induced acute cerebellar ataxia, after excluding other potential conditions. Her ataxic gait and nystagmus resolved shortly after intravenous steroid pulse therapy follow...

  20. Genetics Home Reference: neuropathy, ataxia, and retinitis pigmentosa

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Twitter Home Health Conditions NARP Neuropathy, ataxia, and retinitis pigmentosa Printable PDF Open All Close All Enable Javascript ... the expand/collapse boxes. Description Neuropathy, ataxia, and retinitis pigmentosa ( NARP ) is a condition that causes a variety ...

  1. Genetics Home Reference: spinocerebellar ataxia type 6

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... CaV2.1 channels play an essential role in communication between neurons in the brain. The CACNA1A gene mutations that ... calcium channels in the cell membrane impairs cell communication between neurons in the brain. Diminished cell communication leads to ...

  2. Genetics Home Reference: spinocerebellar ataxia type 3

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... time, individuals with SCA3 may develop loss of sensation and weakness in the limbs (peripheral neuropathy), muscle cramps, muscle twitches (fasciculations), and swallowing difficulties. Individuals with SCA3 may have problems with memory, planning, and problem solving. Signs and symptoms of ...

  3. Genetic testing for clinically suspected spinocerebellar ataxias ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Sowmya Devatha Venkatesh

    2018-03-13

    Mar 13, 2018 ... 5 Department of Psychology, Florida State University, Tallahassee, FL 32304, USA ... 2000; Sinha et al. 2004). Most epidemiological studies on the preva- ... tion may be due to a very recent admixture event (Singh et al. 2010).

  4. Genetics Home Reference: spinocerebellar ataxia type 1

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... an earlier onset of signs and symptoms. This phenomenon is called anticipation. Anticipation tends to be more ... As the gene is passed from parent to child, the size of the CAG trinucleotide repeat may ...

  5. Genetics Home Reference: spinocerebellar ataxia type 2

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Almira YR, Zaldivar YG, Almarales DC, Góngora EM, Herrera MP, Batallán KE, Armiñán RR, Manresa MV, Cruz ... Falcón NS, Góngora EM, Almarales DC, Pérez LV, Herrera MP. Age-dependent risks in genetic counseling for ...

  6. FOX-2 Dependent Splicing of Ataxin-2 Transcript Is Affected by Ataxin-1 Overexpression

    Science.gov (United States)

    Welzel, Franziska; Kaehler, Christian; Isau, Melanie; Hallen, Linda; Lehrach, Hans; Krobitsch, Sylvia

    2012-01-01

    Alternative splicing is a fundamental posttranscriptional mechanism for controlling gene expression, and splicing defects have been linked to various human disorders. The splicing factor FOX-2 is part of a main protein interaction hub in a network related to human inherited ataxias, however, its impact remains to be elucidated. Here, we focused on the reported interaction between FOX-2 and ataxin-1, the disease-causing protein in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1. In this line, we further evaluated this interaction by yeast-2-hybrid analyses and co-immunoprecipitation experiments in mammalian cells. Interestingly, we discovered that FOX-2 localization and splicing activity is affected in the presence of nuclear ataxin-1 inclusions. Moreover, we observed that FOX-2 directly interacts with ataxin-2, a protein modulating spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 pathogenesis. Finally, we provide evidence that splicing of pre-mRNA of ataxin-2 depends on FOX-2 activity, since reduction of FOX-2 levels led to increased skipping of exon 18 in ataxin-2 transcripts. Most striking, we observed that ataxin-1 overexpression has an effect on this splicing event as well. Thus, our results demonstrate that FOX-2 is involved in splicing of ataxin-2 transcripts and that this splicing event is altered by overexpression of ataxin-1. PMID:22666429

  7. Avances en el tratamiento de las ataxias crónicas

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    María Celeste Buompadre

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available Las ataxias crónicas cerebelosas autosómicas recesivas constituyen el grupo más amplio de ataxias hereditarias, con presentación principalmente en la edad pediátrica, se caracterizan por degeneración o desarrollo anormal del cerebelo y de la médula espinal. Hasta el momento el tratamiento etiológico está disponible sólo para algunas formas: aquellas con defecto metabólico conocido como la abetalipoproteinemia, la ataxia con deficiencia de vitamina E y la xantomatosis cerebrotendinosa. En estas entidades la modificación de la dieta, el suplemento con vitaminas E y A principalmente y la administración de ácido quenodexocicólico pueden cambiar el curso de la enfermedad. En la mayoría de los otros tipos de ataxia el tratamiento es solo de soporte, como por ejemplo el uso de antioxidantes y quelantes del hierro en la ataxia de Friederich con el objetivo de disminuir los depósitos de hierro mitocondriales, de corticoides en la ataxia telangiectasia y de ubiquinona /coenzima Q10 en la ataxia por deficiencia de coenzima Q-10. Si bien hasta el momento ningún tratamiento es curativo para la mayoría de las ataxias crónicas autosómico recesivas, el diagnóstico precoz de estas entidades se asocia con una mejor respuesta a las diferentes drogas.

  8. Identification of the Drosophila Ortholog of HSPB8 IMPLICATION OF HSPB8 LOSS OF FUNCTION IN PROTEIN FOLDING DISEASES

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Carra, Serena; Boncoraglio, Alessandra; Kanon, Bart; Brunsting, Jeanette F.; Minoia, Melania; Rana, Anil; Vos, Michel J.; Seidel, Kay; Sibon, Ody C. M.; Kampinga, Harm H.

    2010-01-01

    Protein aggregation is a hallmark of many neuronal disorders, including the polyglutamine disorder spinocerebellar ataxia 3 and peripheral neuropathies associated with the K141E and K141N mutations in the small heat shock protein HSPB8. In cells, HSPB8 cooperates with BAG3 to stimulate autophagy in

  9. Ataxia cerebelar aguda na criança Acute cerebellar ataxia in children

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeriana Moura Ribeiro

    1968-03-01

    Full Text Available São relatados os casos de 6 crianças com ataxia cerebelar aguda. Admitem os autores a presença de um fator etiológico de caráter viral comum a todos êles, discutindo os mecanismos patogênicos com base nos casos da literatura. A evolução foi favorável em todos os pacientes, com regressão completa da sintomatologia, dentro do período de 6 a 60 dias.Clinical observations of 6 children with acute cerebellar ataxia and respective laboratorial data are reported. Considerations are made in order to support the hypothesis of involving virus. The evolution of the disorder was a nonfatal one and the patients regained normal cerebellar function within a period of 6 to 60 days.

  10. Hereditary spastic paraplegia with cerebellar ataxia: a complex phenotype associated with a new SPG4 gene mutation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Nielsen, Jørgen Erik; Johnson, B; Koefoed, Pernille

    2004-01-01

    Complex forms of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) are rare and usually transmitted in an autosomal recessive pattern. A family of four generations with autosomal dominant hereditary spastic paraplegia (AD-HSP) and a complex phenotype with variably expressed co-existing ataxia, dysarthria......, unipolar depression, epilepsy, migraine, and cognitive impairment was investigated. Genetic linkage analysis and sequencing of the SPG4 gene was performed and electrophysiologic investigations were carried out in six individuals and positron emission tomography (PET) in one patient. The disease was linked...... in those individuals who were clinically affected by a complex phenotype consisting of HSP and cerebellar ataxia. Other features noted in this kindred including epilepsy, cognitive impairment, depression, and migraine did not segregate with the HSP phenotype or mutation, and therefore the significance...

  11. A KCNC3 mutation causes a neurodevelopmental, non-progressive SCA13 subtype associated with dominant negative effects and aberrant EGFR trafficking.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Swati Khare

    Full Text Available The autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs are a diverse group of neurological disorders anchored by the phenotypes of motor incoordination and cerebellar atrophy. Disease heterogeneity is appreciated through varying comorbidities: dysarthria, dysphagia, oculomotor and/or retinal abnormalities, motor neuron pathology, epilepsy, cognitive impairment, autonomic dysfunction, and psychiatric manifestations. Our study focuses on SCA13, which is caused by several allelic variants in the voltage-gated potassium channel KCNC3 (Kv3.3. We detail the clinical phenotype of four SCA13 kindreds that confirm causation of the KCNC3R423H allele. The heralding features demonstrate congenital onset with non-progressive, neurodevelopmental cerebellar hypoplasia and lifetime improvement in motor and cognitive function that implicate compensatory neural mechanisms. Targeted expression of human KCNC3R423H in Drosophila triggers aberrant wing veins, maldeveloped eyes, and fused ommatidia consistent with the neurodevelopmental presentation of patients. Furthermore, human KCNC3R423H expression in mammalian cells results in altered glycosylation and aberrant retention of the channel in anterograde and/or endosomal vesicles. Confirmation of the absence of plasma membrane targeting was based on the loss of current conductance in cells expressing the mutant channel. Mechanistically, genetic studies in Drosophila, along with cellular and biophysical studies in mammalian systems, demonstrate the dominant negative effect exerted by the mutant on the wild-type (WT protein, which explains dominant inheritance. We demonstrate that ocular co-expression of KCNC3R423H with Drosophila epidermal growth factor receptor (dEgfr results in striking rescue of the eye phenotype, whereas KCNC3R423H expression in mammalian cells results in aberrant intracellular retention of human epidermal growth factor receptor (EGFR. Together, these results indicate that the neurodevelopmental

  12. MRI of the spinocerebellar degeneration (multiple system atrophy, Holmes type, and Menzel-Joseph type)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Mukai, Eiichiro; Makino, Naoki.

    1991-01-01

    We have analyzed MRI in 33 patients with several forms of spinocerebellar degeneration; 17 with multiple system atrophy, 10 with Holmes type, and 6 with Menzel-Joseph type. The MRIs were obtained using a 1.5-T GEMR System. Patients with multiple system atrophy demonstrated: atrophy of the brain stem, particularly basis pontis; decreased signal intensity of the white matter of pons; atrophy of the white matter of cerebellum; atrophy and decreased signal intensity of the putamen, particularly along their lateral and posterior portions; and atrophy of the cerebrum. Patients with Holmes type showed: atrophy of the cerebellum; atrophy of the vermis more than hemispheres; and nuclei of the cerebellum with no decreased intensity on T 2 -weighted sequences. Patients with Menzel-Joseph type demonstrated moderate atrophy of the brain stem and mild atrophy of the white matter of cerebellum. MRI is a useful diagnostic tool in the management of the spinocerebellar degeneration. (author)

  13. Genetics Home Reference: fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome

    Science.gov (United States)

    ... Share: Email Facebook Twitter Home Health Conditions FXTAS Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome Printable PDF Open All ... Javascript to view the expand/collapse boxes. Description Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome ( FXTAS ) is characterized by ...

  14. Very Late-Onset Friedreich Ataxia with Laryngeal Dystonia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Silvia Rota

    2014-12-01

    Full Text Available Friedreich ataxia (FRDA is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive gait and limb ataxia, cerebellar, pyramidal and dorsal column involvement, visual defects, scoliosis, pes cavus and cardiomyopathy. It is caused by a homozygous guanine-adenine-adenine (GAA trinucleotide repeat expansion in intron 1 of the frataxin gene (FXN on chromosome 9q13-q21.1. Onset is usually in the first or second decade of life; however, late-onset cases of Freidreich ataxia (LOFA, after the age of 25 years, and very late-onset cases of Freidreich ataxia (VLOFA, after the age of 40 years, have been reported. VLOFA is quite rare and usually presents a milder progression of the disease. We report the case of a 64-year-old woman affected with VLOFA whose first symptoms (balance and gait disturbances occurred at the age of 44 years. At the age of 62 years, she started complaining of a slowly progressive dysphonia showing the clinical aspects of laryngeal dystonia. Molecular analysis showed a 210- and 230-trinucleotide GAA repeat expansion in the two alleles of the FXN gene. Laryngeal dystonia has been reported only in very few cases of ataxia syndrome and never before in FRDA patients. It may represent a rare clinical manifestation of VLOFA thus confirming the high variability of the clinical spectrum of FRDA.

  15. CT and MR imaging of acute cerebellar ataxia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Shoji, H.; Hirai, S.; Ishikawa, K.; Aramaki, M.; Sato, Y.; Abe, T.; Kojima, K.

    1991-01-01

    An adult female showed mild cerebellar ataxia and CSF pleocytosis following an acute infection of the upper respiratory tract, and was diagnosed as having acute cerebellar ataxia (ACA). CT and MR appearances in the acute stage revealed moderate swelling of the cerebellum and bilaterally increased signal intensity in the cerebellar cortex. (orig.)

  16. A 70-year-old male with peripheral neuropathy, ataxia and antigliadin antibodies shows improvement in neuropathy, but not ataxia, after intravenous immunoglobulin and gluten-free diet

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dharshan Anandacoomaraswamy

    2008-10-01

    Full Text Available Dharshan Anandacoomaraswamy1, Jagdeesh Ullal2, Aaron I Vinik21Department of Internal Medicine, Coney Island Hospital, Brooklyn, NY, USA; 2Strelitz Diabetes Center, Department of Internal Medicine, Eastern Virginia Medical School, Norfolk, VA, USAAbstract: This is a case of a 70-year-old man with severe peripheral neuropathy, type 2 diabetes and progressively worsening cerebellar ataxia. He was found to have circulating antigliadin and antireticulin antibodies compatible with celiac disease in the absence of intestinal pathology. The peripheral neuropathy improved with a gluten-free diet, antioxidants and intravenous immunoglobulin, whereas the ataxia did not. This case illustrates the need to test for celiac disease in patients with idiopathic ataxia and peripheral neuropathy and the need for alternative therapies for ataxia. Keywords: celiac disease, peripheral neuropathy, autoimmune disease, cerebellar ataxia, type 2 diabetes

  17. [Ataxia telangiectasia: review of 13 new cases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Valbuena, O; Póo, P; Campistol, J; Vernet, A; Fernández-Alvarez, E; Sierra, I; Gean, E

    1996-01-01

    We report the review of 13 patients who were diagnosed of ataxia telangiectasia before 6 years of age. All of them manifested cerebelous ataxia, oculocutaneus telangiectasias (11), sinopulmonary infections (9), dystonia (9), oculomotor apraxia (9) and Burkitt linfoma (1). We analyse the most common presentation of the disease in early stages and the complementary studies performed. The prompt diagnosis allow us a better control of infections, malignant process and finally the possibility of genetic counseling.

  18. Friedreich's ataxia mimicking hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Panas, Marios; Kalfakis, Nikolaos; Karadima, Georgia; Davaki, Panagiota; Vassilopoulos, Demetris

    2002-11-01

    Four patients from three unrelated families, with clinical and electrophysiological findings compatible with the diagnosis of hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy, are presented. The molecular analysis showed that the affected individuals were homozygous for the mutation in the X25 gene, characteristic of Friedreich's ataxia. These patients seem to represent a form of Friedreich's ataxia mimicking Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.

  19. Ataxia rating scales are age-dependent in healthy children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brandsma, Rick; Spits, Anne H.; Kuiper, Marieke J.; Lunsing, Roelinka J.; Burger, Huibert; Kremer, Hubertus P.; Sival, Deborah A.

    AIM: To investigate ataxia rating scales in children for reliability and the effect of age and sex. METHOD: Three independent neuropaediatric observers cross-sectionally scored a set of paediatric ataxia rating scales in a group of 52 healthy children (26 males, 26 females) aged 4 to 16 years (mean

  20. Spectrum of centrosome autoantibodies in childhood varicella and post-varicella acute cerebellar ataxia

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    Stinton Laura M

    2003-09-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Sera from children with post-varicella infections have autoantibodies that react with centrosomes in brain and tissue culture cells. We investigated the sera of children with infections and post-varicella ataxia and related conditions for reactivity to five recombinant centrosome proteins: γγ-enolase, pericentrin, ninein, PCM-1, and Mob1. Methods Sera from 12 patients with acute post-varicella ataxia, 1 with post-Epstein Barr virus (EBV ataxia, 5 with uncomplicated varicella infections, and other conditions were tested for reactivity to cryopreserved cerebellum tissue and recombinant centrosome proteins. The distribution of pericentrin in the cerebellum was studied by indirect immunofluorescence (IIF using rabbit antibodies to the recombinant protein. Antibodies to phospholipids (APL were detected by ELISA. Results Eleven of 12 children with post-varicella ataxia, 4/5 children with uncomplicated varicella infections, 1/1 with post-EBV ataxia, 2/2 with ADEM, 1/2 with neuroblastoma and ataxia, and 2/2 with cerebellitis had antibodies directed against 1 or more recombinant centrosome antigens. Antibodies to pericentrin were seen in 5/12 children with post-varicella ataxia but not in any of the other sera tested. IIF demonstrated that pericentrin is located in axons and centrosomes of cerebellar cells. APL were detected in 75% of the sera from children with post-varicella ataxia and 50% of children with varicella without ataxia and in none of the controls. Conclusion This is the first study to show the antigen specificity of anti-centrosome antibodies in children with varicella. Our data suggest that children with post-varicella ataxia have unique autoantibody reactivity to pericentrin.

  1. Treatment for ataxia in multiple sclerosis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mills, R J; Yap, L; Young, C A

    2007-01-24

    Disabling tremor or ataxia is common in multiple sclerosis (MS) and up to 80% of patients experience tremor or ataxia at some point during their disease. A variety of treatments are available, ranging from pharmacotherapy or stereotactic neurosurgery to neurorehabilitation. To assess the efficacy and tolerability of both pharmacological and non-pharmacologic treatments of ataxia in patients with MS. The following electronic resources were searched: Cochrane MS Group trials register (June 2006), the Cochrane Central Register of Controlled Trials (CENTRAL) (Issue 2, 2006), National Health Service National Research Register (NRR) including the Medical Research Council Clinical Trials Directory (Issue 2, 2006), MEDLINE (January 1996 to June 2006), and EMBASE (Jan 1988 to June 2006). Manual searches of bibliographies of relevant articles, pertinent medical and neurology journals and abstract books of major neurology and MS conferences (2001-2006) were also performed. Direct communication with experts and drug companies was sought. Blinded, randomised trials which were either placebo-controlled or which compared two or more treatments were included. Trials testing pharmacological agents must have had both participant and assessor blinding. Trials testing surgical interventions or effects of physiotherapy, where participants could not have been blinded to the treatment, must have had independent assessors who were blinded to the treatment. Cross-over trials were included. Three independent reviewers extracted data and the findings of the trials were summarised. A meta-analysis was not performed due to the inadequacy of outcome measures and methodological problems with the studies reviewed. Ten randomised controlled trials met the inclusion criteria. Six placebo-controlled studies (pharmacotherapy) and four comparative studies (one stereotactic neurosurgery and three neurorehabilitation) were reviewed. No standardised outcome measures were used across the studies. In

  2. Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome: An under-recognised cause of tremor and ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kalus, Sarah; King, John; Lui, Elaine; Gaillard, Frank

    2016-01-01

    Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a progressive degenerative movement disorder resulting from a fragile X "premutation", defined as 55-200 CGG repeats in the 5'-untranslated region of the FMR1 gene. The FMR1 premutation occurs in 1/800 males and 1/250 females, with FXTAS affecting 40-45% of male and 8-16% of female premutation carriers over the age of 50. FXTAS typically presents with kinetic tremor and cerebellar ataxia. FXTAS has a classical imaging profile which, in concert with clinical manifestations and genetic testing, participates vitally in its diagnosis. The revised FXTAS diagnostic criteria include two major radiological features. The "MCP sign", referring to T2 hyperintensity in the middle cerebellar peduncle, has long been considered the radiological hallmark of FXTAS. Recently included as a major radiological criterion in the diagnosis of FXTAS is T2 hyperintensity in the splenium of the corpus callosum. Other imaging features of FXTAS include T2 hyperintensities in the pons, insula and periventricular white matter as well as generalised brain and cerebellar atrophy. FXTAS is an under-recognised and misdiagnosed entity. In patients with unexplained tremor, ataxia and cognitive decline, the presence of middle cerebellar peduncle and/or corpus callosum splenium hyperintensity should raise suspicion of FXTAS. Diagnosis of FXTAS has important implications not only for the patient but also, through genetic counselling and testing, for future generations. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. Ataxia rating scales are age-dependent in healthy children

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Brandsma, Rick; Spits, Anne H.; Kuiper, Marieke J.; Lunsing, Roelinka J.; Burger, Huibert; Kremer, Hubertus P.; Sival, Deborah A.; Barisic, N.; Baxter, P.; Brankovic-Sreckovic, V.; Calabrò, G. E.; Catsman-Berrevoets, C.; de Coo, Ifm; Craiu, D.; Dan, B.; Gburek-Augustat, J.; Kammoun-Feki, F.; Kennedy, C.; Mancini, F.; Mirabelli-Badenier, M.; Nemeth, A.; Newton, R.; Poll-The, B. T.; Steinlin, M.; Synofzik, M.; Topcu, M.; Triki, C.; Valente, E. M.

    2014-01-01

    To investigate ataxia rating scales in children for reliability and the effect of age and sex. Three independent neuropaediatric observers cross-sectionally scored a set of paediatric ataxia rating scales in a group of 52 healthy children (26 males, 26 females) aged 4 to 16 years (mean age 10y 5mo

  4. Ataxias agudas en la infancia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Yaline Betancourt Fursow

    2013-09-01

    Full Text Available La ataxia cerebelosa aguda infantil (ACAI es la forma más frecuente de complicación neurológica por el virus de la varicela.Descritas dentro del grupo de las cerebelitis agudas. Los objetivos de este estudio fueron: evaluar la presentación clínica, manejo y seguimiento de niños hospitalizados con ACAI en un hospital pediátrico terciario donde la inmunización para varicela no está disponible (parte I y describir los diagnósticos diferenciales de la cerebelitis aguda (parte II. Estudiamos 95 pacientes. Los criterios diagnósticos de ataxia aguda se basaron en: pérdida aguda de la coordinación o dificultad para la marcha con o sin nistagmo asociado y duración menor de 48 horas, en un niño previamente sano. Estos criterios se cumplían en todos los casos valorados, excepto en las ataxias secundarias a ingesta de tóxicos, en los que la duración debía ser menor de 24 horas para su inclusión en el estudio. Se registraron los datos en una historia clínica pediátrica y neurológica. Entre los pacientes inmunosuprimidos la incidencia mayor fue la complicación por varicela. La mayoría de los pacientes fueron varones. El rango de edad fue la preescolar, 5 años . El intervalo entre la presentación del rash y el ingreso fue de 1 a 3 días. El estudio de LCR se practicó en 59.5% de los casos. La TAC y la resonancia magnética cerebral (RM presentaron edema en el 33.3%. El aciclovir endovenoso fue utilizado en 23 pacientes; pero no hubo diferencias significativas en las manifestaciones clínicas y seguimiento entre tratados y no tratados. La ataxia fue la primera manifestación clínica. La estadía hospitalaria fue de 4 días (rango: 2-11 días.

  5. [Investigation of Genetic Aetiology in Neurodegenerative Ataxias: Recommendations from the Group of Neurogenetics of Centro Hospitalar São João, Portugal].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gomes, Tiago; Guimaraes, Joana; Leão, Miguel

    2017-06-30

    In recent decades, a long and increasing list of monogenic neurodegenerative ataxias has been identified, allowing for better characterization of the pathophysiology, phenotype and prognosis of this heterogeneous group of disorders, while also revealing potential new therapeutic targets. However, the heterogeneity and complexity of the genotype-phenotype relationships and the high costs of molecular genetics often make it difficult for clinicians to decide on a molecular investigation based on an unbiased rational plan. Clinical history is essential to guide the diagnostic workup, but often the phenotype does not hold enough specificity to allow for predicting the genotype. The Group of Neurogenetics of the Centro Hospitalar São João, a multidisciplinary team of neurologists and geneticists with special interest in neurogenetic disorders, devised consensus recommendations for the investigation of the genetic aetiology of neurodegenerative ataxias in clinical practice, based on international consensus documents (currently containing potentially outdated information) and published scientific evidence on this topic. At the time these recommendations were written, there were around 10 well described autosomal recessive loci and more than 27 autosomal dominant loci for neurodegenerative ataxias. This document covers, in a pragmatic way, the rational process used for the genetic diagnosis of neurodegenerative ataxias, with specific recommendations for the various groups of these heterogeneous diseases, per the Portuguese reality.

  6. Triplet repeat DNA structures and human genetic disease: dynamic ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    Unknown

    formed at the loop-outs. [Sinden R R, Potaman V N, Oussatcheva E A, Pearson C E, Lyubchenko Y L and Shlyakhtenko L S 2002 Triplet repeat DNA structures .... 36–39. 40–121 Huntingtin/polyglutamine expansion. Spinocerebellar ataxia 1. SCA1. 6p23. (CAG)n. 6–44. –. 39–82 (pure) Ataxin-1/polyglutamine expansion.

  7. Molecular and clinical study of a cohort of 110 Algerian patients with autosomal recessive ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hamza, Wahiba; Ali Pacha, Lamia; Hamadouche, Tarik; Muller, Jean; Drouot, Nathalie; Ferrat, Farida; Makri, Samira; Chaouch, Malika; Tazir, Meriem; Koenig, Michel; Benhassine, Traki

    2015-06-12

    Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias (ARCA) are a complex group of neurodegenerative disorders with great genetic and phenotypic heterogeneity, over 30 genes/loci have been associated with more than 20 different clinical forms of ARCA. Genetic heterogeneity combined with highly variable clinical expression of the cerebellar symptoms and overlapping features complicate furthermore the etiological diagnosis of ARCA. The determination of the most frequent mutations and corresponding ataxias, as well as particular features specific to a population, are mandatory to facilitate and speed up the diagnosis process, especially when an appropriate treatment is available. We explored 166 patients (115 families) refered to the neurology units of Algiers central hospitals (Algeria) with a cerebellar ataxia phenotype segregating as an autosomal recessive pattern of inheritance. Genomic DNA was extracted from peripheral blood samples and mutational screening was performed by PCR and direct sequencing or by targeted genomic capture and massive parallel sequencing of 57 genes associated with inherited cerebellar ataxia phenotypes. In this work we report the clinical and molecular results obtained on a large cohort of Algerian patients (110 patients/76 families) with genetically determined autosomal recessive ataxia, representing 9 different types of ARCA and 23 different mutations, including 6 novel ones. The five most common ARCA in this cohort were Friedreich ataxia, ataxia with isolated vitamin E deficiency, ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2, autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay and ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1. We report here a large cohort of patients with genetically determined autosomal recessive ataxia and the first study of the genetic context of ARCA in Algeria. This study showed that in Algerian patients, the two most common types of ataxia (Friedreich ataxia and ataxia with isolated vitamin E deficiency) coexist with forms that may be

  8. DNA strand breakage repair in ataxia telangiectasia fibroblast-like cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Vincent, Jr, R A; Sheridan, III, R B; Huang, P C [Johns Hopkins Univ., Baltimore, Md. (USA). Dept. of Environmental and Biophysical Sciences

    1975-12-01

    Human diploid fibroblast-like cells derived from four patients with the genetic disease ataxia telangiectasia and from two non-mutant donors were examined for the repair of x-ray induced strand breaks in DNA. The ataxia telangiectasia cultures showed no significant differences from the non-mutant cultures in the kinetics and extent of strand repair. This suggests that the increased spontaneous and x-ray induced chromatid aberrations observed in ataxia telangiectasia cells are not caused by a defect in the repair of single strand breaks as might be suspected from a general model of aberration production.

  9. MRI in movement disorder patients: 'hot cross bun' sign

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Koh, Seong Beom; Kim, Byung Jo; Park, Min Kyu; Park, Kun Woo; Lee, Nam Joon; Lee, Dae Hie

    2003-01-01

    Clinically, multiple system atrophy is difficult to differentiate from other basal ganglia disorders such as idiopathic Parkinson's disease or other types of cerebellar ataxia. The 'hot cross bun' sign is a radiological sign which, it has been claimed, is highly specific for multiple system atrophy, and we describe four cases in which this sign occurred. In one patient, multiple system atrophy was clinically diagnosed, but in the other three, the respective clinical diagnosis was spinocerebellar ataxia type 1, type 2 (genetically), and old cerebellar hemorrhage. We therefore suggest that the hot cross bun sign reflects degeneration of transverse pontocerebellar fibers and is not a pathognomic sign of multiple system atrophy

  10. Recurrent major depression, ataxia, and cardiomyopathy: association with a novel POLG mutation?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Verhoeven WMA

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Willem MA Verhoeven1,2, Jos IM Egger1,3,4, Berry PH Kremer5, Boudewijn JHB de Pont1, Carlo LM Marcelis61Vincent van Gogh Institute for Psychiatry, Centre of Excellence for Neuropsychiatry, Venray, The Netherlands; 2Erasmus University Medical Centre, Department of Psychiatry, Rotterdam, The Netherlands; 3Behavioural Science Institute, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; 4Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Centre for Cognition, Radboud University Nijmegen, Nijmegen, The Netherlands; 5Department of Neurology, University Medical Centre Groningen, The Netherlands; 6Department of Human Genetics, Radboud University Nijmegen Medical Centre, Nijmegen, The NetherlandsAbstract: At present, more than 100 disease mutations in mitochondrial DNA polymerase γ (POLG have been indentified that are causally related to an array of neuropsychiatric diseases affecting multiple systems. Both autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant forms can be delineated, the latter being associated with Parkinsonism and depressive or psychotic syndromes. In this report, a middle-aged female patient with recurrent major depression with melancholic features, slowly progressive gait instability, and dilated cardiomyopathy is described. Detailed diagnostic evaluation was performed to elucidate the supposed relationship between ataxia, cardiomyopathy, and major depression with melancholia. After extensive genetic and metabolic investigation, a nucleotide substitution c.2207 A→G in the POLG gene resulting in amino acid change Asn 736Ser in exon 13 was demonstrated. This mutation was considered to be compatible with a mitochondrial disorder and implicated in the pathophysiology of the neuropsychiatric syndrome. It is concluded that this novel POLG mutation forms the most parsimonious etiological explanation for the here-described combination of ataxia, major depression, and cardiomyopathy. Therefore, in patients with a complex neuropsychiatric

  11. Purkinje Cell Signaling Deficits in Animal Models of Ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Eriola Hoxha

    2018-04-01

    Full Text Available Purkinje cell (PC dysfunction or degeneration is the most frequent finding in animal models with ataxic symptoms. Mutations affecting intrinsic membrane properties can lead to ataxia by altering the firing rate of PCs or their firing pattern. However, the relationship between specific firing alterations and motor symptoms is not yet clear, and in some cases PC dysfunction precedes the onset of ataxic signs. Moreover, a great variety of ionic and synaptic mechanisms can affect PC signaling, resulting in different features of motor dysfunction. Mutations affecting Na+ channels (NaV1.1, NaV1.6, NaVβ4, Fgf14 or Rer1 reduce the firing rate of PCs, mainly via an impairment of the Na+ resurgent current. Mutations that reduce Kv3 currents limit the firing rate frequency range. Mutations of Kv1 channels act mainly on inhibitory interneurons, generating excessive GABAergic signaling onto PCs, resulting in episodic ataxia. Kv4.3 mutations are responsible for a complex syndrome with several neurologic dysfunctions including ataxia. Mutations of either Cav or BK channels have similar consequences, consisting in a disruption of the firing pattern of PCs, with loss of precision, leading to ataxia. Another category of pathogenic mechanisms of ataxia regards alterations of synaptic signals arriving at the PC. At the parallel fiber (PF-PC synapse, mutations of glutamate delta-2 (GluD2 or its ligand Crbl1 are responsible for the loss of synaptic contacts, abolishment of long-term depression (LTD and motor deficits. At the same synapse, a correct function of metabotropic glutamate receptor 1 (mGlu1 receptors is necessary to avoid ataxia. Failure of climbing fiber (CF maturation and establishment of PC mono-innervation occurs in a great number of mutant mice, including mGlu1 and its transduction pathway, GluD2, semaphorins and their receptors. All these models have in common the alteration of PC output signals, due to a variety of mechanisms affecting incoming

  12. Investigation of Genetic Aetiology in Neurodegenerative Ataxias: Recommendations from the Group of Neurogenetics of Centro Hospitalar São João, Portugal

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tiago Gomes

    2017-06-01

    Full Text Available In recent decades, a long and increasing list of monogenic neurodegenerative ataxias has been identified, allowing for better characterization of the pathophysiology, phenotype and prognosis of this heterogeneous group of disorders, while also revealing potential new therapeutic targets. However, the heterogeneity and complexity of the genotype-phenotype relationships and the high costs of molecular genetics often make it difficult for clinicians to decide on a molecular investigation based on an unbiased rational plan. Clinical history is essential to guide the diagnostic workup, but often the phenotype does not hold enough specificity to allow for predicting the genotype. The Group of Neurogenetics of the Centro Hospitalar São João, a multidisciplinary team of neurologists and geneticists with special interest in neurogenetic disorders, devised consensus recommendations for the investigation of the genetic aetiology of neurodegenerative ataxias in clinical practice, based on international consensus documents (currently containing potentially outdated information and published scientific evidence on this topic. At the time these recommendations were written, there were around 10 well described autosomal recessive loci and more than 27 autosomal dominant loci for neurodegenerative ataxias. This document covers, in a pragmatic way, the rational process used for the genetic diagnosis of neurodegenerative ataxias, with specific recommendations for the various groups of these heterogeneous diseases, per the Portuguese reality.

  13. Epidemiology of Cerebellar Ataxia on the Etiological Basis: A Cross Sectional Study

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Simindokht Hosseini Seyede

    2009-12-01

    Full Text Available Cerebellar ataxias are a heterogenous group of disorders, clinically and etiologically, that result in considerable health burden. Finding out about the various etiologies, and their relative prevalences in the population suffering from cerebellar ataxia helps the clinician to perform a better management, in treatment process. This is a cross sectional study designed to estimate the relative prevalence of each etiologic factor. One-hundred and thirty-five patients ,in the range of 6 to 73 years from march 1993 to march1999, were classified in different groups on the basis of etiological findings. Relative prevalence of each of the etiological factors , common accompanying disorders besides ataxia in the patients,CT and MRI changes,and CSF alterations are studied and recorded. A widely spread age group, and the extended number of the cases under study, are the advantages of the current study over the previously reported case series. Among the etiologic groups, multiple sclerosis, cerebrovascular accidents and hereditary cerebellar ataxia, were the most common etiologic factors associated with cerebellar ataxia respectively.

  14. Clinical characteristics of patients with cerebellar ataxia associated with anti-GAD antibodies

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    Tiago Silva Aguiar

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT The enzyme glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD, present in GABAergic neurons and in pancreatic beta cells, catalyzes the conversion of gamma-aminobutyric acid (GABA. The cerebellum is highly susceptible to immune-mediated mechanisms, with the potentially treatable autoimmune cerebellar ataxia associated with the GAD antibody (CA-GAD-ab being a rare, albeit increasingly detected condition. Few cases of CA-GAD-ab have been described. Methods This retrospective and descriptive study evaluated the clinical characteristics and outcomes of patients with CA-GAD-ab. Result Three patients with cerebellar ataxia, high GAD-ab titers and autoimmune endocrine disease were identified. Patients 1 and 2 had classic stiff person syndrome and insidious-onset cerebellar ataxia, while Patient 3 had pure cerebellar ataxia with subacute onset. Patients received intravenous immunoglobulin therapy with no response in Patients 1 and 3 and partial recovery in Patient 2. Conclusion CA-GAD-ab is rare and its clinical presentation may hamper diagnosis. Clinicians should be able to recognize this potentially treatable autoimmune cerebellar ataxia.

  15. Prolonged vertigo and ataxia after mandibular nerve block for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chaturvedi, Arvind; Dash, Hh

    2011-07-01

    Common complications of neurolytic mandibular nerve block are hypoesthesia, dysesthesia, and chemical neuritis. We report a rare complication, prolonged severe vertigo and ataxia, after neurolytic mandibular blockade in a patient suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. Coronoid approach was used for right sided mandibular block. After successful test injection with local anesthetic, absolute alcohol was given for neurolytic block. Immediately after alcohol injection, patient developed nausea and vomiting along with severe vertigo, ataxia and hypertension. Neurological evaluation was normal except for the presence of vertigo and ataxia. Computerised tomography scan brain was also normal. Patient was admitted for observation and symptomatic treatment was given. Vertigo and ataxia gradually improved over 24 hours.

  16. SACS gene-related autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay from South India

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M Suraj Menon

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by late infantile onset spastic ataxia and other neurological features. Initially described in the Charlevoix-Saguenay region of Quebec, Canada, it is being increasingly reported from many other countries. Here, we present the case of a 20-year-old male from South India, who presented with progressive ataxia, spasticity, and peripheral neuropathy with imaging features and genetic testing suggestive of SACS gene-related ARSACS. The phenotypic variability from other cases and occurrence in a geographically distinct region is stressed upon to alert the clinicians to consider ARSACS in progressive ataxias.

  17. Brain glucose metabolism in adults with ataxia-telangiectasia and their asymptomatic relatives.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Volkow, Nora D; Tomasi, Dardo; Wang, Gene-Jack; Studentsova, Yana; Margus, Brad; Crawford, Thomas O

    2014-06-01

    Ataxia-telangiectasia is a recessive genetic disorder (ATM is the mutated gene) of childhood with severe motor impairments and whereas homozygotes manifest the disorder, heterozygotes are asymptomatic. Structural brain imaging and post-mortem studies in individuals with ataxia-telangiectasia have reported cerebellar atrophy; but abnormalities of motor control characteristic of extrapyramidal dysfunction suggest impairment of broader motor networks. Here, we investigated possible dysfunction in other brain areas in individuals with ataxia-telangiectasia and tested for brain changes in asymptomatic relatives to assess if heterozygocity affects brain function. We used positron emission tomography and (18)F-fluorodeoxyglucose to measure brain glucose metabolism (quantified as µmol/100 g/min), which serves as a marker of brain function, in 10 adults with ataxia-telangiectasia, 19 non-affected adult relatives (12 siblings, seven parents) and 29 age-matched healthy controls. Statistical parametric mapping and region of interest analyses were used to compare individuals with ataxia-telangiectasia, asymptomatic relatives, and unrelated controls. We found that participants with ataxia-telangiectasia had lower metabolism in cerebellar hemispheres (14%, P brain stimulation. Our finding of decreased metabolism in vermis and hippocampus of asymptomatic relatives suggests that heterozygocity influences the function of these brain regions. Published by Oxford University Press on behalf of the Guarantors of Brain 2014. This work is written by US Government employees and is in the public domain in the US.

  18. The use of muscle biopsy in the diagnosis of undefined ataxia with cerebellar atrophy in children.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Terracciano, Alessandra; Renaldo, Florence; Zanni, Ginevra; D'Amico, Adele; Pastore, Anna; Barresi, Sabina; Valente, Enza Maria; Piemonte, Fiorella; Tozzi, Giulia; Carrozzo, Rosalba; Valeriani, Massimiliano; Boldrini, Renata; Mercuri, Eugenio; Santorelli, Filippo Maria; Bertini, Enrico

    2012-05-01

    Childhood cerebellar ataxias, and particularly congenital ataxias, are heterogeneous disorders and several remain undefined. We performed a muscle biopsy in patients with congenital ataxia and children with later onset undefined ataxia having neuroimaging evidence of cerebellar atrophy. Significant reduced levels of Coenzyme Q10 (COQ10) were found in the skeletal muscle of 9 out of 34 patients that were consecutively screened. A mutation in the ADCK3/Coq8 gene (R347X) was identified in a female patient with ataxia, seizures and markedly reduced COQ10 levels. In a 2.5-years-old male patient with non syndromic congenital ataxia and autophagic vacuoles in the muscle biopsy we identified a homozygous nonsense mutation R111X mutation in SIL1 gene, leading to early diagnosis of Marinesco-Sjogren syndrome. We think that muscle biopsy is a valuable procedure to improve diagnostic assesement in children with congenital ataxia or other undefined forms of later onset childhood ataxia associated to cerebellar atrophy at MRI. Copyright © 2011 European Paediatric Neurology Society. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  19. Gerstmann's syndrome and unilateral optic ataxia in the emergency department

    Science.gov (United States)

    Barbosa, Breno José Alencar Pires; de Brito, Marcelo Houat; Rodrigues, Júlia Chartouni; Kubota, Gabriel Taricani; Parmera, Jacy Bezerra

    2017-01-01

    ABSTRACT. A 75-year-old right-handed woman presented to the emergency department with simultanagnosia and right unilateral optic ataxia. Moreover, the patient had agraphia, acalculia, digital agnosia and right-left disorientation, consistent with complete Gerstmann's syndrome. This case highlights the concurrence of Gerstmann's syndrome and unilateral optic ataxia in the acute phase of a left middle cerebral artery stroke. PMID:29354229

  20. Gerstmann's syndrome and unilateral optic ataxia in the emergency department

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Breno José Alencar Pires Barbosa

    Full Text Available ABSTRACT. A 75-year-old right-handed woman presented to the emergency department with simultanagnosia and right unilateral optic ataxia. Moreover, the patient had agraphia, acalculia, digital agnosia and right-left disorientation, consistent with complete Gerstmann's syndrome. This case highlights the concurrence of Gerstmann's syndrome and unilateral optic ataxia in the acute phase of a left middle cerebral artery stroke.

  1. Speech Prosody in Cerebellar Ataxia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Casper, Maureen A.; Raphael, Lawrence J.; Harris, Katherine S.; Geibel, Jennifer M.

    2007-01-01

    Persons with cerebellar ataxia exhibit changes in physical coordination and speech and voice production. Previously, these alterations of speech and voice production were described primarily via perceptual coordinates. In this study, the spatial-temporal properties of syllable production were examined in 12 speakers, six of whom were healthy…

  2. Prolonged vertigo and ataxia after mandibular nerve block for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Arvind Chaturvedi

    2011-01-01

    Full Text Available Common complications of neurolytic mandibular nerve block are hypoesthesia, dysesthesia, and chemical neuritis. We report a rare complication, prolonged severe vertigo and ataxia, after neurolytic mandibular blockade in a patient suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. Coronoid approach was used for right sided mandibular block. After successful test injection with local anesthetic, absolute alcohol was given for neurolytic block. Immediately after alcohol injection, patient developed nausea and vomiting along with severe vertigo, ataxia and hypertension. Neurological evaluation was normal except for the presence of vertigo and ataxia. Computerised tomography scan brain was also normal. Patient was admitted for observation and symptomatic treatment was given. Vertigo and ataxia gradually improved over 24 hours.

  3. Radiosensitivity in ataxia-telangiectasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavin, M.F.; Khanna, K.K.; Watters, D.

    1998-01-01

    Full text: Radiosensitivity is a major hallmark of the human genetic disorder ataxia-telangiectasia. This hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation has been demonstrated in vitro after exposure of patients to therapeutic thought to be the major factor contculture. Clearly an understanding of the nature of the molecular defect in ataxia-telangiectasia will be of considerable assistance in delineating additional pathways that determine cellular radiosensitivity/radioresistance. Furthermore, since patients with this syndrome are also predisposed to developing a number of leukaemias and lymphomas the possible connection between radiosensitivity and cancer predisposition is of interest. Now that the gene (ATM) responsible for this genetic disease has been cloned and identified, progress is being made in determining the role of the ATM protein in mediating the effects of cellular exposure to ionizing radiation and other forms of redox stress. Proteins such as the product of the tumour suppressor gene p53 and the proto-oncogene c-Abl (a protein tyrosine kinase) have been shown to interact with ATM. Since several intermediate steps in both the p53 and c-Abl pathways, activated by ionizing radiation, are known it will be possible to map the position of ATM in these pathways and describe its mechanism of action. What are the clinical implications of understanding the molecular basis of the defect in ataxia-telangiectasia? As outlined above since radiosensitivity is a universal characteristic of A-T understanding the mechanism of action of ATM will provide additional information or radiation signalling in human cells. With this information it may be possible to sensitize tumour cells to radiation and thus increase the therapeutic benefit of radiotherapy. This might involve the use of small molecules that would interfere with the normal ATM controlled pathways and thus sensitize cells to radiation or alternatively it might involve the efficient introduction of ATM anti-sense c

  4. Radiosensitivity in ataxia-telangiectasia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Lavin, M.F. [Royal Brisbane Hospital, QLD (Australia). Queensland Institute of Medical Research and The Department of Surgery; Khanna, K.K.; Watters, D. [Royal Brisbane Hospital, QLD (Australia). Queensland Institute of Medical Research

    1998-12-31

    Full text: Radiosensitivity is a major hallmark of the human genetic disorder ataxia-telangiectasia. This hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation has been demonstrated in vitro after exposure of patients to therapeutic thought to be the major factor contculture. Clearly an understanding of the nature of the molecular defect in ataxia-telangiectasia will be of considerable assistance in delineating additional pathways that determine cellular radiosensitivity/radioresistance. Furthermore, since patients with this syndrome are also predisposed to developing a number of leukaemias and lymphomas the possible connection between radiosensitivity and cancer predisposition is of interest. Now that the gene (ATM) responsible for this genetic disease has been cloned and identified, progress is being made in determining the role of the ATM protein in mediating the effects of cellular exposure to ionizing radiation and other forms of redox stress. Proteins such as the product of the tumour suppressor gene p53 and the proto-oncogene c-Abl (a protein tyrosine kinase) have been shown to interact with ATM. Since several intermediate steps in both the p53 and c-Abl pathways, activated by ionizing radiation, are known it will be possible to map the position of ATM in these pathways and describe its mechanism of action. What are the clinical implications of understanding the molecular basis of the defect in ataxia-telangiectasia? As outlined above since radiosensitivity is a universal characteristic of A-T understanding the mechanism of action of ATM will provide additional information or radiation signalling in human cells. With this information it may be possible to sensitize tumour cells to radiation and thus increase the therapeutic benefit of radiotherapy. This might involve the use of small molecules that would interfere with the normal ATM controlled pathways and thus sensitize cells to radiation or alternatively it might involve the efficient introduction of ATM anti-sense c

  5. Lithium carbonate and coenzyme Q10 reduce cell death in a cell model of Machado-Joseph disease

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    C.M. Lopes-Ramos

    Full Text Available Machado-Joseph disease (MJD or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3 is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder caused by expansion of the polyglutamine domain of the ataxin-3 (ATX3 protein. MJD/SCA3 is the most frequent autosomal dominant ataxia in many countries. The mechanism underlying MJD/SCA3 is thought to be mainly related to protein misfolding and aggregation leading to neuronal dysfunction followed by cell death. Currently, there are no effective treatments for patients with MJD/SCA3. Here, we report on the potential use of lithium carbonate and coenzyme Q10 to reduce cell death caused by the expanded ATX3 in cell culture. Cell viability and apoptosis were evaluated by MTT assay and by flow cytometry after staining with annexin V-FITC/propidium iodide. Treatment with lithium carbonate and coenzyme Q10 led to a significant increase in viability of cells expressing expanded ATX3 (Q84. In addition, we found that the increase in cell viability resulted from a significant reduction in the proportion of apoptotic cells. Furthermore, there was a significant change in the expanded ATX3 monomer/aggregate ratio after lithium carbonate and coenzyme Q10 treatment, with an increase in the monomer fraction and decrease in aggregates. The safety and tolerance of both drugs are well established; thus, our results indicate that lithium carbonate and coenzyme Q10 are good candidates for further in vivo therapeutic trials.

  6. Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2: a clinical and genetic study of 19 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tazir, M; Ali-Pacha, L; M'Zahem, A; Delaunoy, J P; Fritsch, M; Nouioua, S; Benhassine, T; Assami, S; Grid, D; Vallat, J M; Hamri, A; Koenig, M

    2009-03-15

    Ataxia with oculo-motor apraxia type 2 (AOA2) is a recently described autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia (ARCA) caused by mutations in the senataxin gene (SETX). We analysed the phenotypic spectrum of 19 AOA2 patients with mutations in SETX, which seems to be the third most frequent form of ARCA in Algeria after Freidreich ataxia and Ataxia with vitamin E deficiency. In AOA2 patients, the mean age at onset for all families was in the second decade. Cerebellar ataxia was progressive, slowly leading to disability which was aggravated by axonal polyneuropathy present in almost all the patients. Mean disease duration until wheelchair was around 20 years. Oculo-motor apraxia (OMA) was present in 32% of the patients while convergent strabismus was present in 37%. Strabismus is therefore also very suggestive of AOA2 when associated with ataxia and polyneuropathy even in the absence of OMA. Cerebellar atrophy was more severe in the eldest patients; however it may also be an early sign since it was present in the youngest and paucisymptomatic patients. The initial sign was gait ataxia in all but two patients who presented with head tremor and writer cramp, respectively. Serum alpha-fetoprotein, which was elevated in all tested patients, was a good marker to suggest molecular studies of the SETX gene.

  7. The Description Of 1 Liter Of Tears Written By Aya Kito

    OpenAIRE

    Yendie, Rizka

    2011-01-01

    Tulisan ini membahas arti dari judul novel 1 liter of Tears. Novel ini dibuat berdasarkan diary sang penulis Aya Kito dalam berjuang melawan penyakit yang tidak ada obatnya yaitu Spinocerebellar Ataxia (SCA), penyakit yang menyerang sel-sel penopang sel saraf. Awalnya penderita merasakan tubuhnya melemah. Berangsur-angsur kemampuan motorik penderita menurun. Sampai-sampai Aya-chan mengalami kesulitan menelan makanan, berbicara dan bahkan tersenyum. Aya-chan mulai merasakan gejala penyakit...

  8. Friedreich's ataxia: clinical and molecular study of 25 Brazilian cases

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Albano Lilian M. J.

    2001-01-01

    Full Text Available INTRODUCTION: Friedreich's ataxia is a neurodegenerative disorder whose clinical diagnostic criteria for typical cases basically include: a early age of onset (< 20 or 25 years, b autosomal recessive inheritance, c progressive ataxia of limbs and gait, and d absence of lower limb tendon reflexes. METHODS: We studied the frequency and the size of expanded GAA and their influence on neurologic findings, age at onset, and disease progression in 25 Brazilian patients with clinical diagnosis of Friedreich's ataxia - 19 typical and 6 atypical - using a long-range PCR test. RESULTS: Abnormalities in cerebellar signs, in electrocardiography, and pes cavus occurred more frequently in typical cases; however, plantar response and speech were more frequently normal in this group when the both typical and atypical cases were compared. Homozygous GAA expansion repeats were detected in 17 cases (68% - all typical cases. In 8 patients (32% (6 atypical and 2 typical, no expansion was observed, ruling out the diagnosis of Friedreich's ataxia. In cases with GAA expansions, foot deformity, cardiac abnormalities, and some neurologic findings occurred more frequently; however, abnormalities in cranial nerves and in tomographic findings were detected less frequently than in patients without GAA expansions. DISCUSSION: Molecular analysis was imperative for the diagnosis of Friedreich's ataxia, not only for typical cases but also for atypical ones. There was no genotype-phenotype correlation. Diagnosis based only on clinical findings is limited; however, it aids in better screening for suspected cases that should be tested. Evaluation for vitamin E deficiency is recommended, especially in cases without GAA expansion.

  9. Lack of miRNA misregulation at early pathological stages in Drosophila neurodegenerative disease models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Anita eReinhardt

    2012-10-01

    Full Text Available Late onset neurodegenerative diseases represent a major public health concern as the population in many countries ages. Both frequent diseases such as Alzheimer disease (AD, 14% incidence for 80-84 year old Europeans or Parkinson disease (PD, 1.4% prevalence for > 55 years old share, with other low-incidence neurodegenerative pathologies such as spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs, 0.01% prevalence and frontotemporal lobar degeneration (FTLD, 0.02% prevalence, a lack of efficient treatment in spite of important research efforts. Besides significant progress, studies with animal models have revealed unexpected complexities in the degenerative process, emphasizing a need to better understand the underlying pathological mechanisms. Recently, microRNAs, a class of small regulatory non-coding RNAs, have been implicated in some neurodegenerative diseases. The current data supporting a role of miRNAs in PD, tauopathies, dominant ataxias and FTLD will first be discussed to emphasize the different levels of the pathological processes which may be affected by miRNAs. To investigate a potential involvement of miRNA dysregulation in the early stages of these neurodegenerative diseases we have used Drosophila models for 7 diseases (PD, 3 FTLD, 3 dominant ataxias that recapitulate many features of the human diseases. We performed deep sequencing of head small RNAs after 3 days of pathological protein expression in the fly head neurons. We found no evidence for a statistically significant difference in miRNA expression in this early stage of the pathological process. In addition, we could not identify small non coding CAG repeat RNAs (sCAG in polyQ disease models. Thus our data suggest that transcriptional deregulation of miRNAs or sCAG is unlikely to play a significant role in the initial stages of neurodegenerative diseases.

  10. Polysomnographic and neurometabolic features may mark preclinical autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness, and narcolepsy due to a mutation in the DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase gene, DNMT1.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moghadam, Keivan Kaveh; Pizza, Fabio; Tonon, Caterina; Lodi, Raffaele; Carelli, Valerio; Poli, Francesca; Franceschini, Christian; Barboni, Piero; Seri, Marco; Ferrari, Simona; La Morgia, Chiara; Testa, Claudia; Cornelio, Ferdinando; Liguori, Rocco; Winkelmann, Juliane; Lin, Ling; Mignot, Emmanuel; Plazzi, Giuseppe

    2014-05-01

    We aimed to report the clinical picture of two asymptomatic daughters of a patient with autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxia, deafness, and narcolepsy (ADCA-DN) due to a mutation in the DNA (cytosine-5-)-methyltransferase gene, DNMT1. Clinical assessment based on history, neurologic examination, sleep recordings, neurophysiologic neuroimaging, and genetic tests was performed. History and neurologic examination in both subjects were unremarkable. Genetic analysis disclosed in both the paternally-inherited heterozygous point mutation in the DNMT1 gene. Sleep recordings found sleep-onset rapid eye movement periods (SOREMPs) and proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) revealed increased cerebellar myoinositol (mI) in both subjects. Auditory and ophthalmologic investigations as well as structural brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans revealed no abnormalities. The two asymptomatic carriers of the heterozygous DNMT1 mutation for ADCA-DN, a late-onset neurodegenerative disease, presented with SOREMPs associated with an increase of mI in the brain, a marker of glial cell activity and density characteristic of early stages of neurodegenerative diseases. Therefore, SOREMPs may precede the clinical picture of ADCA-DN as an early polysomnographic marker of central nervous system involvement detected by MRS. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  11. RNA FISH for detecting expanded repeats in human diseases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urbanek, Martyna O; Krzyzosiak, Wlodzimierz J

    2016-04-01

    RNA fluorescence in situ hybridization (FISH) is a widely used technique for detecting transcripts in fixed cells and tissues. Many variants of RNA FISH have been proposed to increase signal strength, resolution and target specificity. The current variants of this technique facilitate the detection of the subcellular localization of transcripts at a single molecule level. Among the applications of RNA FISH are studies on nuclear RNA foci in diseases resulting from the expansion of tri-, tetra-, penta- and hexanucleotide repeats present in different single genes. The partial or complete retention of mutant transcripts forming RNA aggregates within the nucleoplasm has been shown in multiple cellular disease models and in the tissues of patients affected with these atypical mutations. Relevant diseases include, among others, myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) with CUG repeats, Huntington's disease (HD) and spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) with CAG repeats, fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) with CGG repeats, myotonic dystrophy type 2 (DM2) with CCUG repeats, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/frontotemporal dementia (ALS/FTD) with GGGGCC repeats and spinocerebellar ataxia type 32 (SCA32) with GGCCUG. In this article, we summarize the results obtained with FISH to examine RNA nuclear inclusions. We provide a detailed protocol for detecting RNAs containing expanded CAG and CUG repeats in different cellular models, including fibroblasts, lymphoblasts, induced pluripotent stem cells and murine and human neuronal progenitors. We also present the results of the first single-molecule FISH application in a cellular model of polyglutamine disease. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. The Diagnostic Accuracy of Truncal Ataxia and HINTS as Cardinal Signs for Acute Vestibular Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sergio Carmona

    2016-08-01

    Full Text Available The head impulse, nystagmus type, test of skew (HINTS protocol set a new paradigm to differentiate peripheral vestibular disease from stroke in patients with acute vestibular syndrome (AVS. The relationship between degree of truncal ataxia and stroke has not been systematically studied in patients with AVS. We studied a group of 114 patients who were admitted to a General Hospital due to AVS, 72 of them with vestibular neuritis (based on positive head impulse, abnormal caloric tests and negative MRI, and the rest with Stroke: 32 in the PICA territory (positive HINTS findings, positive MRI and 10 in the AICA territory (variable findings and grade 3 Ataxia, positive MRI. Truncal ataxia was measured by independent observers as grade 1, mild to moderate imbalance with walking independently; grade 2, severe imbalance with standing, but cannot walk without support; and grade 3, falling at upright posture.When we applied the HINTS protocol to our sample, we obtained 100% sensitivity and 94.4% specificity, similar to previously published findings. Only those patients with stroke presented with grade 3 ataxia. Of those with grade 2 ataxia (n = 38, 11 had cerebellar stroke and 28 had vestibular neuritis, not related to the patient's age. Grade 2-3 ataxia was 92.9% sensitive and 61.1% specific to detect AICA/PICA stroke in patients with AVS, with 100% sensitivity to detect AICA stroke. In turn, two signs (nystagmus of central origin and grade 2-3 Ataxia had 100% sensitivity and 61.1% specificity. Ataxia is less sensitive than HINTS but much easier to evaluate.

  13. Cerebellar Ataxia from Multiple Potential Causes: Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Thalamic Stimulation, and Essential Tremor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Natalya V. Shneyder

    2012-04-01

    Full Text Available Background: Both hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT can rarely be associated with cerebellar ataxia. Severe essential tremor (ET as well as bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS may lead to subtle cerebellar signs. Case Report: We report a 74-year-old male with hypothyroidism and a 20-year history of ET who developed cerebellar ataxia after bilateral thalamic DBS. Extensive workup revealed elevated thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroperoxidase antibody titers confirming the diagnosis of HT. Discussion: Our case demonstrates multiple possible causes of cerebellar ataxia in a patient, including hypothyroidism, HT, chronic ET, and bilateral thalamic DBS. Counseling of patients may be appropriate when multiple risk factors for cerebellar ataxia coexist in one individual.

  14. Clinical neurogenetics: fragile x-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Deborah A; O'Keefe, Joan A

    2013-11-01

    This article summarizes the clinical findings, genetics, pathophysiology, and treatment of fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome. The disorder occurs from a CGG repeat (55-200) expansion in the fragile X mental retardation 1 gene. It manifests clinically in kinetic tremor, gait ataxia, and executive dysfunction, usually in older men who carry the genetic abnormality. The disorder has distinct radiographic and pathologic findings. Symptomatic treatment is beneficial in some patients. The inheritance is X-linked and family members may be at risk for other fragile X-associated disorders. This information is useful to neurologists, general practitioners, and geneticists. Copyright © 2013. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  15. Studies on Molecular Mechanisms Underlying Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Kristensen, Line Vildbrad

    . Even though a range of mechanisms contributing to polyQ diseases have been uncovered, there is still no treatment available. One of the more common polyQ diseases is SCA3, which is caused by a polyQ expansion in the ataxin-3 protein that normally functions as a deubiquitinating enzyme involved...... in protein quality control. In SCA3 patients polyQ expanded ataxin-3 forms intranuclear inclusions in various brain areas, but why the polyQ expansion of ataxin-3 leads to neuronal dysfunction is still not well understood. This thesis describes molecular biological investigations of ataxin-3 biology, aimed...... at furthering our understanding of SCA3 disease mechanisms. In manuscript I, we investigated if post-translational modifications of ataxin-3 were changed by the polyQ expansion. The ubiquitin chain topology and ubiquitination pattern of ataxin-3 were unaltered by the polyQ expansion. In contrast...

  16. Genotyping and prenatal diagnosis of a large spinocerebellar ataxia ...

    Indian Academy of Sciences (India)

    2011-08-19

    Aug 19, 2011 ... range of eye movements with horizontal nystagmus, dysdi- adochokinesia, and ... individuals; open symbols indicate normal individuals; grey sym- bols indicate .... prenatal diagnosis of a fetus at risk of MJD. In conclusion, we ...

  17. A Survey on 100 Children with Acute Ataxia in Mofid Children Hospital Tehran, Iran

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Parvaneh Karim-Zadeh

    2003-04-01

    Full Text Available Objective: The term “Ataxia” is used to denote disturbances of the body posture and its movement that are normally controlled by the cerebellum. frontal lobes and the posterior columns of the spinal cord. The initial symptom and the most prominent feature of ataxia is abnormal gait which is characterized by lurching and wide base walking. Knowing that, the acute ataxia is among those problems that brings very soon the child to pediatrics neurology department and in view of lack of any survey in this neid in our country, we decided to investigate the etiology of acute ataxia in Islamic Republic of Iran. Materials & Methods: Our patients were recruited from 100 children who were brought to neurology service of Mofid children hospital with the chief complaint of acute ataxia over 2 years period. (sep 2001 to sep 2003. All of those 100 patients were admitted and required investigations were performed. Results: Results of our workup revealed that the most common cause of acute ataxia is acute cerebellar one, which all of them preceded by viral febrile illness. The second frequent cause of acute. Ataxia is due to drug intoxication, which commonly was observed between 2 – 4 years period. Conclusion: The remaining etiologies in descending frequency were as follow, Infectious polyneuropathy, Migraine, Opsoclonus – Myoclonus, Brain tumor, ADEM,MS and Epilepsy.

  18. Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with ataxia: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benussi, Alberto; Koch, Giacomo; Cotelli, Maria; Padovani, Alessandro; Borroni, Barbara

    2015-10-01

    Numerous studies have highlighted the possibility of modulating the excitability of cerebellar circuits using transcranial direct current stimulation. The present study investigated whether a single session of cerebellar anodal transcranial direct current stimulation could improve symptoms in patients with ataxia. Nineteen patients with ataxia underwent a clinical and functional evaluation pre- and post-double-blind, randomized, sham, or anodal transcranial direct current stimulation. There was a significant interaction between treatment and time on the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia, on the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale, on the 9-Hole Peg Test, and on the 8-Meter Walking Time (P transcranial direct current stimulation can transiently improve symptoms in patients with ataxia and might represent a promising tool for future rehabilitative approaches. © 2015 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

  19. Deep Brain Stimulation for the Treatment of Tremor and Ataxia Associated with Abetalipoproteinemia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antonios Mammis

    2012-07-01

    Full Text Available Background: Abetalipoproteinemia is a rare disorder of fat absorption, characterized by vitamin deficiency, acanthocytosis, and neurologic symptoms including ataxia and tremor.Case Report: A 41-year-old male with abetalipoproteinemia is presented. He underwent staged bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS for the treatment of his tremors. After DBS, the patient achieved significant improvements in his tremors, ataxia, and quality of life.Discussion: Thalamic DBS proved to be both safe and efficacious in the management of ataxia and tremors in a patient with abetalipoproteinemia. This is the first report of DBS in abetalipoproteinemia in the literature. 

  20. Diffusion tensor imaging for nerve fiber bundles in the brain stem and spinocerebellar degeneration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Honma, Tsuguo

    2009-01-01

    Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) can create an image of the anisotropic nature of diffusion and express it quantitatively. Nerve fibers have a large anisotropic diffusion, and it is possible to obtain images of the nerve fiber bundle. The purpose of this study is to observe the nerve fiber bundles in the brain stem using DTI and study its potential for diagnosing the type of spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD). Fractional anisotropy (FA) maps and 3D-tractography images were obtained for 41 subjects with no brain stem abnormalities. We created an apparent diffusion coefficient (ADC) map and an FA map using DTI for 16 subjects in the disease group (11 with hereditary SCD and 5 with non-hereditary SCD) and 25 in the control group. The diffusion value of the pons and middle cerebellar peduncle was measured using ADC, and the degree of anisotropic diffusion was measured using FA. The pyramidal tract, superior cerebellar peduncle, and inferior cerebellar peduncle were clearly demonstrated for all cases. ADC for the middle cerebellar peduncle in spinocerebellar ataxin (SCA)1 was significantly higher, similar to that for the pons in dentatorubro-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA). In MSA-C, ADC for both the pons and middle cerebellar peduncle was significantly elevated and FA was significantly decreased. There were no significant changes in SCA3. We could observe the nerve fiber bundles in the brain stem using DTI. FA and ADC measurements with DTI can aid in diagnosing the type of SCD. (author)

  1. A Recurrent Mutation in CACNA1G Alters Cav3.1 T-Type Calcium-Channel Conduction and Causes Autosomal-Dominant Cerebellar Ataxia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coutelier, Marie; Blesneac, Iulia; Monteil, Arnaud; Monin, Marie-Lorraine; Ando, Kunie; Mundwiller, Emeline; Brusco, Alfredo; Le Ber, Isabelle; Anheim, Mathieu; Castrioto, Anna; Duyckaerts, Charles; Brice, Alexis; Durr, Alexandra; Lory, Philippe; Stevanin, Giovanni

    2015-01-01

    Hereditary cerebellar ataxias (CAs) are neurodegenerative disorders clinically characterized by a cerebellar syndrome, often accompanied by other neurological or non-neurological signs. All transmission modes have been described. In autosomal-dominant CA (ADCA), mutations in more than 30 genes are implicated, but the molecular diagnosis remains unknown in about 40% of cases. Implication of ion channels has long been an ongoing topic in the genetics of CA, and mutations in several channel genes have been recently connected to ADCA. In a large family affected by ADCA and mild pyramidal signs, we searched for the causative variant by combining linkage analysis and whole-exome sequencing. In CACNA1G, we identified a c.5144G>A mutation, causing an arginine-to-histidine (p.Arg1715His) change in the voltage sensor S4 segment of the T-type channel protein Cav3.1. Two out of 479 index subjects screened subsequently harbored the same mutation. We performed electrophysiological experiments in HEK293T cells to compare the properties of the p.Arg1715His and wild-type Cav3.1 channels. The current-voltage and the steady-state activation curves of the p.Arg1715His channel were shifted positively, whereas the inactivation curve had a higher slope factor. Computer modeling in deep cerebellar nuclei (DCN) neurons suggested that the mutation results in decreased neuronal excitability. Taken together, these data establish CACNA1G, which is highly expressed in the cerebellum, as a gene whose mutations can cause ADCA. This is consistent with the neuropathological examination, which showed severe Purkinje cell loss. Our study further extends our knowledge of the link between calcium channelopathies and CAs. PMID:26456284

  2. Rhythmic activity of feline dorsal and ventral spinocerebellar tract neurons during fictive motor actions

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Fedirchuk, Brent; Stecina, Katinka; Kristensen, Kasper Kyhl

    2013-01-01

    (without phasic afferent feedback). In this study, we compared the activity of DSCT and VSCT neurons during fictive rhythmic motor behaviors. We used decerebrate cat preparations in which fictive motor tasks can be evoked while the animal is paralyzed and there is no rhythmic sensory input from hindlimb......Neurons of the dorsal spinocerebellar tracts (DSCT) have been described to be rhythmically active during walking on a treadmill in decerebrate cats, but this activity ceased following deafferentation of the hindlimb. This observation supported the hypothesis that DSCT neurons primarily relay...

  3. Long term clinical and neurophysiological effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with neurodegenerative ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Benussi, Alberto; Dell'Era, Valentina; Cotelli, Maria Sofia; Turla, Marinella; Casali, Carlo; Padovani, Alessandro; Borroni, Barbara

    Neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxias represent a group of disabling disorders for which we currently lack effective therapies. Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) is a non-invasive technique, which has been demonstrated to modulate cerebellar excitability and improve symptoms in patients with cerebellar ataxias. The present study investigated whether a two-weeks' treatment with cerebellar anodal tDCS could improve symptoms in patients with neurodegenerative cerebellar ataxia and could modulate cerebello-motor connectivity, at short and long term. We performed a double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial with cerebellar tDCS (5 days/week for 2 weeks) in twenty patients with ataxia. Each patient underwent a clinical evaluation pre- and post-anodal tDCS or sham stimulation. A follow-up evaluation was performed at one and three months. Cerebello-motor connectivity was evaluated using transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) at baseline and at follow-up. Patients who underwent anodal tDCS showed a significant improvement in all performance scores (scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia, international cooperative ataxia rating scale, 9-hole peg test, 8-m walking time) and in cerebellar brain inhibition compared to patients who underwent sham stimulation. A two-weeks' treatment with anodal cerebellar tDCS improves symptoms in patients with ataxia and restores physiological cerebellar brain inhibition pathways. Cerebellar tDCS might represent a promising future therapeutic and rehabilitative approach in patients with neurodegenerative ataxia. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  4. Enfermedad cardiovascular en pacientes cubanos afectados por Ataxia de Friedreich.

    OpenAIRE

    Tania Cruz Mariño; Ana Luz Portelles Caminero; William Áreas Zalazar; Luís Velázquez Pérez

    2010-01-01

    Al describir la ataxia de Friedreich, Nicholaus hizo referencia a la patología cardiaca. Esta enfermedad autosómica recesiva se debe a una mutación dinámica en el gen FRDA, codificándose deficientemente la proteína Frataxina, conduciendo a estrés oxidativo y muerte celular cardiaca. La presente investigación se desarrolló con el objetivo de describir las anomalías cardiovasculares presentes en los pacientes cubanos afectados por ataxia de Friedreich. A los individuos con diagnóstico molecular...

  5. Abnormal brain MRI in a case of acute ataxia as the only sign of abdominal neuroblastoma

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Molla Mohammadi, M.; Karimzadeh, P.; Khatami, A.; Jadali, F.

    2010-01-01

    Ataxia is a movement disorder that may manifest an acute, intermittent, non progressive or chronic progressive course. Ataxia alone is rare as a para neoplastic sign, especially if it is due to neuroblastoma (abdominal or chest). We report an abdominal neuroblastoma in a two-year-old girl presenting with only acute ataxia and abnormal neuroimaging. Brain MRI showed abnormal signal finding in the medulla, pons, cortico spinal tract and the periventricular space. In the abdominal CT, a mass was detected in the right adrenal gland with calcification and the histopathologic examination re-vealed neuroblastoma. We suggest in children with acute ataxia, with or without opalescence-myoclonus, neuroblastoma should be considered.

  6. Magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients presenting with (sub)acute cerebellar ataxia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Schneider, Tanja [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hamburg (Germany); The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Division of Neuroradiology, Baltimore, MD (United States); Thomalla, Goetz [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Neurology, Hamburg (Germany); Goebell, Einar [University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Department of Diagnostic and Interventional Neuroradiology, Hamburg (Germany); Piotrowski, Anna [The Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Department of Oncology, Sidney Kimmel Comprehensive Cancer Center, Baltimore, MD (United States); Yousem, David Mark [The Johns Hopkins Hospital School of Medicine, Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Division of Neuroradiology, Baltimore, MD (United States)

    2015-02-17

    Acute or subacute cerebellar inflammation is mainly caused by postinfectious, toxic, neoplastic, vascular, or idiopathic processes and can result in cerebellar ataxia. Previous magnetic resonance (MR) studies in single patients who developed acute or subacute ataxia showed varying imaging features. Eighteen patients presenting with acute and subacute onset of ataxia were included in this study. Cases of chronic-progressive/hereditary and noncerebellar causes (ischemia, multiple sclerosis lesions, metastasis, bleedings) were excluded. MR imaging findings were then matched with the clinical history of the patient. An underlying etiology for ataxic symptoms were found in 14/18 patients (postinfectious/infectious, paraneoplastic, autoimmune, drug-induced). In two of five patients without MR imaging findings and three of eight patients with minimal imaging features (cerebellar atrophy, slight signal alterations, and small areas of restricted diffusion), adverse clinical outcomes were documented. Of the five patients with prominent MR findings (cerebellar swelling, contrast enhancement, or broad signal abnormalities), two were lost to follow-up and two showed long-term sequelae. No correlation was found between the presence of initial MRI findings in subacute or acute ataxia patients and their long-term clinical outcome. MR imaging was more flagrantly positive in cases due to encephalitis. (orig.)

  7. Magnetic resonance imaging findings in patients presenting with (sub)acute cerebellar ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schneider, Tanja; Thomalla, Götz; Goebell, Einar; Piotrowski, Anna; Yousem, David Mark

    2015-06-01

    Acute or subacute cerebellar inflammation is mainly caused by postinfectious, toxic, neoplastic, vascular, or idiopathic processes and can result in cerebellar ataxia. Previous magnetic resonance (MR) studies in single patients who developed acute or subacute ataxia showed varying imaging features. Eighteen patients presenting with acute and subacute onset of ataxia were included in this study. Cases of chronic-progressive/hereditary and noncerebellar causes (ischemia, multiple sclerosis lesions, metastasis, bleedings) were excluded. MR imaging findings were then matched with the clinical history of the patient. An underlying etiology for ataxic symptoms were found in 14/18 patients (postinfectious/infectious, paraneoplastic, autoimmune, drug-induced). In two of five patients without MR imaging findings and three of eight patients with minimal imaging features (cerebellar atrophy, slight signal alterations, and small areas of restricted diffusion), adverse clinical outcomes were documented. Of the five patients with prominent MR findings (cerebellar swelling, contrast enhancement, or broad signal abnormalities), two were lost to follow-up and two showed long-term sequelae. No correlation was found between the presence of initial MRI findings in subacute or acute ataxia patients and their long-term clinical outcome. MR imaging was more flagrantly positive in cases due to encephalitis.

  8. Cutaneous granulomatosis and combined immunodeficiency revealing Ataxia-Telangiectasia: a case report

    OpenAIRE

    Folgori, Laura; Scarselli, Alessia; Angelino, Giulia; Ferrari, Francesca; Antoccia, Antonio; Chessa, Luciana; Finocchi, Andrea

    2010-01-01

    Abstract Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a complex multisystem disorder characterized by progressive neurological impairment, variable immunodeficiency and oculo-cutaneous telangiectasia. A-T is a member of chromosomal breakage syndromes and it is caused by a mutation in the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene. Because of a wide clinical heterogeneity, A-T is often difficult to diagnose in children. We report an unusual case of a 3-year-old boy affected by A-T who presented exclusively wi...

  9. Impact of Mobility Device Use on Quality of Life in Children With Friedreich Ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ejaz, Resham; Chen, Shiyi; Isaacs, Charles J; Carnevale, Amanda; Wilson, Judith; George, Kristen; Delatycki, Martin B; Perlman, Susan L; Mathews, Katherine D; Wilmot, George R; Hoyle, J Chad; Subramony, Sub H; Zesiewicz, Theresa; Farmer, Jennifer M; Lynch, David R; Yoon, Grace

    2018-05-01

    To determine how mobility device use impacts quality of life in children with Friedreich ataxia. Data from 111 pediatric patients with genetically confirmed Friedreich ataxia were collected from a prospective natural history study utilizing standardized clinical evaluations, including health-related quality of life using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQL) 4.0 Generic Core Module. Mobility device use was associated with worse mean PedsQL total, physical, emotional, social, and academic subscores, after adjusting for gender, age of disease onset, and Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale score. The magnitude of the difference was greatest for the physical subscore (-19.5 points, 95% CI = -30.00, -8.99, P mobility devices trended toward worse physical subscore (-16.20 points, 95% CI = -32.07, -0.33, P = .05). Mobility device use is associated with significant worsening of all domains of quality of life in children with Friedreich ataxia.

  10. Nuclear Magnetic Resonance skull in Cuban families first diagnosed with Friedreich's ataxia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Cruz Marinno, Tania; Alvarez Cuesta, Jose Alberto; Aguilera Rodriguez, Raul; Velazquez Perez, Luis

    2011-01-01

    Friedreich's ataxia is characterized by age of onset before 25 years, progressive ataxia, dysarthria, absent deep tendon reflexes and impaired vibration sense. This research was conducted in order to describe the imaging features of central nervous system structures in the early Cuban families diagnosed with the disease. A team of 0.23 Tesla-PANORAMA-Phylips Medical Systems, with a standard head coil, axial slices were obtained using 5mm thick FLAIR sequences, T1 and T2, and sagittal T1 and T2 in three individuals with confirmatory molecular diagnosis of Friedreich's ataxia and six healthy controls matched by age and sex. The morphological structures most affected are the cervical spinal cord, cerebellum and pons, which provides in vivo evidence that the disease leads to atrophy of these structures

  11. GAD Antibody-Associated Late-Onset Cerebellar Ataxia in Two Female Siblings

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Joseph Kuchling

    2014-11-01

    Full Text Available Background: Anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody (GAD-ab-associated cerebellar ataxia is a rare neurological disorder characterized by cerebellar symptoms concomitant with high GAD-ab levels in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF. Case Report: We report on 2 female siblings (aged 74 and 76 years presenting with gradual progression of rotational vertigo, gait ataxia and vertical diplopia, continuously progressing for 6 months and 6 years, respectively. Autoimmune laboratory examinations showed remarkably increased serum and CSF GAD-ab levels. Their medical histories revealed late-onset type 1 diabetes mellitus (T1DM and other concomitant autoimmune disorders (Grave's disease, Hashimoto's thyroiditis. Cerebral MRI and laboratory examinations were unremarkable. The diagnosis of GAD-ab-associated cerebellar ataxia with particular brainstem involvement was established in both women. After the exclusion of an underlying malignancy, immunosuppressive therapy has been initiated in both patients, which resulted in stabilization in one and in clinical improvement in the other patient. Discussion: The unique association of autoantibody-mediated cerebellar ataxia and late-onset T1DM in 2 siblings with similar clinical and paraclinical phenotypes strengthens the concept that hereditary factors might play a relevant role also in autoimmune diseases so far considered to be sporadic. Moreover, the occurrence of continuous vertical diplopia broadens the clinical spectrum of GAD-ab-associated neurological syndromes.

  12. Case Report: Neuro-Imaging Findings in Ataxia Telangiectasia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farhad Mahvelati

    2004-06-01

    Full Text Available Ataxia Telangiectasia (AT is an autosomal recessive inherited disorder in which cutaneous and scleral Telangiectasia, cerebellar ataxia and immunodeficiency occur. There is a high incidence of development of malignant tumors, mainly lymphomas. Cerebellar atrophy is the most prominent abnormality and is shown better by magnetic resonance imaging (MRI than CT-Scan. Intracranial hemorrhage occurs rarely. We report a 7 years old boy who admitted for recurrent pulmonary infections. His examination showed ataxic gait with decreased deep tendon reflexes in lower extremities. He had telangiectasia in the eyes and his speech was slurred and difficult. Brain MRI showed cerebellar atrophy with diffuse hyperintensity in white matter, most prominent in occipital region, which was suggestive of leukodystrophy. This white matter change was not reported before in AT.

  13. Efavirenz as a cause of ataxia in children

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    more side-effects of these drugs. We report ... negative; however, a CT scan of her brain was suggestive of possible ... posterior fossa structures revealed a normal brain. .... reported dizziness, ataxia, insomnia, bad dreams and hallucinations.

  14. The cardiomyopathy in Friedreich's ataxia: isotopic ventriculography and myocardial imaging with thallium-201

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Therriault, L.; Lamoureux, G.; Cote, M.; Plourde, G.; Lemieux, B.

    1984-01-01

    Myocardial scanning after the intravenous administration of Thallium 201 was used to evaluate regional myocardial perfusion in 14 patients with Friedreich's ataxia. Isotopic ventriculography was also used to assess left ventricular contractility. Myocardial images in patients with Friedreich's ataxia were found to be precociously abnormal irrespective of the degree of neurological impairment or of the severity of myocardial hypertrophy

  15. Optic ataxia and the function of the dorsal stream: contributions to perception and action.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pisella, Laure; Sergio, Lauren; Blangero, Annabelle; Torchin, Héloïse; Vighetto, Alain; Rossetti, Yves

    2009-12-01

    Optic ataxia (OA) is one of the symptoms pertaining to Bálint's Syndrome. It has been described clinically for nearly 80 years before it became a cornerstone of the most popular dual stream theory of the visual brain. Over the last 10 years a regain of interest for this neurological condition lead to a number of precise analyses of the deficits found in optic ataxia, giving rise to a renewed outline of its very definition and hence of the function(s) of the occipito-parietal (dorsal) stream. In absence of concomitant clinical symptoms, we review evidence that misreaching errors in central vision result from the "hand effect": an erroneous dynamic spatial processing of proprioceptive information from the hand. When visual feedback of the hand is provided (closed-loop condition), pure optic ataxia is restricted to peripheral vision. This central versus peripheral vision distinction is repeatedly used to argue that action and perception are not unique and dissociated systems. New assessments of optic ataxia patients are provided, confirming on one hand that their visuomotor deficit is specific to peripheral vision (i.e. when the gaze and the hand goals are dissociated), on the other hand that they disclose perceptual deficits in peripheral vision. These results are coherent with the recent demonstration that optic ataxia patients exhibit a general contralesional deficit for dynamic visuo-spatial processing, affecting both hand and eye movements [Gaveau, V., Pélisson, D., Blangero, A., Urquizar, C., Prablanc, C.,Vighetto, A., et al. (2008). A common parietal module for saccade and reach: Eye-hand coordination and saccadic control in optic ataxia. Neuropsychologia, 46, 475-486]. Such module(s) within the dorsal stream could be used for both action and perception in the periphery. It is concluded that optic ataxia cannot be considered as a unitary and specific visuo-manual deficit, and that the modular organisation of the dorsal stream allows for numerous dorsal

  16. Characteristics of Handwriting of People With Cerebellar Ataxia: Three-Dimensional Movement Analysis of the Pen Tip, Finger, and Wrist.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fujisawa, Yuhki; Okajima, Yasutomo

    2015-11-01

    There are several functional tests for evaluating manual performance; however, quantitative manual tests for ataxia, especially those for evaluating handwriting, are limited. This study aimed to investigate the characteristics of cerebellar ataxia by analyzing handwriting, with a special emphasis on correlation between the movement of the pen tip and the movement of the finger or wrist. This was an observational study. Eleven people who were right-handed and had cerebellar ataxia and 17 people to serve as controls were recruited. The Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia was used to grade the severity of ataxia. Handwriting movements of both hands were analyzed. The time required for writing a character, the variability of individual handwriting, and the correlation between the movement of the pen tip and the movement of the finger or wrist were evaluated for participants with ataxia and control participants. The writing time was longer and the velocity profile and shape of the track of movement of the pen tip were more variable in participants with ataxia than in control participants. For participants with ataxia, the direction of movement of the pen tip deviated more from that of the finger or wrist, and the shape of the track of movement of the pen tip differed more from that of the finger or wrist. The severity of upper extremity ataxia measured with the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia was mostly correlated with the variability parameters. Furthermore, it was correlated with the directional deviation of the trajectory of movement of the pen tip from that of the finger and with increased dissimilarity of the shapes of the tracks. The results may have been influenced by the scale and parameters used to measure movement. Ataxic handwriting with increased movement noise is characterized by irregular pen tip movements unconstrained by the finger or wrist. The severity of ataxia is correlated with these unconstrained movements. © 2015 American

  17. SNP Analysis and Whole Exome Sequencing: Their Application in the Analysis of a Consanguineous Pedigree Segregating Ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sarah L. Nickerson

    2015-10-01

    Full Text Available Autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia encompasses a large and heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative disorders. We employed single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP analysis and whole exome sequencing to investigate a consanguineous Maori pedigree segregating ataxia. We identified a novel mutation in exon 10 of the SACS gene: c.7962T>G p.(Tyr2654*, establishing the diagnosis of autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS. Our findings expand both the genetic and phenotypic spectrum of this rare disorder, and highlight the value of high-density SNP analysis and whole exome sequencing as powerful and cost-effective tools in the diagnosis of genetically heterogeneous disorders such as the hereditary ataxias.

  18. Machado-Joseph Disease in Pedigrees of Azorean descent is Linked to Chromosome 14

    OpenAIRE

    George-Hyslop, P. St; Rogaeva, E.; Huterer, J.; Tsuda, T.; Santos, J.; Haines, J. L.; Schlumpf, K.; Rogaev, E. I.; Liang, Y.; McLachlan, D. R. Crapper; Kennedy, J.; Weissenbach, J.; Billingsley, G. D.; Cox, D. W.; Lang, A. E.

    1994-01-01

    A locus for Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) has recently been mapped to a 30-cM region of chromosome 14q in five pedigrees of Japanese descent. MJD is a clinically pleomorphic neurodegenerative disease that was originally described in subjects of Azorean descent. In light of the nonallelic heterogeneity in other inherited spinocere-bellar ataxias, we were interested to determine if the MJD phenotype in Japanese and Azorean pedigrees arose from mutations at the same locus. We provide evidence tha...

  19. Efficacy of Exome-Targeted Capture Sequencing to Detect Mutations in Known Cerebellar Ataxia Genes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Coutelier, Marie; Hammer, Monia B; Stevanin, Giovanni; Monin, Marie-Lorraine; Davoine, Claire-Sophie; Mochel, Fanny; Labauge, Pierre; Ewenczyk, Claire; Ding, Jinhui; Gibbs, J Raphael; Hannequin, Didier; Melki, Judith; Toutain, Annick; Laugel, Vincent; Forlani, Sylvie; Charles, Perrine; Broussolle, Emmanuel; Thobois, Stéphane; Afenjar, Alexandra; Anheim, Mathieu; Calvas, Patrick; Castelnovo, Giovanni; de Broucker, Thomas; Vidailhet, Marie; Moulignier, Antoine; Ghnassia, Robert T; Tallaksen, Chantal; Mignot, Cyril; Goizet, Cyril; Le Ber, Isabelle; Ollagnon-Roman, Elisabeth; Pouget, Jean; Brice, Alexis; Singleton, Andrew; Durr, Alexandra

    2018-05-01

    Molecular diagnosis is difficult to achieve in disease groups with a highly heterogeneous genetic background, such as cerebellar ataxia (CA). In many patients, candidate gene sequencing or focused resequencing arrays do not allow investigators to reach a genetic conclusion. To assess the efficacy of exome-targeted capture sequencing to detect mutations in genes broadly linked to CA in a large cohort of undiagnosed patients and to investigate their prevalence. Three hundred nineteen index patients with CA and without a history of dominant transmission were included in the this cohort study by the Spastic Paraplegia and Ataxia Network. Centralized storage was in the DNA and cell bank of the Brain and Spine Institute, Salpetriere Hospital, Paris, France. Patients were classified into 6 clinical groups, with the largest being those with spastic ataxia (ie, CA with pyramidal signs [n = 100]). Sequencing was performed from January 1, 2014, through December 31, 2016. Detected variants were classified as very probably or definitely causative, possibly causative, or of unknown significance based on genetic evidence and genotype-phenotype considerations. Identification of variants in genes broadly linked to CA, classified in pathogenicity groups. The 319 included patients had equal sex distribution (160 female [50.2%] and 159 male patients [49.8%]; mean [SD] age at onset, 27.9 [18.6] years). The age at onset was younger than 25 years for 131 of 298 patients (44.0%) with complete clinical information. Consanguinity was present in 101 of 298 (33.9%). Very probable or definite diagnoses were achieved for 72 patients (22.6%), with an additional 19 (6.0%) harboring possibly pathogenic variants. The most frequently mutated genes were SPG7 (n = 14), SACS (n = 8), SETX (n = 7), SYNE1 (n = 6), and CACNA1A (n = 6). The highest diagnostic rate was obtained for patients with an autosomal recessive CA with oculomotor apraxia-like phenotype (6 of 17 [35.3%]) or

  20. There May Be More to Reaching than Meets the Eye: Re-Thinking Optic Ataxia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jackson, Stephen R.; Newport, Roger; Husain, Masud; Fowlie, Jane E.; O'Donoghue, Michael; Bajaj, Nin

    2009-01-01

    Optic ataxia (OA) is generally thought of as a disorder of visually guided reaching movements that cannot be explained by any simple deficit in visual or motor processing. In this paper we offer a new perspective on optic ataxia; we argue that the popular characterisation of this disorder is misleading and is unrepresentative of the pattern of…

  1. Ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 6: relato de caso

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Bianca Simone Zeigelboim

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available O objetivo deste estudo foi verificar as alterações vestibulococleares observadas em um caso de ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 6. O caso foi encaminhado do Hospital de Clínicas para o Laboratório de Otoneurologia de uma Instituição de Ensino e foi submetido aos seguintes procedimentos: anamnese, inspeção otológica, avaliações audiológica e vestibular. O caso retrata uma paciente com diagnóstico genético de ataxia espinocerebelar tipo 6, do sexo feminino, com 57 anos de idade, que referiu desequilíbrio à marcha com tendência a queda para a esquerda, disartria e disfonia. Na avaliação audiológica apresentou configuração audiométrica descendente a partir da frequência de 4kHz e curva timpanométrica do tipo "A" com presença dos reflexos estapedianos bilateralmente. No exame vestibular observou-se na pesquisa da vertigem posicional presença de nistagmo vertical inferior e oblíquo, espontâneo e semiespontâneo múltiplo com características centrais (ausência de latência, paroxismo, fatigabilidade e vertigem, nistagmooptocinético abolido e hiporreflexia à prova calórica. Constataram-se alterações labirínticas que indicaram afecção do sistema vestibular central evidenciando-se a importância dessa avaliação. A existência da possível relação entre os achados com os sintomas vestibulares apresentados pela paciente apontou a relevância do exame labiríntico neste tipo de ataxia uma vez que a presença do nistagmo vertical inferior demonstrou ser frequente neste tipo de patologia.

  2. Cerebellar Ataxia and Coenzyme Q Deficiency Through Loss of Unorthodox Kinase Activity

    OpenAIRE

    Stefely, Jonathan A.; Licitra, Floriana; Laredj, Leila; Reidenbach, Andrew G.; Kemmerer, Zachary A.; Grangeray, Anais; Jaeg-Ehret, Tiphaine; Minogue, Catherine E.; Ulbrich, Arne; Hutchins, Paul D.; Wilkerson, Emily M.; Ruan, Zheng; Aydin, Deniz; Hebert, Alexander S.; Guo, Xiao

    2016-01-01

    The UbiB protein kinase-like (PKL) family is widespread—comprising one-quarter of microbial PKLs and five human homologs—yet its biochemical activities remain obscure. COQ8A (ADCK3) is a mammalian UbiB protein associated with ubiquinone (CoQ) biosynthesis and an ataxia (ARCA2) through unclear means. We show that mice lacking COQ8A develop a slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia linked to Purkinje cell dysfunction and mild exercise intolerance, recapitulating ARCA2. Interspecies biochemical ana...

  3. Health risks for ataxia-telangiectasia mutated heterozygotes : a systematic review, meta-analysis and evidence-based guideline

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    van Os, N J H; Roeleveld, N; Weemaes, C M R; Jongmans, M C J; Janssens, G O; Taylor, A M R; Hoogerbrugge, N; Willemsen, Michel A A P

    Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder with immunodeficiency and an increased risk of developing cancer, caused by mutations in the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene. Logically, blood relatives may also carry a pathogenic ATM mutation. Female carriers

  4. Seasonal ataxia: a case report of a disappearing disease

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Seasonal ataxia: a case report of a disappearing disease. Adebiyi Ayoade ... ological profiles of the disease. ... low serum albumin levels [8] act as a potentiating factor to trigger the ... 65% neutrophils, 25% lymphocytes,eosinophils 5% and.

  5. Atm reactivation reverses ataxia telangiectasia phenotypes in vivo.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Di Siena, Sara; Campolo, Federica; Gimmelli, Roberto; Di Pietro, Chiara; Marazziti, Daniela; Dolci, Susanna; Lenzi, Andrea; Nussenzweig, Andre; Pellegrini, Manuela

    2018-02-22

    Hereditary deficiencies in DNA damage signaling are invariably associated with cancer predisposition, immunodeficiency, radiation sensitivity, gonadal abnormalities, premature aging, and tissue degeneration. ATM kinase has been established as a central player in DNA double-strand break repair and its deficiency causes ataxia telangiectasia, a rare, multi-system disease with no cure. So ATM represents a highly attractive target for the development of novel types of gene therapy or transplantation strategies. Atm tamoxifen-inducible mouse models were generated to explore whether Atm reconstitution is able to restore Atm function in an Atm-deficient background. Body weight, immunodeficiency, spermatogenesis, and radioresistance were recovered in transgenic mice within 1 month from Atm induction. Notably, life span was doubled after Atm restoration, mice were protected from thymoma and no cerebellar defects were observed. Atm signaling was functional after DNA damage in vivo and in vitro. In summary, we propose a new Atm mouse model to investigate novel therapeutic strategies for ATM activation in ataxia telangiectasia disease.

  6. Friedreich's Ataxia: a review from a cardiology perspective.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Bourke, T

    2011-12-01

    Neuromuscular disorders are not among the common causes of cardiomyopathy in the general population; however, cardiomyopathy is known to occur in several neuromuscular disorders including Friedreich\\'s Ataxia (FA). In patients with neuromuscular disorders, concomitant cardiac involvement contributes significantly to morbidity and mortality and often leads to premature death.

  7. [Degenerative cerebellar diseases and differential diagnoses].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Reith, W; Roumia, S; Dietrich, P

    2016-11-01

    Cerebellar syndromes result in distinct clinical symptoms, such as ataxia, dysarthria, dysmetria, intention tremor and eye movement disorders. In addition to the medical history and clinical examination, imaging is particularly important to differentiate other diseases, such as hydrocephalus and multi-infarct dementia from degenerative cerebellar diseases. Degenerative diseases with cerebellar involvement include Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy as well as other diseases including spinocerebellar ataxia. In addition to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine imaging investigations are also helpful for the differentiation. Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted sequences can sometimes show a signal increase in the pons as a sign of degeneration of pontine neurons and transverse fibers in the basilar part of the pons. The imaging is particularly necessary to exclude other diseases, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), multi-infarct dementia and cerebellar lesions.

  8. Increased cerebellar PET glucose metabolism corresponds to ataxia in Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fellgiebel, Andreas; Siessmeier, Thomas; Winterer, Georg; Lüddens, Hartmut; Mann, Klaus; Schmidt, Lutz G; Bartenstein, Peter

    2004-01-01

    To investigate a possible relationship between cerebellar glucose metabolism and recovery from ataxia in the first months of acute Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome. Two cases of alcoholic Wernicke-Korsakoff syndrome were followed up with the clinical status and cerebral glucose metabolism over a 4- and 9-month period. Initially both patients showed severe ataxia and elevated cerebellar glucose metabolism that decreased corresponding to the restitution of stance and gait. Increased cerebellar glucose metabolism at the onset of the illness may reflect the reorganization process of disturbed motor skills and may indicate cerebellar plasticity.

  9. Imaging study of lymphoreticular tumor development in ataxia-telangiectasia and Nijmegen breakage syndrome; Estudio por imagen del desarrollo de tumores linforreticulares en la ataxia telangiectasia y el sindrome de Nijmegen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Martinez-Leon, M. I.; Ceres-Ruiz, L.; Cuesta, M. A.; Garcia-Martin, F. J. [Hospital Materno-Infantil C.H.U. Carlos Haya. Malaga (Spain)

    2003-07-01

    Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT), or Louis-Bar syndrome, is an autosomal recessive illness characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia, oculo-cutaneous telangiectasia, immunodeficiency combined with susceptibility to sinopulmonary infections and high incidence of neoplastic development. Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is a variant of AT, is also an autosomal recessive illness that presents cerebellar ataxia, as well as combined immunodeficiency and a tendency toward tumor development. Contrary to Louis-Bar syndrome, it doesn't present telangiectasia and exhibits a characteristics phenotype (short stature, bird-like face and microcephaly). Both entities are classified as syndrome of chromosomal instability or chromosomal fragility, a group which also includes Bloom syndrome and Fanconi anemia. All of these show an increase in the frequency of neoplastic pathologies, mainly lymphoid tumors. We present three patients,two with AT and one with NBS, who developed different lymphoma types in the course of the illness. We highlight the most outstanding aspects from a clinical-radiological point of view. (Author) 17 refs.

  10. [Anaesthesia for correction of scoliosis in pediatric patient with Friedreich's ataxia].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Agámez Medina, G L; Pantin, E J; Lorthé, J; Therrien, P J

    2015-01-01

    Friedreich ataxia (FA) is an inherited autosomal recessive disease characterized by a neurological degenerative process of the cerebellum, spinal cord, and peripheral nerves. FA is associated with ataxia, dysarthria, motor and sensory impairment, scoliosis, cardiomyopathy, and diabetes. There is a significant risk of perioperative major complications during the anesthetic management of these patients. We present the case of a fourteen-year-old patient with FA, who had a posterior spinal fusion and instrumentation underwent to total intravenous anesthesia. Copyright © 2013 Sociedad Española de Anestesiología, Reanimación y Terapéutica del Dolor. Publicado por Elsevier España, S.L.U. All rights reserved.

  11. The fragile x-associated tremor and ataxia syndrome (FXTAS A síndrome de tremor e ataxia associada ao X frágil (FXTAS

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leonardo Pires Capelli

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available FXTAS (Fragile X-associated tremor and ataxia syndrome is a late- onset neurodegenerative disorder affecting mainly men, over 50 years of age, who are carriers of the FMR1 gene premutation. The full mutation of this gene causes the fragile X syndrome (FXS, the most common cause of inherited mental retardation. Individuals affected by FXTAS generally present intention tremor and gait ataxia that might be associated to specific radiological and/or neuropathological signs. Other features commonly observed are parkinsonism, cognitive decline, peripheral neuropathy and autonomic dysfunction. Nearly a decade after its clinical characterization, FXTAS is poorly recognized in Brazil. Here we present a review of the current knowledge on the clinical, genetic and diagnostic aspects of the disease.A FXTAS (síndrome de tremor e ataxia associada ao X frágil é uma doença neurodegenerativa de início tardio que afeta principalmente homens acima dos 50 anos de idade, portadores de pré-mutação do gene FMR1. A mutação completa desse gene é responsável pela síndrome do cromossomo X frágil (SXF, a causa mais comum de deficiência mental herdada. Indivíduos afetados pela FXTAS geralmente apresentam tremor de intenção e ataxia de marcha que podem estar associados a sinais radiológicos ou neuropatológicos específicos. Outras características comumente observadas são parkinsonismo, declínio cognitivo, neuropatia periférica e disfunções autonômicas. Quase uma década após sua caracterização clínica, a FXTAS é mal conhecida por médicos no Brasil. Esta revisão apresenta o conhecimento atual sobre os aspectos clínicos, genéticos e diagnósticos da síndrome.

  12. Cerebellar Ataxia from Multiple Potential Causes: Hypothyroidism, Hashimoto's Thyroiditis, Thalamic Stimulation, and Essential Tremor

    OpenAIRE

    Shneyder, Natalya; Lyons, Mark K.; Driver-dunckley, Erika; Evidente, Virgilio Gerald H.

    2012-01-01

    Background: Both hypothyroidism and Hashimoto's thyroiditis (HT) can rarely be associated with cerebellar ataxia. Severe essential tremor (ET) as well as bilateral thalamic deep brain stimulation (DBS) may lead to subtle cerebellar signs. Case Report: We report a 74-year-old male with hypothyroidism and a 20-year history of ET who developed cerebellar ataxia after bilateral thalamic DBS. Extensive workup revealed elevated thyroid stimulating hormone and thyroperoxidase antibody titers c...

  13. In Vivo Modelling of ATP1A3 G316S-Induced Ataxia in C. elegans Using CRISPR/Cas9-Mediated Homologous Recombination Reveals Dominant Loss of Function Defects.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Altar Sorkaç

    Full Text Available The NIH Undiagnosed Diseases Program admitted a male patient with unclassifiable late-onset ataxia-like symptoms. Exome sequencing revealed a heterozygous de novo mutation converting glycine 316 to serine in ATP1A3, which might cause disease. ATP1A3 encodes the Na+/K+ ATPase pump α3-subunit. Using CRISPR/Cas9-mediated homologous recombination for genome editing, we modelled this putative disease-causing allele in Caenorhabditis elegans, recreating the patient amino acid change in eat-6, the orthologue of ATP1A3. The impact of the mutation on eat-6 function at the neuromuscular junction was examined using two behavioural assays: rate of pharyngeal pumping and sensitivity to aldicarb, a drug that causes paralysis over time via the inhibition of acetylcholinesterase. The patient allele decreased pumping rates and caused hypersensitivity to aldicarb. Animals heterozygous for the allele exhibited similar defects, whereas loss of function mutations in eat-6 were recessive. These results indicate that the mutation is dominant and impairs the neuromuscular function. Thus, we conclude that the de novo G316S mutation in ATP1A3 likely causes or contributes to patient symptoms. More broadly, we conclude that, for conserved genes, it is possible to rapidly and easily model human diseases in C. elegans using CRIPSR/Cas9 genome editing.

  14. [An early history of Japanese amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related diseases and the current development].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Abe, Koji

    2018-03-28

    The present review focuses an early history of Japanese amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)-related diseases and the current development. In relation to foreign previous reports, five topics are introduced and discussed on ALS with dementia, ALS/Parkinsonism dementia complex (ALS/PDC), familial ALS (FALS), spinal bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), and multisystem involvement especially in cerebellar system of ALS including ALS/SCA (spinocerebellar ataxia) crossroad mutation Asidan. This review found the great contribution of Japanese reports on the above five topics, and confirmed the great development of ALS-related diseases over the past 120 years.

  15. Imaging study of lymphoreticular tumor development in ataxia-telangiectasia and Nijmegen breakage syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Martinez-Leon, M. I.; Ceres-Ruiz, L.; Cuesta, M. A.; Garcia-Martin, F. J.

    2003-01-01

    Ataxia-telangiectasia (AT), or Louis-Bar syndrome, is an autosomal recessive illness characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia, oculo-cutaneous telangiectasia, immunodeficiency combined with susceptibility to sinopulmonary infections and high incidence of neoplastic development. Nijmegen breakage syndrome (NBS) is a variant of AT, is also an autosomal recessive illness that presents cerebellar ataxia, as well as combined immunodeficiency and a tendency toward tumor development. Contrary to Louis-Bar syndrome, it doesn't present telangiectasia and exhibits a characteristics phenotype (short stature, bird-like face and microcephaly). Both entities are classified as syndrome of chromosomal instability or chromosomal fragility, a group which also includes Bloom syndrome and Fanconi anemia. All of these show an increase in the frequency of neoplastic pathologies, mainly lymphoid tumors. We present three patients,two with AT and one with NBS, who developed different lymphoma types in the course of the illness. We highlight the most outstanding aspects from a clinical-radiological point of view. (Author) 17 refs

  16. Molecular diagnosis of known recessive ataxias by homozygosity mapping with SNP arrays.

    Science.gov (United States)

    H'mida-Ben Brahim, D; M'zahem, A; Assoum, M; Bouhlal, Y; Fattori, F; Anheim, M; Ali-Pacha, L; Ferrat, F; Chaouch, M; Lagier-Tourenne, C; Drouot, N; Thibaut, C; Benhassine, T; Sifi, Y; Stoppa-Lyonnet, D; N'Guyen, K; Poujet, J; Hamri, A; Hentati, F; Amouri, R; Santorelli, F M; Tazir, M; Koenig, M

    2011-01-01

    The diagnosis of rare inherited diseases is becoming more and more complex as an increasing number of clinical conditions appear to be genetically heterogeneous. Multigenic inheritance also applies to the autosomal recessive progressive cerebellar ataxias (ARCAs), for which 14 genes have been identified and more are expected to be discovered. We used homozygosity mapping as a guide for identification of the defective locus in patients with ARCA born from consanguineous parents. Patients from 97 families were analyzed with GeneChip Mapping 10K or 50K SNP Affymetrix microarrays. We identified six families homozygous for regions containing the autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) gene, two families homozygous for the ataxia-telangiectasia gene (ATM), two families homozygous for the ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 1 (AOA1) gene, and one family homozygous for the AOA type 2 (AOA2) gene. Upon direct gene testing, we were able to identify a disease-related mutation in all families but one of the two kindred homozygous at the ATM locus. Although linkage analyses pointed to a single locus on chromosome 11q22.1-q23.1 for this family, clinical features, normal levels of serum alpha-foetoprotein as well as absence of mutations in the ATM gene rather suggest the existence of an additional ARCA-related gene in that interval. While the use of homozygosity mapping was very effective at pointing to the correct gene, it also suggests that the majority of patients harbor mutations either in the genes of the rare forms of ARCA or in genes yet to be identified.

  17. A longitudinal study of the Friedreich Ataxia Impact Scale.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tai, Geneieve; Yiu, Eppie M; Corben, Louise A; Delatycki, Martin B

    2015-05-15

    Quality of life in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) has been explored using various generic health status measurement tools, most commonly the Short Form Health Survey Version 2 (SF-36v2). The tool did not address many specific issues related to disease impact in people with FRDA. The Friedreich Ataxia Impact Scale (FAIS) was developed to examine clinically relevant areas in FRDA. The aims of the current study were to assess the relationship between the FAIS and clinical characteristics of FRDA, as well as to determine the responsiveness of the FAIS to change over one and two years. One hundred and four individuals with FRDA, homozygous for the GAA expansion in intron 1 of FXN, completed the FAIS at baseline. Seventy individuals completed the FAIS again 12 months later and 49 completed the FAIS at 24 months. Clinical parameters and neurologic scales (Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS)) were also recorded. The total FARS score, onset age and disease duration correlated significantly with FAIS subscales measuring symptoms and physical functioning. The physical and mental summary measures of the SF-36 V2 also correlated well with the FAIS subscales. Speech was the only subscale that demonstrated significant change over one and two years. The FAIS provides valuable insight into the perspective of individuals with FRDA on their health status, and is an important measure of morbidity. It has, however, limited responsiveness to change and its use in intervention studies is questionable. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  18. Dementia in Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ricardo Nitrini

    Full Text Available Abstract Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS is a cause of movement disorders and cognitive decline which has probably been underdiagnosed, especially if its prevalence proves similar to those of progressive supranuclear palsy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. We report a case of a 74-year-old man who presented with action tremor, gait ataxia and forgetfulness. There was a family history of tremor and dementia, and one of the patient's grandsons was mentally deficient. Neuropsychological evaluation disclosed a frontal network syndrome. MRI showed hyperintensity of both middle cerebellar peduncles, a major diagnostic hallmark of FXTAS. Genetic testing revealed premutation of the FMR1 gene with an expanded (CGG90 repeat. The diagnosis of FXTAS is important for genetic counseling because the daughters of the affected individuals are at high risk of having offspring with fragile X syndrome. Tremors and cognitive decline should raise the diagnostic hypothesis of FXTAS, which MRI may subsequently reinforce, while the detection of the FMR1 premutation can confirm the condition.

  19. Haplotype Study in SCA10 Families Provides Further Evidence for a Common Ancestral Origin of the Mutation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bampi, Giovana B; Bisso-Machado, Rafael; Hünemeier, Tábita; Gheno, Tailise C; Furtado, Gabriel V; Veliz-Otani, Diego; Cornejo-Olivas, Mario; Mazzeti, Pillar; Bortolini, Maria Cátira; Jardim, Laura B; Saraiva-Pereira, Maria Luiza

    2017-12-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 10 (SCA10) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cerebellar ataxia and epilepsy. The disease is caused by a pentanucleotide ATTCT expansion in intron 9 of the ATXN10 gene on chromosome 22q13.3. SCA10 has shown a geographical distribution throughout America with a likely degree of Amerindian ancestry from different countries so far. Currently available data suggest that SCA10 mutation might have spread out early during the peopling of the Americas. However, the ancestral origin of SCA10 mutation remains under speculation. Samples of SCA10 patients from two Latin American countries were analysed, being 16 families from Brazil (29 patients) and 21 families from Peru (27 patients) as well as 49 healthy individuals from Indigenous Quechua population and 51 healthy Brazilian individuals. Four polymorphic markers spanning a region of 5.2 cM harbouring the ATTCT expansion were used to define the haplotypes, which were genotyped by different approaches. Our data have shown that 19-CGGC-14 shared haplotype was found in 47% of Brazilian and in 63% of Peruvian families. Frequencies from both groups are not statistically different from Quechua controls (57%), but they are statistically different from Brazilian controls (12%) (p Quechuas, 19-15-CGGC-14-10, is found in 50% of Brazilian and in 65% of Peruvian patients with SCA10. These findings bring valuable evidence that ATTCT expansion may have arisen in a Native American chromosome.

  20. The dynamic regulation of cortical excitability is altered in episodic ataxia type 2

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Helmich, Rick C; Siebner, Hartwig R; Giffin, Nicola

    2010-01-01

    -pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation at an interstimulus interval of 2 and 10 ms to assess intracortical inhibition and facilitation, respectively. The time course of burst-induced excitability changes differed between groups. Healthy controls showed a short-lived increase in excitability that was only present 50...... different from either controls or patients with episodic ataxia type 2. Together, these findings indicate that patients with episodic ataxia type 2 have an excessive increase in motor cortex excitability following a strong facilitatory input. We argue that this deficient control of cortical excitability may...

  1. Impact of Dual Task on Parkinson's Disease, Stroke and Ataxia Patients' Gait: A Comparative Analysis

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Michelly Arjona Maciel

    2014-01-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Performing dual task for neurological patients is complex and it can be influenced by the localization of the neurological lesion. Objective: Comparing the impact of dual task on gait in patients with Parkinson's disease, stroke and ataxia. Method: Subjects with Parkinson's disease (PD in initial phase, stroke and ataxia, with independent gait, were evaluated while doing simple gait, with cognitive, motor and cognitive-motor gait demand, assessing average speed and number of steps. Results: Ataxia and stroke patients, compared with PD, showed an increase in the number of steps and decrease the average speed on the march with cognitive demand. Subjects with PD performed better on tasks when compared to others. Conclusion: In this study the impact of dual task was lower in Parkinson's disease patients.

  2. Insights into the role of oxidative stress in the pathology of Friedreich ataxia using peroxidation resistant polyunsaturated fatty acids

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    M. Grazia Cotticelli

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Friedreich ataxia is an autosomal recessive, inherited neuro- and cardio-degenerative disorder characterized by progressive ataxia of all four limbs, dysarthria, areflexia, sensory loss, skeletal deformities, and hypertrophic cardiomyopathy. Most disease alleles have a trinucleotide repeat expansion in the first intron of the FXN gene, which decreases expression of the encoded protein frataxin. Frataxin is involved in iron–sulfur-cluster (ISC assembly in the mitochondrial matrix, and decreased frataxin is associated with ISC-enzyme and mitochondrial dysfunction, mitochondrial iron accumulation, and increased oxidative stress. To assess the role of oxidative stress in lipid peroxidation in Friedreich ataxia we used the novel approach of treating Friedreich ataxia cell models with polyunsaturated fatty acids (PUFAs deuterated at bis-allylic sites. In ROS-driven oxidation of PUFAs, the rate-limiting step is hydrogen abstraction from a bis-allylic site; isotopic reinforcement (deuteration of bis-allylic sites slows down their peroxidation. We show that linoleic and α-linolenic acids deuterated at the peroxidation-prone bis-allylic positions actively rescue oxidative-stress-challenged Friedreich ataxia cells. The protective effect of the deuterated PUFAs is additive in our models with the protective effect of the CoQ10 analog idebenone, which is thought to decrease the production of free radicals. Moreover, the administration of deuterated PUFAs resulted in decreased lipid peroxidation as measured by the fluorescence of the fatty acid analog C11-BODIPY (581/591 probe. Our results are consistent with a role for lipid peroxidation in Friedreich ataxia pathology, and suggest that the novel approach of oral delivery of isotope-reinforced PUFAs may have therapeutic potential in Friedreich ataxia and other disorders involving oxidative stress and lipid peroxidation.

  3. Clinical and genetic features of ataxia-telangiectasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Bundey, S.

    1994-01-01

    There are several variants of ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T): classical A-T with marked radiation sensitivity; classical A-T with intermediate levels of radiation sensitivity; mild A-T with intermediate levels of radiation sensitivity; A-T without telangiectasia; A-T without oculomoto apraxia; and A-T with microcephaly. These disorders are probably caused by different allelic mutations, because affected sibs resemble the index patients, and because there is an association of certain haplo-types of 11q22-23 with specific phenotypes. The Nijmegen Breakage Syndrome, with its lack of ataxia, seems on clinical grounds to be a different disorder. Although A-T is almost always inherited as an autosomal recessive, there are some unusual features; an unexpectedly low parental consanguinity rate, an incidence in sibs that is < 0.25, and occurrence of disease in many different races and in the offspring of mixed race unions. Moreover, looking at haplotypes from 63 UK patients, there is a remarkably low incidence of homozygosity. An autosomal recessive condition that is deficient in parental consanguinity, and in homozygosity for the region around the gene, can be explained by J.H. Edwards' hypothesis that homozygosity for alleles at a neighbouring locus are lethal early in embryogenesis. Other possible mechanisms to explain the unusual genetic features are discussed. (author)

  4. ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) abnormality and diseases

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Takagi, Masatoshi; Nakata, Shinichiro; Mizutani, Shuki

    2007-01-01

    Ataxia-Telangiectasia (A-T) is an autosomal recessive inherited disease due to mutation of ATM gene on chromosome 11q22.3, with major symptoms of ataxia, telangiectasia, immunodeficiency and frequent complication of cancer, and the cells have characters of chromosomal break, high sensitivity to radiation and inappropriate continuation of DNA synthesis after radiation. This review describes past and present studies of ATM functions with clinical features in the following order: Clinical symptoms and epidemiology; ATM gene mutation in A-T patients, mainly by frame-shift (80-90%); ATM, whose gene consisted from 66 exons (150 kb), functions in phosphoinositide-3-kinase related kinase family which protecting cells from stress and integrating their system, at response to DNA double strand break, and in the cell cycle checkpoints at G1/S, S and G2/M phases; ATM nonsense/missense mutations in embryonic cells leading to carcinogenesis and role of ATM in the suppression of carcinogenesis in somatic cells; Chromosomal translocation which relating to carcinogenesis, by functional defect of ATM; and Other functions of ATM in neuronal growth, immunodeficiency, carbohydrate and lipid metabolism, early senescence, and virus infection. ATM is thus an essential molecule to maintain growth and homeostasis. (T.I.)

  5. Degenerative cerebellar diseases and differential diagnoses

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Reith, W.; Roumia, S.; Dietrich, P.

    2016-01-01

    Cerebellar syndromes result in distinct clinical symptoms, such as ataxia, dysarthria, dysmetria, intention tremor and eye movement disorders. In addition to the medical history and clinical examination, imaging is particularly important to differentiate other diseases, such as hydrocephalus and multi-infarct dementia from degenerative cerebellar diseases. Degenerative diseases with cerebellar involvement include Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy as well as other diseases including spinocerebellar ataxia. In addition to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine imaging investigations are also helpful for the differentiation. Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted sequences can sometimes show a signal increase in the pons as a sign of degeneration of pontine neurons and transverse fibers in the basilar part of the pons. The imaging is particularly necessary to exclude other diseases, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), multi-infarct dementia and cerebellar lesions. (orig.) [de

  6. Xeroderma pigmentosum complementation group F: A rare cause of cerebellar ataxia with chorea.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Carré, G; Marelli, C; Anheim, M; Geny, C; Renaud, M; Rezvani, H R; Koenig, M; Guissart, C; Tranchant, C

    2017-05-15

    The complementation group F of Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP-F) is rare in the Caucasian population, and usually devoid of neurological symptoms. We report two cases, both Caucasian, who exhibited progressive cerebellar ataxia, chorea, a mild subcortical frontal cognitive impairment, and in one case severe polyneuropathy. Brain MRI demonstrated cerebellar (2/2) and cortical (1/2) atrophy. Both patients had only mild sunburn sensitivity and no skin cancer. Mini-exome sequencing approach revealed in ERCC4, two heterozygous mutations, one of which was never described (c.580-584+1delCCAAGG, exon 3), in the first case, and an already reported homozygous mutation, in the second case. These cases emphasize that XP-F is a rare cause of recessive cerebellar ataxia and can in some cases clinically mimic Huntington's disease due to chorea and executive impairment. The association of ataxia, chorea, and sun hypersensitivity are major guidance for the diagnosis, which should not be missed, in order to prevent skin neoplastic complications. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Gastric outlet obstruction due to adenocarcinoma in a patient with Ataxia-Telangiectasia syndrome: a case report and review of the literature

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hammond Sue

    2009-03-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Ataxia-Telangiectasia syndrome is characterized by progressive cerebellar dysfunction, conjuctival and cutaneous telangiectasias, severe immune deficiencies, premature aging and predisposition to cancer. Clinical and radiographic evaluation for malignancy in ataxia-telangiectasia patients is usually atypical, leading to delays in diagnosis. Case presentation We report the case of a 20 year old ataxia-telangiectasia patient with gastric adenocarcinoma that presented as complete gastric outlet obstruction. Conclusion A literature search of adenocarcinoma associated with ataxia-telangiectasia revealed 6 cases. All patients presented with non-specific gastrointestinal complaints suggestive of ulcer disease. Although there was no correlation between immunoglobulin levels and development of gastric adenocarcinoma, the presence of chronic gastritis and intestinal metaplasia seem to lead to the development of gastric adenocarcinoma. One should consider adenocarcinoma in any patient with ataxia-telangiectasia who presents with non-specific gastrointestinal complaints, since this can lead to earlier diagnosis.

  8. The Development of Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated Kinase Inhibitors

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Andrs, M.; Kobarecny, J.; Nepovimova, E.; Jun, D.; Hodný, Zdeněk; Moravcová, Simona; Hanzlíková, Hana; Kuca, K.

    2014-01-01

    Roč. 14, č. 10 (2014), s. 805-811 ISSN 1389-5575 R&D Projects: GA MŠk(CZ) CZ.1.07/2.3.00/30.0044 Grant - others:MH CZ - DRO (University Hospital Hradec Kralove(CZ) 00179906 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Ataxia telangiectasia mutated * cancer * chemosensitization * DNA damage response Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.903, year: 2014

  9. Selective rescue of heightened anxiety but not gait ataxia in a premutation 90CGG mouse model of Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Castro, Hoanna; Kul, Emre; Buijsen, Ronald A M; Severijnen, Lies-Anne W F M; Willemsen, Rob; Hukema, Renate K; Stork, Oliver; Santos, Mónica

    2017-06-01

    A CGG-repeat expansion in the premutation range in the Fragile X mental retardation 1 gene (FMR1) has been identified as the genetic cause of Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder that manifests with action tremor, gait ataxia and cognitive impairments. In this study, we used a bigenic mouse model, in which expression of a 90CGG premutation tract is activated in neural cells upon doxycycline administration-P90CGG mouse model. We, here, demonstrate the behavioural manifestation of clinically relevant features of FXTAS patients and premutation carrier individuals in this inducible mouse model. P90CGG mice display heightened anxiety, deficits in motor coordination and impaired gait and represent the first FXTAS model that exhibits an ataxia phenotype as observed in patients. The behavioural phenotype is accompanied by the formation of ubiquitin/FMRpolyglycine-positive intranuclear inclusions, as another hallmark of FXTAS, in the cerebellum, hippocampus and amygdala. Strikingly, upon cessation of transgene induction the anxiety phenotype of mice recovers along with a reduction of intranuclear inclusions in dentate gyrus and amygdala. In contrast, motor function deteriorates further and no reduction in intranuclear inclusions can be observed in the cerebellum. Our data thus demonstrate that expression of a 90CGG premutation expansion outside of the FMR1 context is sufficient to evoke an FXTAS-like behavioural phenotype. Brain region-specific neuropathology and (partial) behavioural reversibility make the inducible P90CGG a valuable mouse model for testing pathogenic mechanisms and therapeutic intervention methods. © The Author 2017. Published by Oxford University Press. All rights reserved. For Permissions, please email: journals.permissions@oup.com.

  10. Ataxia telangiectasia derived iPS cells show preserved x-ray sensitivity and decreased chromosomal instability

    OpenAIRE

    Fukawatase, Yoshihiro; Toyoda, Masashi; Okamura, Kohji; Nakamura, Ken-ichi; Nakabayashi, Kazuhiko; Takada, Shuji; Yamazaki-Inoue, Mayu; Masuda, Akira; Nasu, Michiyo; Hata, Kenichiro; Hanaoka, Kazunori; Higuchi, Akon; Takubo, Kaiyo; Umezawa, Akihiro

    2014-01-01

    Ataxia telangiectasia is a neurodegenerative inherited disease with chromosomal instability and hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation. iPS cells lacking ATM (AT-iPS cells) exhibited hypersensitivity to X-ray irradiation, one of the characteristics of the disease. While parental ataxia telangiectasia cells exhibited significant chromosomal abnormalities, AT-iPS cells did not show any chromosomal instability in vitro for at least 80 passages (560 days). Whole exome analysis also showed a compa...

  11. Ataxia telangiectasia: a review

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Cynthia Rothblum-Oviatt

    2016-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Definition of the disease Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T is an autosomal recessive disorder primarily characterized by cerebellar degeneration, telangiectasia, immunodeficiency, cancer susceptibility and radiation sensitivity. A-T is often referred to as a genome instability or DNA damage response syndrome. Epidemiology The world-wide prevalence of A-T is estimated to be between 1 in 40,000 and 1 in 100,000 live births. Clinical description A-T is a complex disorder with substantial variability in the severity of features between affected individuals, and at different ages. Neurological symptoms most often first appear in early childhood when children begin to sit or walk. They have immunological abnormalities including immunoglobulin and antibody deficiencies and lymphopenia. People with A-T have an increased predisposition for cancers, particularly of lymphoid origin. Pulmonary disease and problems with feeding, swallowing and nutrition are common, and there also may be dermatological and endocrine manifestations. Etiology A-T is caused by mutations in the ATM (Ataxia Telangiectasia, Mutated gene which encodes a protein of the same name. The primary role of the ATM protein is coordination of cellular signaling pathways in response to DNA double strand breaks, oxidative stress and other genotoxic stress. Diagnosis The diagnosis of A-T is usually suspected by the combination of neurologic clinical features (ataxia, abnormal control of eye movement, and postural instability with one or more of the following which may vary in their appearance: telangiectasia, frequent sinopulmonary infections and specific laboratory abnormalities (e.g. IgA deficiency, lymphopenia especially affecting T lymphocytes and increased alpha-fetoprotein levels. Because certain neurological features may arise later, a diagnosis of A-T should be carefully considered for any ataxic child with an otherwise elusive diagnosis. A diagnosis of A-T can be confirmed by the

  12. Selective loss of Purkinje cells in a patient with anti-gliadin-antibody-positive autoimmune cerebellar ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hasegawa Akira

    2011-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract The patient was an 84-year-old woman who had the onset of truncal ataxia at age 77 and a history of Basedow's disease. Her ataxic gait gradually deteriorated. She could not walk without support at age 81 and she was admitted to our hospital at age 83. Gaze-evoked nystagmus and dysarthria were observed. Mild ataxia was observed in all limbs. Her deep tendon reflex and sense of position were normal. IgA anti-gliadin antibody, IgG anti-gliadin antibody, anti-SS-A/Ro antibody, anti-SS-B/La antibody and anti-TPO antibody were positive. A conventional brain MRI did not show obvious cerebellar atrophy. However, MRI voxel based morphometry (VBM and SPECT-eZIS revealed cortical cerebellar atrophy and reduced cerebellar blood flow. IVIg treatment was performed and was moderately effective. After her death at age 85, the patient was autopsied. Neuropathological findings were as follows: selective loss of Purkinje cells; no apparent degenerative change in the efferent pathways, such as the dentate nuclei or vestibular nuclei; no prominent inflammatory reaction. From these findings, we diagnosed this case as autoimmune cerebellar atrophy associated with gluten ataxia. All 3 autopsies previously reported on gluten ataxia have noted infiltration of inflammatory cells in the cerebellum. In this case, we postulated that the infiltration of inflammatory cells was not found because the patient's condition was based on humoral immunity. The clinical conditions of gluten ataxia have not yet been properly elucidated, but are expected to be revealed as the number of autopsied cases increases.

  13. Machado-Joseph disease versus hereditary spastic paraplegia: case report Doença de Machado-Joseph versus paraplegia espástica hereditária: relato de caso

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Hélio A. Ghizoni Teive

    2001-09-01

    Full Text Available Machado-Joseph disease (MJD is the most common autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia and presents great phenotypic variability. MJD presenting with spastic paraparesis was recently described in Japanese patients. We report the case of 41-year-old woman with the phenotype of complicated hereditary spastic paraplegia. Her father died at the age of 56 years due to an undiagnosed progressive neurological disease that presented parkinsonism. She had an expanded allele with 66 CAG repeats and a normal allele with 22 repeats in the gene of MJD. MJD should be considered in the differential diagnosis of autosomal dominant complicated HSP. A patient with the phenotype of complicated HSP and relatives with other clinical features of a neurodegenerative disease should raise the suspicion of MJD.A doença de Machado-Joseph (DMJ é a ataxia espinocerebelar autossômica dominante mais prevalente e apresenta grande variabilidade fenotípica. DMJ apresentando-se com o fenótipo de paraparesia espástica foi recentemente descrita em pacientes japoneses. Relatamos o caso de uma paciente com fenótipo de paraplegia espástica hereditária (PEH "complicada". Seu pai faleceu com 56 anos de uma doença neurológica progressiva que cursava com parkinsonismo. Estudo genético pela técnica de reação em cadeia da polimerase mostrou um alelo de tamanho normal com 22 repetições e um alelo de tamanho expandido com 66 repetições para o tripleto CAG no gene da DMJ. A DMJ deve ser considerada no diagnóstico diferencial das PEH complicadas autossômicas dominantes. Em um paciente com quadro de PEH e outros familiares com fenótipos diferentes de doenças degenerativas deve-se suspeitar de DMJ.

  14. Parkinsonian phenotype in Machado-Joseph disease (MJD/SCA3: a two-case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Vasconcelos João

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Machado-Joseph disease (MJD, or spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3, is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder of late onset, which is caused by a CAG repeat expansion in the coding region of the ATXN3 gene. This disease presents clinical heterogeneity, which cannot be completely explained by the size of the repeat tract. MJD presents extrapyramidal motor signs, namely Parkinsonism, more frequently than the other subtypes of autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias. Although Parkinsonism seems to segregate within MJD families, only a few MJD patients develop parkinsonian features and, therefore, the clinical and genetic aspects of these rare presentations remain poorly investigated. The main goal of this work was to describe two MJD patients displaying the parkinsonian triad (tremor, bradykinesia and rigidity, namely on what concerns genetic variation in Parkinson's disease (PD associated loci (PARK2, LRRK2, PINK1, DJ-1, SNCA, MAPT, APOE, and mtDNA tRNAGln T4336C. Case presentation Patient 1 is a 40 year-old female (onset at 30 years of age, initially with a pure parkinsonian phenotype (similar to the phenotype previously reported for her mother. Patient 2 is a 38 year-old male (onset at 33 years of age, presenting an ataxic phenotype with parkinsonian features (not seen either in other affected siblings or in his father. Both patients presented an expanded ATXN3 allele with 72 CAG repeats. No PD mutations were found in the analyzed loci. However, allelic variants previously associated with PD were observed in DJ-1 and APOE genes, for both patients. Conclusions The present report adds clinical and genetic information on this particular and rare MJD presentation, and raises the hypothesis that DJ-1 and APOE polymorphisms may confer susceptibility to the parkinsonian phenotype in MJD.

  15. [Advances in Neurological Therapeutics for Friedreich Ataxia and Machado-Joseph Disease].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yabe, Ichiro; Sasaki, Hidenao

    2017-08-01

    We reviewed advances in therapeutics for both Friedreich ataxia and Machado-Joseph disease. Various clinical trials have been carried out, mainly for Friedreich ataxia; however, the therapeutic reports from these trials have not provided much evidence for success. Some interesting clinical trials have been reported, and further developments are expected. Regenerative therapy using umbilical cord mesenchymal stem cells and a therapeutic study investigating a new pathomechanism in animal and/or cell culture studies were reported. We expect that these results will translate to therapeutic strategies for patients with these disorders. In addition, biomarkers play an important role when novel treatments are discovered and clinical trials are performed: hence at present, a number of biomarkers such as gait analysis by triaxial accelerometers and prism adaptation of hand-reaching movements, are being examined.

  16. Ubiquitin Ligase RNF138 Promotes Episodic Ataxia Type 2-Associated Aberrant Degradation of Human Cav2.1 (P/Q-Type) Calcium Channels.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fu, Ssu-Ju; Jeng, Chung-Jiuan; Ma, Chia-Hao; Peng, Yi-Jheng; Lee, Chi-Ming; Fang, Ya-Ching; Lee, Yi-Ching; Tang, Sung-Chun; Hu, Meng-Chun; Tang, Chih-Yung

    2017-03-01

    Voltage-gated Ca V 2.1 channels comprise a pore-forming α 1A subunit with auxiliary α 2 δ and β subunits. Ca V 2.1 channels play an essential role in regulating synaptic signaling. Mutations in the human gene encoding the Ca V 2.1 subunit are associated with the cerebellar disease episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2). Several EA2-causing mutants exhibit impaired protein stability and exert dominant-negative suppression of Ca V 2.1 wild-type (WT) protein expression via aberrant proteasomal degradation. Here, we set out to delineate the protein degradation mechanism of human Ca V 2.1 subunit by identifying RNF138, an E3 ubiquitin ligase, as a novel Ca V 2.1-binding partner. In neurons, RNF138 and Ca V 2.1 coexist in the same protein complex and display notable subcellular colocalization at presynaptic and postsynaptic regions. Overexpression of RNF138 promotes polyubiquitination and accelerates protein turnover of Ca V 2.1. Disrupting endogenous RNF138 function with a mutant (RNF138-H36E) or shRNA infection significantly upregulates the Ca V 2.1 protein level and enhances Ca V 2.1 protein stability. Disrupting endogenous RNF138 function also effectively rescues the defective protein expression of EA2 mutants, as well as fully reversing EA2 mutant-induced excessive proteasomal degradation of Ca V 2.1 WT subunits. RNF138-H36E coexpression only partially restores the dominant-negative effect of EA2 mutants on Ca V 2.1 WT functional expression, which can be attributed to defective membrane trafficking of Ca V 2.1 WT in the presence of EA2 mutants. We propose that RNF138 plays a critical role in the homeostatic regulation of Ca V 2.1 protein level and functional expression and that RNF138 serves as the primary E3 ubiquitin ligase promoting EA2-associated aberrant degradation of human Ca V 2.1 subunits. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Loss-of-function mutations in the human Ca V 2.1 subunit are linked to episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2), a dominantly inherited disease characterized by

  17. Neurological features of epilepsy, ataxia, sensorineural deafness, tubulopathy syndrome.

    OpenAIRE

    Cross, J. H.; Arora, R.; Heckemann, R. A.; Gunny, R.; Chong, K.; Carr, L.; Baldeweg, T.; Differ, A. M.; Lench, N.; Varadkar, S.; Sirimanna, T.; Wassmer, E.; Hulton, S. A.; Ognjanovic, M.; Ramesh, V.

    2013-01-01

    Recently, we reported a previously unrecognized symptom constellation comprising epilepsy, ataxia, sensorineural deafness, and tubulopathy (EAST syndrome) associated with recessive mutations in the KCNJ10 gene. Here, we provide a detailed characterization of the clinical features of the syndrome to aid patient management with respect to diagnosis, prognostic counselling, and identification of best treatment modalities.

  18. Ataxia-telangiectasia: the pattern of cerebellar atrophy on MRI

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tavani, F.; Zimmerman, R.A.; Gatti, R.; Bingham, P.; Berry, G.T.; Sullivan, K.

    2003-01-01

    We describe MRI of the brain in 19 patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) and correlate the appearances with the degree of neurologic deficit. We examined 10 male and nine female patients; 17 were aged between 2 and 12 years (mean 8 years) but a woman and her brother were 35 and 38 years old, and had a variant of AT. Ataxia was the first recognized sign of the disease in every patient. We detected the following patterns of cerebellar atrophy: in the youngest patient, aged 2 years, the study was normal; in the five next youngest patients 3-7 years of age, the lateral cerebellum and superior vermis showed the earliest changes of atrophy; and all but one of the other patients had moderate to marked diffuse atrophy of vermis and cerebellar hemispheres. There were 12 patients aged 9 years and above; one, who was normal, was 9 years old. The five patients who at the time of examination were unable to walk all had diffuse atrophy involving both vermis and cerebellar hemispheres. (orig.)

  19. Ataxia cerebelar aguda na criança

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Valeriana Moura Ribeiro

    1968-03-01

    Full Text Available São relatados os casos de 6 crianças com ataxia cerebelar aguda. Admitem os autores a presença de um fator etiológico de caráter viral comum a todos êles, discutindo os mecanismos patogênicos com base nos casos da literatura. A evolução foi favorável em todos os pacientes, com regressão completa da sintomatologia, dentro do período de 6 a 60 dias.

  20. Senataxin, the ortholog of a yeast RNA helicase, is mutant in ataxia-ocular apraxia 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Moreira, Maria-Céu; Klur, Sandra; Watanabe, Mitsunori; Németh, Andrea H; Le Ber, Isabelle; Moniz, José-Carlos; Tranchant, Christine; Aubourg, Patrick; Tazir, Meriem; Schöls, Lüdger; Pandolfo, Massimo; Schulz, Jörg B; Pouget, Jean; Calvas, Patrick; Shizuka-Ikeda, Masami; Shoji, Mikio; Tanaka, Makoto; Izatt, Louise; Shaw, Christopher E; M'Zahem, Abderrahim; Dunne, Eimear; Bomont, Pascale; Benhassine, Traki; Bouslam, Naïma; Stevanin, Giovanni; Brice, Alexis; Guimarães, João; Mendonça, Pedro; Barbot, Clara; Coutinho, Paula; Sequeiros, Jorge; Dürr, Alexandra; Warter, Jean-Marie; Koenig, Michel

    2004-03-01

    Ataxia-ocular apraxia 2 (AOA2) was recently identified as a new autosomal recessive ataxia. We have now identified causative mutations in 15 families, which allows us to clinically define this entity by onset between 10 and 22 years, cerebellar atrophy, axonal sensorimotor neuropathy, oculomotor apraxia and elevated alpha-fetoprotein (AFP). Ten of the fifteen mutations cause premature termination of a large DEAxQ-box helicase, the human ortholog of yeast Sen1p, involved in RNA maturation and termination.

  1. Familial cosegregation of manic-depressive illness and a form of hereditary cerebellar ataxia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Piqueras, J.F.; Santos, J.; Puertollano, R. [Universidad Autonoma, Madrid (Spain)] [and others

    1995-06-19

    We report on a Spanish family with co-occurrence of manic-depression and a form of hereditary cerebellar ataxia. All affected individuals in the second generation showed cerebellar ataxia and manic-depression simultaneously. Since anticipation has been described in both disorders and the pattern of segregation may be autosomal as well as X-linked, we have searched for a possible involvement of two candidate genes which are located either on an autosome (SCA1) or on the X-chromosome (GABRA3). We concluded that expansion of trinucleotide repeats at SCA1 gene cannot be considered as a disease-causing mutation, and this gene should be initially discarded. 19 refs., 3 figs.

  2. Hypermetabolism of Olivary Nuclei in a Patient with Progressive Ataxia and Palatal Tremor

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jaana Korpela

    2015-09-01

    Full Text Available Background: The pathophysiology of the movement disorder progressive ataxia with palatal tremor (PAPT is unclear.Case report: A 77-year-old male presented with dysarthria, ataxia, and 1–2 Hz palatal tremor. A diagnosis of probable sporadic PAPT was established. Brain magnetic resonance imaging was normal at the presymptomatic phase but later showed olivary hypertrophy. Brain [18F]-fludeoxyglucose (FDG positron emission tomography (PET showed bilateral hypermetabolism in the olivary nuclei. Discussion: This second reported patient with PAPT and FDG-PET shows that olivary hypertrophy is paralleled with hypermetabolism. The olivary nuclei pathology also appears to be temporally associated with symptom onset.

  3. Xeroderma Pigmentosum/De Sanctis-Cacchione Syndrome: Unusual Cause of Ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Robert Fekete

    2014-03-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: Xeroderma pigmentosum (XP is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of DNA repair, with a prevalence of 1 in 1 million. It may also be a cause of neurological symptoms including sensorineural hearing loss, peripheral neuropathy, ataxia, and chorea. Severe neurological symptoms including mental retardation, short stature, and hypogonadism invoke De Sanctis-Cacchione syndrome (DCS. Case Report: The patient was a 55-year-old woman with a history of mental retardation who developed chorea at age 32 and ataxia at age 37. She had numerous facial scars from 10 prior basal cell carcinoma excisions as well as diminished deep tendon reflexes, bilateral hearing loss, dysphagia, and skin freckling. Brain MRI revealed severe cortical, cerebellar, and brainstem atrophy. Supportive treatment and prevention of further damage from UV light is the mainstay of treatment in XP and DCS. Conclusion: XP and related disorders should be considered in the setting of neurological disorder and multiple cutaneous cancers.

  4. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in an 11-year-old girl with ataxia ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    LETTER TO THE EDITOR. Mucocutaneous leishmaniasis in an 11-year-old girl with ataxia telangectasia Бcase report. Leishmaniasis is a protozoal disease caused by flagellates of the genus Leishmania and transmit- ted by sand fly. The reservoir hosts are humans, dogs, and rodents. It has three different morphological.

  5. Fragile X syndrome and fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hall, Deborah A; Berry-Kravis, Elizabeth

    2018-01-01

    Fragile X-associated disorders encompass several conditions, which are caused by expansion mutations in the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Fragile X syndrome is the most common inherited etiology of intellectual disability and results from a full mutation or >200 CGG repeats in FMR1. It is associated with developmental delay, autism spectrum disorder, and seizures. Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that occurs in premutation carriers of 55-200 CGG repeats in FMR1 and is characterized by kinetic tremor, gait ataxia, parkinsonism, executive dysfunction, and neuropathy. Fragile X-associated primary ovarian insufficiency also occurs in premutation carrier women and manifests with infertility and early menopause. The diseases constituting fragile X-associated disorders differ mechanistically, due to the distinct molecular properties of premutation versus full mutations. Fragile X syndrome occurs when there is a lack of fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) due to FMR1 methylation and silencing. In fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome, a toxic gain of function is postulated with the production of excess CGG repeat-containing FMR1 mRNA, abnormal translation of the repeat sequence leading to production of polyglycine, polyalanine, and other polypeptides and to outright deficits in translation leading to reduced FMRP at larger premutation sizes. The changes in underlying brain chemistry due to FMR1 mutations have led to therapeutic studies in these disorders, with some progress being made in fragile X syndrome. This paper also summarizes indications for testing, genetic counseling issues, and what the future holds for these disorders. Copyright © 2018 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  6. Pediatric Opsoclonus-Myoclonus-Ataxia Syndrome Associated With Anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate Receptor Encephalitis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Player, Brittany; Harmelink, Matthew; Bordini, Brett; Weisgerber, Michael; Girolami, Michael; Croix, Michael

    2015-11-01

    The full clinical spectrum of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis is unknown in the pediatric population. We describe a previously healthy 4-year-old girl presenting with opsoclonus-myoclonus together with ataxia who had NR1-specific, anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies in the cerebral spinal fluid. The presence of NR1-specific, anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor antibodies in the setting of opsoclonus-myoclonus and ataxia syndrome may represent an expansion of the clinical presentations of anti-N-methyl-D-aspartate receptor encephalitis. Copyright © 2015 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  7. Measuring Inhibition and Cognitive Flexibility in Friedreich Ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Corben, Louise A; Klopper, Felicity; Stagnitti, Monique; Georgiou-Karistianis, Nellie; Bradshaw, John L; Rance, Gary; Delatycki, Martin B

    2017-08-01

    Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder with subtle impact on cognition. Inhibitory processes and cognitive flexibility were examined in FRDA by assessing the ability to suppress a predictable verbal response. We administered the Hayling Sentence Completion Test (HSCT), the Trail Making Test, and the Stroop Test to 43 individuals with FRDA and 42 gender- and age-matched control participants. There were no significant group differences in performance on the Stroop or Trail Making Test whereas significant impairment in cognitive flexibility including the ability to predict and inhibit a pre-potent response as measured in the HSCT was evident in individuals with FRDA. These deficits did not correlate with clinical characteristics of FRDA (age of disease onset, disease duration, number of guanine-adenine-adenine repeats on the shorter or larger FXN allele, or Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale score), suggesting that such impairment may not be related to the disease process in a straightforward way. The observed specific impairment of inhibition and predictive capacity in individuals with FRDA on the HSCT task, in the absence of impairment in associated executive functions, supports cerebellar dysfunction in conjunction with disturbance to cortico-thalamo-cerebellar connectivity, perhaps via inability to access frontal areas necessary for successful task completion.

  8. Ataxia caused by amiodarone in older people.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Hindle, J V; Ibrahim, Amin; Ramaraj, Radhakrishnan

    2008-05-01

    Amiodarone is recommended for the cardioversion of atrial fibrillation and prevention of paroxysmal atrial fibrillation in patients with structural heart disease, coronary artery disease or left ventricular dysfunction. It has well-recognised side-effects on the skin, lungs, liver, thyroid and eyes. Neurological side-effects, including ataxia and neuropathy, also occur, and may be more prevalent in older patients. These side-effects are reversible after cessation of amiodarone. Monitoring of amiodarone therapy should include assessment of the central and peripheral nervous system especially in older patients.

  9. Ataxia-telangiectasia: future prospects

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chaudhary MW

    2014-09-01

    Full Text Available Mohammed Wajid Chaudhary, Raidah Saleem Al-Baradie Pediatric Neurology, Neurosciences Centre, King Fahad Specialist Hospital, Dammam, Kingdom of Saudi Arabia Abstract: Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T is an autosomal recessive multi-system disorder caused by mutation in the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene (ATM. ATM is a large serine/threonine protein kinase, a member of the phosphoinositide 3-kinase-related protein kinase (PIKK family whose best-studied function is as master controller of signal transduction for the DNA damage response (DDR in the event of double strand breaks (DSBs. The DDR rapidly recognizes DNA lesions and initiates the appropriate cellular programs to maintain genome integrity. This includes the coordination of cell-cycle checkpoints, transcription, translation, DNA repair, metabolism, and cell fate decisions, such as apoptosis or senescence. DSBs can be generated by exposure to ionizing radiation (IR or various chemical compounds, such as topoisomerase inhibitors, or can be part of programmed generation and repair of DSBs via cellular enzymes needed for the generation of the antibody repertoire as well as the maturation of germ cells. AT patients have immunodeficiency, and are sterile with gonadal dysgenesis as a result of defect in meiotic recombination. In the cells of nervous system ATM has additional role in vesicle dynamics as well as in the maintenance of the epigenetic code of histone modifications. Moderate levels of ATM are associated with prolonged lifespan through resistance to oxidative stress. ATM inhibitors are being viewed as potential radiosensitizers as part of cancer radiotherapy. Though there is no cure for the disease at present, glucocorticoids have been shown to induce alternate splicing site in the gene for ATM partly restoring its activity, but their most effective timing in the disease natural history is not yet known. Gene therapy is promising but large size of the gene makes it technically difficult

  10. Complementation analysis of ataxia-telangiectasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jaspers, N.G.; Painter, R.B.; Paterson, M.C.; Kidson, C.; Inoue, T.

    1985-01-01

    In a number of laboratories genetic analysis of ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) has been performed by studying the expression of the AT phenotype in fused somatic cells or mixtures of cell-free extracts from different patients. Complementation of the defective response to ionizing radiation was observed frequently, considering four different parameters for radiosensitivity in AT. The combined results from studies on cultured fibroblasts or lymphoblastoid cells from 17 unrelated families revealed the presence of at least four and possibly nine complementation groups. These findings suggest that there is an extensive genetic heterogeneity in AT. More extensive studies are needed for an integration of these data and to provide a set of genetically characterized cell strains for future research of the AT genetic defect

  11. Genetics of Hereditary Ataxia in Scottish Terriers.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Urkasemsin, G; Nielsen, D M; Singleton, A; Arepalli, S; Hernandez, D; Agler, C; Olby, N J

    2017-07-01

    Scottish Terriers have a high incidence of juvenile onset hereditary ataxia primarily affecting the Purkinje neuron of the cerebellar cortex and causing slowly progressive cerebellar dysfunction. To identify chromosomal regions associated with hereditary ataxia in Scottish Terriers. One hundred and fifty-three Scottish Terriers were recruited through the Scottish Terrier Club of America. Prospective study. Dogs were classified as affected if they had slowly progressive cerebellar signs. When possible, magnetic resonance imaging and histopathological evaluation of the brain were completed as diagnostic aids. To identify genomic regions connected with the disease, genome-wide mapping was performed using both linkage- and association-based approaches. Pedigree evaluation and homozygosity mapping were also performed to examine mode of inheritance and to investigate the region of interest, respectively. Linkage and genome-wide association studies in a cohort of Scottish Terriers both identified a region on CFA X strongly associated with the disease trait. Homozygosity mapping revealed a 4 Mb region of interest. Pedigree evaluation failed to identify the possible mode of inheritance due to the lack of complete litter information. This finding suggests that further genetic investigation of the potential region of interest on CFA X should be considered in order to identify the causal mutation as well as develop a genetic test to eliminate the disease from this breed. Copyright © 2017 The Authors. Journal of Veterinary Internal Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. on behalf of the American College of Veterinary Internal Medicine.

  12. Cell biological study on ataxia-telangiectasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ohta, Shigeru; Katsura, Tadahiko; Shimada, Morimi; Shima, Akihiro; Chishiro, Hiroko; Kasahara, Yoshitaka.

    1985-01-01

    Diagnosis of ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) has largely been dependent on the clinical findings such as cerebellar ataxia, telangiectasia, and immunological deficiency. However, diagnosis of AT by these ordinary criteria is sometimes not sufficient because of the lack of immunological abnormalities. We examined three cases of AT by ordinary clinical criteria and also by X-ray sensitivity of cultured skin fibroblasts. Case 1, a 9-year-old boy, revealed typical clinical features of AT. However, he had no abnormality in serum IgA or IgE. Case 2, a 10-year-old boy, showed decreased serum IgA level. Case 3, a 19-year-old female, had typical clinical features of AT with normal serum IgA, and developed papillary adenocarcinoma of thyroid which was surgically removed. Fibroblast strains derived from these three cases of AT and from the parents of Case 3 were examined with regard to X-ray sensitivity. Three fibroblast strains derived from AT patients (AT homozygotes) showed remarkable hypersensitivity to X-ray. Fibroblast strains derived from the parents (AT heterozygotes) of Case 3, however, showed normal X-ray sensitivity. Recently, AT fibroblasts have been known to show hypersensitivity also to some mutagen like neocarzinostazin as reported by Shiloh et al. Fibroblasts from Case 3 revealed hypersensitivity to neocarzinostazin. However, the sensitivity of the strains from AT heterozygotes (the parents of Case 3) showed no apparent difference from that of control cells. The assay system for mutagen is quite unstable and proper conditioning of the seeding cell number is important for the carrier detection. However, the diagnosis of AT homozygotes was definitely established by X-ray irradiation to cultured fibroblasts from patients. (author)

  13. Novel PNKP mutation in siblings with ataxia-oculomotor apraxia type 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Schiess, Nicoline; Zee, David S; Siddiqui, Khurram A; Szolics, Miklos; El-Hattab, Ayman W

    The phenotypic and genetic spectrum of ataxia with oculomotor apraxia (AOA) disorders is rapidly evolving and new technologies such as genetic mapping using whole exome sequencing reveal subtle distinctions among the various subtypes. We report a novel PNKP mutation in two siblings with progressive ataxia, abnormal saccades, sensorimotor neuropathy and dystonia consistent with the AOA type 4 phenotype. Laboratory evaluation revealed hypoalbuminemia, hypercholesterolemia with elevated LDL, elevated IgE levels and normal α fetoprotein levels. Eye movement examination demonstrated a marked saccade initiation defect with profound hypometric horizontal saccades. Vertical saccades were also affected but less so. Also present were conspicuous thrusting head movements when attempting to change gaze, but rather than an apraxia these were an adaptive strategy to take advantage of an intact vestibulo-ocular reflex to carry the eyes to a new target of interest. This is demonstrated in accompanying videos.

  14. Cutaneous granulomatosis and combined immunodeficiency revealing Ataxia-Telangiectasia: a case report

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Antoccia Antonio

    2010-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T is a complex multisystem disorder characterized by progressive neurological impairment, variable immunodeficiency and oculo-cutaneous telangiectasia. A-T is a member of chromosomal breakage syndromes and it is caused by a mutation in the ataxia-telangiectasia mutated (ATM gene. Because of a wide clinical heterogeneity, A-T is often difficult to diagnose in children. We report an unusual case of a 3-year-old boy affected by A-T who presented exclusively with extensive cutaneous granulomatosis and severe combined immunodeficiency, without neurological abnormalities, at the time of diagnosis. This case clearly emphasizes the variable presentation of A-T syndrome and highlights the difficulties in the early diagnosis of A-T. A-T should be considered in children with evidence of combined humoral and cellular immunodeficiency associated with unexplained skin granulomatous lesions, even in the absence of the classic features of this syndrome.

  15. Contribution of Somatic and Dendritic SK Channels in the Firing Rate of Deep Cerebellar Nuclei: Implication in Cerebellar Ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Samira Abbasi

    2016-01-01

    Discussion: Therefore, inhibition of SK channel in DCN can cause cerebellar ataxia, and SK channel openers can have a therapeutic effect on cerebellar ataxia. In addition, the location of SK channels could be important in therapeutic goals. Dendritic SK channels can be a more effective target compared to somatic SK channels

  16. A SEL1L mutation links a canine progressive early-onset cerebellar ataxia to the endoplasmic reticulum-associated protein degradation (ERAD machinery.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kaisa Kyöstilä

    Full Text Available Inherited ataxias are characterized by degeneration of the cerebellar structures, which results in progressive motor incoordination. Hereditary ataxias occur in many species, including humans and dogs. Several mutations have been found in humans, but the genetic background has remained elusive in dogs. The Finnish Hound suffers from an early-onset progressive cerebellar ataxia. We have performed clinical, pathological, and genetic studies to describe the disease phenotype and to identify its genetic cause. Neurological examinations on ten affected dogs revealed rapidly progressing generalized cerebellar ataxia, tremors, and failure to thrive. Clinical signs were present by the age of 3 months, and cerebellar shrinkage was detectable through MRI. Pathological and histological examinations indicated cerebellum-restricted neurodegeneration. Marked loss of Purkinje cells was detected in the cerebellar cortex with secondary changes in other cortical layers. A genome-wide association study in a cohort of 31 dogs mapped the ataxia gene to a 1.5 Mb locus on canine chromosome 8 (p(raw = 1.1x10(-7, p(genome = 7.5x10(-4. Sequencing of a functional candidate gene, sel-1 suppressor of lin-12-like (SEL1L, revealed a homozygous missense mutation, c.1972T>C; p.Ser658Pro, in a highly conserved protein domain. The mutation segregated fully in the recessive pedigree, and a 10% carrier frequency was indicated in a population cohort. SEL1L is a component of the endoplasmic reticulum (ER-associated protein degradation (ERAD machinery and has not been previously associated to inherited ataxias. Dysfunctional protein degradation is known to cause ER stress, and we found a significant increase in expression of nine ER stress responsive genes in the cerebellar cortex of affected dogs, supporting the pathogenicity of the mutation. Our study describes the first early-onset neurodegenerative ataxia mutation in dogs, establishes an ERAD-mediated neurodegenerative

  17. Response of sensitive human ataxia and resistant T-1 cell lines to accelerated heavy ions

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Tobias, C.A.; Blakely, E.A.; Chang, P.Y.; Lommel, L.; Roots, R.

    1983-07-01

    The radiation dose responses of fibroblast from a patient with Ataxia telangiectasis (AT-2SF) and an established line of human T-1 cells were studied. Nearly monoenergetic accelerated neon and argon ions were used at the Berkeley Bevalac with various residual range values. The LET of the particles varied from 30 keV/μm to over 1000 keV/μm. All Ataxia survival curves were exponential functions of the dose. Their radiosensitivity reached peak values at 100 to 200 keV/μm. Human T-1 cells have effective sublethal damage repair as has been evidenced by split dose experiments, and they are much more resistant to low LET than to high LET radiation. The repair-misrepair model has been used to interpret these results. We have obtained mathematical expressions that describe the cross sections and inactivation coefficients for both human cell lines as a function of the LET and the type of particle used. The results suggest either that high-LET particles induce a greater number of radiolesions per track or that heavy-ions at high LET induce lesions that kill cells more effectively and that are different from those produced at low LET. We assume that the lesions induced in T-1 and Ataxia cells are qualitatively similar and that each cell line attempts to repair these lesions. The result in most irradiated Ataxia cells, however, is either lethal misrepair or incomplete repair leading to cell death. 63 references, 10 figures, 1 table

  18. Cardiopatía dilatada en ataxia de Friedreich: El punto sin retorno

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Luis E. Silva, MD

    2012-02-01

    Full Text Available Las cardiopatías infiltrativas se caracterizan por el depósito de sustancias en el miocardio que causan un impacto negativo en la arquitectura de la pared ventricular. La ataxia espino-cerebelosa de Friedreich es una enfermedad degenerativa, heredada, con carácter autosómico recesivo. Clínicamente se caracteriza por ataxia de extremidades y tronco, hiporreflexia, neuropatía periférica, retinopatía y cardiopatía, entre otros. La afectación cardíaca es muy frecuente y se detectan alteraciones en estudios pos-mortem en 95% a 100% de los pacientes. La tasa de mortalidad es elevada y se considera una enfermedad incurable, a pesar de la existencia actual de múltiples medicamentos en estudio basados en los fundamentos fisiopatológicos de esta afección.

  19. Indole and synthetic derivative activate chaperone expression to reduce polyQ aggregation in SCA17 neuronal cell and slice culture models

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kung PJ

    2014-10-01

    Full Text Available Pin-Jui Kung,1,* Yu-Chen Tao,1,* Ho-Chiang Hsu,1 Wan-Ling Chen,1 Te-Hsien Lin,1 Donala Janreddy,2 Ching-Fa Yao,2 Kuo-Hsuan Chang,3 Jung-Yaw Lin,1 Ming-Tsan Su,1 Chung-Hsin Wu,1 Guey-Jen Lee-Chen,1 Hsiu-Mei Hsieh-Li1 1Department of Life Science, 2Department of Chemistry, National Taiwan Normal University, Taipei, Taiwan; 3Department of Neurology, Chang Gung Memorial Hospital, Chang Gung University College of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan *These authors contributed equally to this work Abstract: In spinocerebellar ataxia type 17 (SCA17, the expansion of a translated CAG repeat in the TATA box binding protein (TBP gene results in a long polyglutamine (polyQ tract in the TBP protein, leading to intracellular accumulation of aggregated TBP and cell death. The molecular chaperones act in preventing protein aggregation to ameliorate downstream harmful events. In this study, we used Tet-On SH-SY5Y cells with inducible SCA17 TBP/Q79-green fluorescent protein (GFP expression to test indole and synthetic derivative NC001-8 for neuroprotection. We found that indole and NC001-8 up-regulated chaperone expression to reduce polyQ aggregation in neuronal differentiated TBP/Q79 cells. The effects on promoting neurite outgrowth and on reduction of aggregation on Purkinje cells were also confirmed with cerebellar primary and slice cultures of SCA17 transgenic mice. Our results demonstrate how indole and derivative NC001-8 reduce polyQ aggregation to support their therapeutic potentials in SCA17 treatment. Keywords: spinocerebellar ataxia type 17, TATA box binding protein, polyQ aggregation, indole and derivative, therapeutics

  20. A família Drew de Walworth: um século após a avaliação inicial finalmente o diagnóstico doença de Machado-Joseph The Drew family of Walworth: one century from the first evaluation until the final diagnosis, Machado-Joseph disease

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    Hélio A. Ghizoni Teive

    2004-03-01

    Full Text Available As enfermidades heredo-degenerativas, entre elas as ataxias cerebelares autossômicas dominantes, agora conhecidas como ataxias espinocerebelares (AEC, correspondem a extenso grupo de s com grande heterogeneidade genética. Algumas formas de AEC, em especial a de Machado-Joseph (DMJ, caracteriza-se por acentuada variabilidade de expressão fenotípica intra e inter-familial. Em 1895, na Grã-Bretanha, foi descrita uma família com uma forma autossômica dominante de AEC que viria a ser conhecida como a família Drew de Walworth. Desde sua descrição inicial até 1995, quando do diagnóstico genético final de DMJ, vários membros e gerações desta família foram examinados e seus achados descritos na literatura por famosos neurologistas como Gowers, Stewart, Collier, Kinnier-Wilson, Turner, Worster-Drought, Ferguson, Critchley e Anita Harding. Neste artigo, os autores descrevem a trajetória histórica tortuosa e as discussões sobre os diagnósticos nosológicos propostos no decorrer de um século, com o propósito de mostrar a impressionante e atraente complexidade que envolve este grupo de s neurodegenerativas.Autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA is an heterogeneous group of neurodegenerative diseases involving cerebellum and its connections. Several forms have already been described, and it seems the most common form of SCA observed among the many series of families described worldwide is SCA3 (Machado-Joseph disease. SCA3 is characterized by a marked phenotypic expression with a wide spectrum of clinical findings including cerebellar ataxia, pyramidal and extrapyramidal (e.g. dystonia, parkinsonism, lower motor neuron syndrome and peripheral neuropathy. The Drew family of Walworth, England, has several affected members seen and described by famous neurologists including Gowers, Stewart, Collier, Kinnier-Wilson, Turner, Worster-Drought, Ferguson, Critchley, and Anita Harding from 1895 to our days. In fact, the final genetic

  1. Novel Mitochondrial Homoplasmic T4216C Mutation in Iranian Patients with Friedreich Ataxia

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    M Heidari

    2010-06-01

    Full Text Available Introduction: The mitochondrial defects in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA have been reported in many researches. Friedreich ataxia is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder caused by decreased expression of the Frataxin protein. Frataxin deficiency leads to excessive free radical production and dysfunction of respiratory chain complexes. Mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA could be considered as a candidate modifier factor for FRDA disease. It prompted us to focus on the mtDNA and monitor the nucleotide changes of genome which are probably the cause of respiratory chain defects and reduced ATP generation. Methods: We searched the mitochondrial NADH dehydroganase I (ND1 gene by PCR-TTGE and DNA fragments showing abnormal banding patterns were sequenced for the identification of exact mutations. Results: In 20 patients, we detected 3 mtDNA mutations which is novel in Friedreich ataxia. T4216C mutation results in conversion of Tyrosine to Histidine in 313 amino acid locations in ND1 and bioinformatics studies show that ND1 protein loses sixth intramembrane α chain. Conclusion: Our results showed that ND1 gene mutations in FRDA samples are higher than normal controls (P<0.001. It is possible that mutations in mtDNA could constitute a predisposing factor in combination with environmental risk factors that could affect the age of onset and rate of disease progression.

  2. A novel c.5308_5311delGAGA mutation in Senataxin in a Cypriot family with an autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia

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    Zamba-Papanicolaou Eleni

    2008-04-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Senataxin (chromosome 9q34 was recently identified as the causative gene for an autosomal recessive form of Ataxia (ARCA, termed as Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia, type 2 (AOA2 and characterized by generalized incoordination, cerebellar atrophy, peripheral neuropathy, "oculomotor apraxia" and increased alpha-fetoprotein (AFP. Here, we report a novel Senataxin mutation in a Cypriot ARCA family. Methods We studied several Cypriot autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia (ARCA families for linkage to known ARCA gene loci. We linked one family (909 to the SETX locus on chromosome 9q34 and screened the proband for mutations by direct sequencing. Results Sequence analysis revealed a novel c.5308_5311delGAGA mutation in exon 11 of the SETX gene. The mutation has not been detected in 204 control chromosomes from the Cypriot population, the remaining Cypriot ARCA families and 37 Cypriot sporadic cerebellar ataxia patients. Conclusion We identified a novel SETX homozygous c.5308_5311delGAGA mutation that co-segregates with ARCA with cerebellar atrophy and raised AFP.

  3. Clinical features of Friedreich's ataxia: classical and atypical phenotypes.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Parkinson, Michael H; Boesch, Sylvia; Nachbauer, Wolfgang; Mariotti, Caterina; Giunti, Paola

    2013-08-01

    One hundred and fifty years since Nikolaus Friedreich's first description of the degenerative ataxic syndrome which bears his name, his description remains at the core of the classical clinical phenotype of gait and limb ataxia, poor balance and coordination, leg weakness, sensory loss, areflexia, impaired walking, dysarthria, dysphagia, eye movement abnormalities, scoliosis, foot deformities, cardiomyopathy and diabetes. Onset is typically around puberty with slow progression and shortened life-span often related to cardiac complications. Inheritance is autosomal recessive with the vast majority of cases showing an unstable intronic GAA expansion in both alleles of the frataxin gene on chromosome 9q13. A small number of cases are caused by a compound heterozygous expansion with a point mutation or deletion. Understanding of the underlying molecular biology has enabled identification of atypical phenotypes with late onset, or atypical features such as retained reflexes. Late-onset cases tend to have slower progression and are associated with smaller GAA expansions. Early-onset cases tend to have more rapid progression and a higher frequency of non-neurological features such as diabetes, cardiomyopathy, scoliosis and pes cavus. Compound heterozygotes, including those with large deletions, often have atypical features. In this paper, we review the classical and atypical clinical phenotypes of Friedreich's ataxia. © 2013 International Society for Neurochemistry.

  4. The nucleus raphe interpositus in spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (Machado-Joseph disease)

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Rub, U; Brunt, ER; Gierga, K; Schultz, C; Paulson, H; de Vos, RAI; Braak, H

    The nucleus raphe interpositus (RIP) plays an important role in the premotor network for saccades. Its omnipause neurons gate the activity of the burst neurons for vertical saccades lying within the rostral interstitial nucleus of the medial longitudinal fascicle and that for horizontal saccades

  5. Motor pathway degeneration in young ataxia telangiectasia patients: A diffusion tractography study

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    Ishani Sahama

    2015-01-01

    Conclusions: Whole tract analysis of the corticomotor, corticospinal and somatosensory pathways in ataxia telangiectasia showed significant white matter degeneration along the entire length of motor circuits, highlighting that ataxia–telangiectasia gene mutation impacts the cerebellum and multiple other motor circuits in young patients.

  6. Toxic agents causing cerebellar ataxias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Manto, Mario

    2012-01-01

    The cerebellum is particularly vulnerable to intoxication and poisoning, especially so the cerebellar cortex and Purkinje neurons. In humans, the most common cause of a toxic lesion to the cerebellar circuitry is alcohol related, but the cerebellum is also a main target of drug exposure (such as anticonvulsants, antineoplastics, lithium salts, calcineurin inhibitors), drug abuse and addiction (such as cocaine, heroin, phencyclidine), and environmental toxins (such as mercury, lead, manganese, toluene/benzene derivatives). Although data for the prevalence and incidence of cerebellar lesions related to intoxication and poisoning are still unknown in many cases, clinicians should keep in mind the list of agents that may cause cerebellar deficits, since toxin-induced cerebellar ataxias are not rare in daily practice. Moreover, the patient's status may require immediate therapies when the intoxication is life-threatening. 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  7. Understanding the genetic and molecular pathogenesis of Friedreich’s ataxia through animal and cellular models

    Science.gov (United States)

    Martelli, Alain; Napierala, Marek; Puccio, Hélène

    2012-01-01

    In 1996, a link was identified between Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA), the most common inherited ataxia in men, and alterations in the gene encoding frataxin (FXN). Initial studies revealed that the disease is caused by a unique, most frequently biallelic, expansion of the GAA sequence in intron 1 of FXN. Since the identification of this link, there has been tremendous progress in understanding frataxin function and the mechanism of FRDA pathology, as well as in developing diagnostics and therapeutic approaches for the disease. These advances were the subject of the 4th International Friedreich’s Ataxia Conference held on 5th–7th May in the Institut de Génétique et de Biologie Moléculaire et Cellulaire, Illkirch, France. More than 200 scientists gathered from all over the world to present the results of research spanning all areas of investigation into FRDA (including clinical aspects, FRDA pathogenesis, genetics and epigenetics of the disease, development of new models of FRDA, and drug discovery). This review provides an update on the understanding of frataxin function, developments of animal and cellular models of the disease, and recent advances in trying to uncover potential molecules for therapy. PMID:22382366

  8. CT and MR imaging of splenic leiomyoma in a child with ataxia telangiectasia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Coskun, M. [Dept. of Radiology, Hacettepe University Hospital, Ankara (Turkey); Aydingoez, Ue. [Dept. of Radiology, Hacettepe University Hospital, Ankara (Turkey); Tacal, T. [Dept. of Radiology, Hacettepe University Hospital, Ankara (Turkey); Ariyuerek, M. [Dept. of Radiology, Hacettepe University Hospital, Ankara (Turkey); Demirkazik, F. [Dept. of Radiology, Hacettepe University Hospital, Ankara (Turkey); Oguzkurt, L. [Dept. of Radiology, Hacettepe University Hospital, Ankara (Turkey)

    1995-02-01

    Computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings of a splenic leiomyoma in an 8-year-old boy with ataxia telangiectasia are presented. This is the first reported case of a splenic leiomyoma in the literature. (orig.)

  9. CT and MR imaging of splenic leiomyoma in a child with ataxia telangiectasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coskun, M.; Aydingoez, Ue.; Tacal, T.; Ariyuerek, M.; Demirkazik, F.; Oguzkurt, L.

    1995-01-01

    Computed tomographic and magnetic resonance imaging findings of a splenic leiomyoma in an 8-year-old boy with ataxia telangiectasia are presented. This is the first reported case of a splenic leiomyoma in the literature. (orig.)

  10. Ataxia cerebelosa persistente despues de la administracion toxica de difenilhidantoina

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    Andrés M. Villa

    1994-12-01

    Full Text Available La intoxicacion cronica con difenilhidantoina (DFH es bien conocida como causa de ataxia irreversible en pacientes epilépticos debida a atrofia cerebelosa con perdida de células de Purkinje. No es asi con la intoxicación aguda, puesto que sus signos y síntomas son reversibles. Presentamos un paciente con convulsiones parciales complejas, secundarias a un quiste temporal, que habia sido tratado irregularmente con DFH durante dos años con dosis variables que oscilaban en los 100 mg/dia. Dada la refractariedad de su cuadro convulsivo en una entrevista previa a su ingreso se le indico un aumento brusco de la dosis del fármaco que alcanzo a los 400 mg/dia. Ello ocasiono un sindrome pancerebeloso severo que motivo su internación. Posteriormente a la suspension de la DFH y la exeresis del quiste temporal mejoro su cuadro convulsivo, aunque quedo con ataxia de miembros inferiores y asinergia de tronco, cuadro con el que fue dado de alta. Un año despues, el paciente se encontraba libre de convulsiones, pero su sindrome cerebeloso no se habia modificado. El estudio por imágenes no evidencio atrofia cerebelosa.

  11. Ataxia de Friedreich de inicio tardío: Descripción clínica en una familia argentina

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    Manuel Pérez Akly

    2013-10-01

    Full Text Available La ataxia de Friedreich (AF es la ataxia hereditaria más común; está causada por una expansión anormal del triplete GAA del primer intrón del gen X25 en el cromosoma 9. Se presenta comúnmente en menores de 25 años y se asocia a trastornos musculoesqueléticos, endocrinos y miocárdicos. Entre sus variantes fenotípicas se describen casos que inician su sintomatología después de los 25 años de edad, definidos como ataxia de Freidreich de inicio tardío (AFIT. Nuestro objetivo fue la descripción de una familia con tres hermanos afectados, todos de inicio tardío. Los síntomas se iniciaron entre los 32 y 34 años, con trastornos de la marcha y disartria cerebelosa, que se agravaron en el curso de 6 a 12 meses, haciéndose más evidentes. Ninguno presentaba compromiso musculoesquelético ni miocárdico. No existían antecedentes familiares de ataxias u otros trastornos neurológicos. En 2 casos se realizó estudio genético que evidenció la expansión anormal del triplete GAA, confirmando el diagnóstico de AF. Se realizaron resonancias magnéticas (RM de encéfalo, encontrándose atrofia medular con preservación de estructuras cerebelosas en dos casos, y atrofia vermiana y medular en el tercero. En las ataxias cerebelosas con disartria y pérdida de la sensibilidad profunda que se inician después de los 25 años, sean éstas esporádicas o vinculadas a una herencia recesiva, se debe considerar la investigación de expansiones GAA en el gen de la AF.

  12. A Novel CACNA1A Nonsense Variant [c.4054C>T (p.Arg1352⁎] Causing Episodic Ataxia Type 2

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    Sean Lance

    2018-01-01

    Full Text Available Episodic ataxia is a heterogenous group of uncommon neurological disorders characterised by recurrent episodes of vertigo, dysarthria, and ataxia for which a variety of different genetic variations have been implicated. Episodic ataxia type two (EA2 is the most common and also has the largest number of identified causative genetic variants. Treatment with acetazolamide is effective in improving symptoms, so accurate diagnosis is essential. However, a large proportion of patients with EA2 have negative genetic testing. We present a patient with a typical history of EA2 who had a novel variant in the CACNA1A gene not previously described. Report of such variations is important in learning more about the disease and improving diagnostic yield for the patient.

  13. A Novel CACNA1A Nonsense Variant [c.4054C>T (p.Arg1352⁎)] Causing Episodic Ataxia Type 2.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lance, Sean; Mossman, Stuart; Poke, Gemma

    2018-01-01

    Episodic ataxia is a heterogenous group of uncommon neurological disorders characterised by recurrent episodes of vertigo, dysarthria, and ataxia for which a variety of different genetic variations have been implicated. Episodic ataxia type two (EA2) is the most common and also has the largest number of identified causative genetic variants. Treatment with acetazolamide is effective in improving symptoms, so accurate diagnosis is essential. However, a large proportion of patients with EA2 have negative genetic testing. We present a patient with a typical history of EA2 who had a novel variant in the CACNA1A gene not previously described. Report of such variations is important in learning more about the disease and improving diagnostic yield for the patient.

  14. A Rare Case of Cerebellar Ataxia Due to Voltage-Gated Calcium Channel and Glutamic Acid Decarboxylase Autoantibodies.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Annunziata, Giuseppe; Lobo, Pamela; Carbuccia, Cristian

    2017-11-27

    BACKGROUND Autoimmune cerebellar ataxia can be paraneoplastic in nature or can occasionally present without evidence of an ongoing malignancy. The detection of specific autoantibodies has been statistically linked to different etiologies. CASE REPORT A 55-year-old African-American woman with hypertension and a past history of morbid obesity and uncontrolled diabetes status post gastric bypass four years prior to the visit (with significantly improved body mass index and hemoglobin A1c controlled at the time of the clinical encounter) presented to the office complaining of gradual onset of unsteadiness and recurrent falls for the past three years, as well as difficulties coordinating routine daily activities. The neurologic exam showed moderate dysarthria and ataxic gait with bilateral dysmetria and positive Romberg test. Routine laboratory test results were only remarkable for a mild elevation of erythrocyte sedimentation rate, and most laboratory and imaging tests for common causes of ataxia failed to demonstrate an etiology. Upon further workup, evidence of anti-voltage-gated calcium channel and anti-glutamic acid decarboxylase antibody was demonstrated. She was then treated with intravenous immunoglobulins with remarkable clinical improvement. CONCLUSIONS We present a case of antibody-mediated ataxia not associated with malignancy. While ataxia is rarely related to autoantibodies, in such cases it is critical to understand the etiology of this disabling condition in order to treat it correctly. Clinicians should be aware of the possible association with specific autoantibodies and the necessity to rule out an occult malignancy in such cases.

  15. The mechanism of ipsilateral ataxia in lacunar hemiparesis: SPECT perfusion imaging.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yamamoto, Ryoo; Johkura, Ken; Nakae, Yoshiharu; Tanaka, Fumiaki

    2015-01-01

    Although ataxic hemiparesis is a common lacunar syndrome, the precise mechanism underlying hemiataxia is not clear. We attempted to identify ataxia-related, cerebral blood flow changes in patients presenting with ataxic hemiparesis after acute capsular infarct. We used 99mTc-ECD brain perfusion single-photon emission computed tomography to evaluate regional cerebral blood flow in 12 patients with ataxic hemiparesis caused by capsular infarct, and we compared the regional blood flow of these patients with that of 11 patients with pure motor hemiparesis caused by similar lesions. The ipsilateral red nucleus blood flow was significantly decreased in the ataxic hemiparesis patients, whereas the ipsilateral red nucleus blood flow was increased in the pure motor hemiparesis patients. Crossed cerebellar diaschisis (decreased contralateral cerebellar blood flow) was seen in ataxic hemiparesis patients; similarly, it was seen in pure motor hemiparesis patients. Our findings suggest that ataxia in hemiparetic patients with capsular infarct can be caused by ipsilateral red nucleus dysfunction secondary to cortico-rubral pathway disruption at the internal capsule.

  16. Trouble with ataxia: A longitudinal qualitative study of the diagnosis and medical management of a group of rare, progressive neurological conditions

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ealing, John; Greenfield, Julie; Kingston, Helen; Sanders, Caroline; Payne, Katherine

    2013-01-01

    Objectives: An exploratory investigation of diagnosis and management in progressive ataxias: rare neurological conditions usually affecting balance, mobility and speech. Methods: A longitudinal qualitative study into the experiences of people with ataxia and neurologists. Thematic analysis and follow-up interviews were used to determine diagnosis and management issues over time. Results: People with ataxia recruited via two hospital departments and Ataxia UK were interviewed at baseline (n = 38) and 12-month follow-up (n = 31). Eight consultant neurologists were interviewed once. Patient accounts were diverse, but many expressed frustration at having an incurable condition and dissatisfaction with service outcomes. At follow-up, there was variation in their contact and satisfaction with helping agencies. Service issues regarding continuity of care and the primary/secondary care interface were evident. Neurologists’ accounts also varied. One-half reported that there is nothing that can be done, and one-half favoured specialist referral to increase the likelihood of finding an underlying aetiology within budget constraints. Conclusions: Diagnostic uncertainties existing at baseline remained for patients at follow-up interviews, although some had learned to deal with the uncertainties brought by the diagnosis of a largely untreatable condition. Care pathways only seemed to operate in the case of defined conditions, such as Friedreich’s Ataxia, the most commonly inherited cause. The findings point to a need to develop the evidence base to inform the relative utility of diagnostic procedures in the context of finite resources for patient care and support. PMID:26770684

  17. Targeted disruption of Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene in miniature pigs by somatic cell nuclear transfer

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    Kim, Young June; Ahn, Kwang Sung; Kim, Minjeong; Kim, Min Ju; Park, Sang-Min; Ryu, Junghyun; Ahn, Jin Seop; Heo, Soon Young; Kang, Jee Hyun; Choi, You Jung [Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS NBM Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Choi, Seong-Jun [Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Shim, Hosup, E-mail: shim@dku.edu [Department of Nanobiomedical Science and BK21 PLUS NBM Global Research Center for Regenerative Medicine, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Institute of Tissue Regeneration Engineering, Dankook University, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of); Department of Physiology, Dankook University School of Medicine, Cheonan (Korea, Republic of)

    2014-10-03

    Highlights: • ATM gene-targeted pigs were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. • A novel large animal model for ataxia telangiectasia was developed. • The new model may provide an alternative to the mouse model. - Abstract: Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a recessive autosomal disorder associated with pleiotropic phenotypes, including progressive cerebellar degeneration, gonad atrophy, and growth retardation. Even though A-T is known to be caused by the mutations in the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, the correlation between abnormal cellular physiology caused by ATM mutations and the multiple symptoms of A-T disease has not been clearly determined. None of the existing ATM mouse models properly reflects the extent to which neurological degeneration occurs in human. In an attempt to provide a large animal model for A-T, we produced gene-targeted pigs with mutations in the ATM gene by somatic cell nuclear transfer. The disrupted allele in the ATM gene of cloned piglets was confirmed via PCR and Southern blot analysis. The ATM gene-targeted pigs generated in the present study may provide an alternative to the current mouse model for the study of mechanisms underlying A-T disorder and for the development of new therapies.

  18. Targeted disruption of Ataxia-telangiectasia mutated gene in miniature pigs by somatic cell nuclear transfer

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Young June; Ahn, Kwang Sung; Kim, Minjeong; Kim, Min Ju; Park, Sang-Min; Ryu, Junghyun; Ahn, Jin Seop; Heo, Soon Young; Kang, Jee Hyun; Choi, You Jung; Choi, Seong-Jun; Shim, Hosup

    2014-01-01

    Highlights: • ATM gene-targeted pigs were produced by somatic cell nuclear transfer. • A novel large animal model for ataxia telangiectasia was developed. • The new model may provide an alternative to the mouse model. - Abstract: Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a recessive autosomal disorder associated with pleiotropic phenotypes, including progressive cerebellar degeneration, gonad atrophy, and growth retardation. Even though A-T is known to be caused by the mutations in the Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) gene, the correlation between abnormal cellular physiology caused by ATM mutations and the multiple symptoms of A-T disease has not been clearly determined. None of the existing ATM mouse models properly reflects the extent to which neurological degeneration occurs in human. In an attempt to provide a large animal model for A-T, we produced gene-targeted pigs with mutations in the ATM gene by somatic cell nuclear transfer. The disrupted allele in the ATM gene of cloned piglets was confirmed via PCR and Southern blot analysis. The ATM gene-targeted pigs generated in the present study may provide an alternative to the current mouse model for the study of mechanisms underlying A-T disorder and for the development of new therapies

  19. Large Genomic Deletions in CACNA1A Cause Episodic Ataxia Type 2

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    Jijun eWan

    2011-09-01

    Full Text Available Episodic ataxia (EA syndromes are heritable diseases characterized by dramatic episodes of imbalance and incoordination. Episodic ataxia type 2 (EA2, the most common and the best characterized subtype, is caused by mostly nonsense, splice site, small indel and sometimes missense mutations in CACNA1A. Direct sequencing of CACNA1A fails to identify mutations in some patients with EA2-like features, possibly due to incomplete interrogation of CACNA1A or defects in other EA genes not yet defined. Previous reports described genomic deletions between 4-40kb in EA2. In 47 subjects with EA (26 with EA2-like features who tested negative for mutations in the known EA genes, we used Multiplex Ligation-dependent Probe Amplification (MLPA to analyze CACNA1A for exonic copy number variations. Breakpoints were further defined by long-range PCR. We identified distinct multi-exonic deletions in three probands with classic EA2-like features: episodes of prolonged vertigo and ataxia triggered by stress and fatigue, interictal nystagmus, with onset during infancy or early childhood. The breakpoints in all three probands are located in Alu sequences, indicating errors in homologous recombination of Alu sequences as the underlying mechanism. The smallest deletion spanned exons 39 and 40, while the largest deletion spanned 200kb, missing all but the first three exons. One deletion involving exons 39 through 47 arose spontaneously. The search for mutations in CACNA1A appears most fruitful in EA patients with interictal nystagmus and onset early in life. The finding of large heterozygous deletions suggests haploinsufficiency as a possible pathomechanism of EA2.

  20. Further Delineation of the Clinical Phenotype of Cerebellar Ataxia, Mental Retardation, and Disequilibrium Syndrome Type 4

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    Saud Alsahli

    2018-02-01

    Full Text Available Background: Cerebellar ataxia, mental retardation, and disequilibrium syndrome (CAMRQ is a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders that have been grouped by shared clinical features; all of these features are transmitted via an autosomal recessive mechanism. Four variants of this syndrome have been identified so far, and each one differs in terms of both clinical and genotypical features. CAMRQ4 is a rare genetic disorder characterized by mental retardation, ataxia or an inability to walk, dysarthria and, in some patients, quadrupedal gait. Methods: We investigated three Saudi families with CAMRQ4. Blood samples were collected from the affected patients, their parents, and healthy siblings. DNA was extracted from whole blood, and whole-exome sequencing was performed. Findings were confirmed by segregation analysis, which was performed on other family members. Results: Thus far, 17 patients have been affected by CAMRQ4. Genetic analysis of all patients, including our current patients, showed a mutation in the aminophospholipid transporter, class I, type 8A, member 2 gene ( ATP8A2 . A series of common phenotypical features have been reported in these patients, with few exceptions. Ataxia, mental retardation, and hypotonia were present in all patients, consanguinity in 90% and abnormal movements in 50%. Moreover, 40% achieved ambulation at least once in their lifetime, 40% had microcephaly, whereas 30% were mute. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI of the brain was normal in 60% of patients. Conclusions: We described the largest cohort of patients with CAMRQ4 syndrome and identified three novel mutations. CAMRQ4 syndrome should be suspected in patients presenting with ataxia, intellectual disability, hypotonia, microcephaly, choreoathetoid movements, ophthalmoplegia, and global developmental delay, even if brain MRI appears normal.

  1. Further Delineation of the Clinical Phenotype of Cerebellar Ataxia, Mental Retardation, and Disequilibrium Syndrome Type 4.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Alsahli, Saud; Alrifai, Muhammad Talal; Al Tala, Saeed; Mutairi, Fuad Al; Alfadhel, Majid

    2018-01-01

    Cerebellar ataxia, mental retardation, and disequilibrium syndrome (CAMRQ) is a heterogeneous group of genetic disorders that have been grouped by shared clinical features; all of these features are transmitted via an autosomal recessive mechanism. Four variants of this syndrome have been identified so far, and each one differs in terms of both clinical and genotypical features. CAMRQ4 is a rare genetic disorder characterized by mental retardation, ataxia or an inability to walk, dysarthria and, in some patients, quadrupedal gait. We investigated three Saudi families with CAMRQ4. Blood samples were collected from the affected patients, their parents, and healthy siblings. DNA was extracted from whole blood, and whole-exome sequencing was performed. Findings were confirmed by segregation analysis, which was performed on other family members. Thus far, 17 patients have been affected by CAMRQ4. Genetic analysis of all patients, including our current patients, showed a mutation in the aminophospholipid transporter, class I, type 8A, member 2 gene ( ATP8A2 ). A series of common phenotypical features have been reported in these patients, with few exceptions. Ataxia, mental retardation, and hypotonia were present in all patients, consanguinity in 90% and abnormal movements in 50%. Moreover, 40% achieved ambulation at least once in their lifetime, 40% had microcephaly, whereas 30% were mute. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) of the brain was normal in 60% of patients. We described the largest cohort of patients with CAMRQ4 syndrome and identified three novel mutations. CAMRQ4 syndrome should be suspected in patients presenting with ataxia, intellectual disability, hypotonia, microcephaly, choreoathetoid movements, ophthalmoplegia, and global developmental delay, even if brain MRI appears normal.

  2. Tyrosyl-DNA Phosphodiesterase I a critical survival factor for neuronal development and homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    van Waardenburg, Robert C A M

    2016-01-01

    Tyrosyl-DNA phosphodiesterase I (TDP1), like most DNA repair associated proteins, is not essential for cell viability. However, dysfunctioning TDP1 or ATM (ataxia telangiectasia mutated) results in autosomal recessive neuropathology with similar phenotypes, including cerebellar atrophy. Dual inactivation of TDP1 and ATM causes synthetic lethality. A TDP1H 493 R catalytic mutant is associated with spinocerebellar ataxia with axonal neuropathy (SCAN1), and stabilizes the TDP1 catalytic obligatory enzyme-DNA covalent complex. The ATM kinase activates proteins early on in response to DNA damage. Tdp1-/- and Atm-/- mice exhibit accumulation of DNA topoisomerase I-DNA covalent complexes (TOPO1-cc) explicitly in neuronal tissue during development. TDP1 resolves 3'- and 5'-DNA adducts including trapped TOPO1-cc and TOPO1 protease resistant peptide-DNA complex. ATM appears to regulate the response to TOPO1-cc via a noncanonical function by regulating SUMO/ubiquitin-mediated TOPO1 degradation. In conclusion, TDP1 and ATM are critical factors for neuronal cell viability via two independent but cooperative pathways.

  3. Atxn2 Knockout and CAG42-Knock-in Cerebellum Shows Similarly Dysregulated Expression in Calcium Homeostasis Pathway.

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    Halbach, Melanie Vanessa; Gispert, Suzana; Stehning, Tanja; Damrath, Ewa; Walter, Michael; Auburger, Georg

    2017-02-01

    Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disorder with preferential affection of Purkinje neurons, which are known as integrators of calcium currents. The expansion of a polyglutamine (polyQ) domain in the RNA-binding protein ataxin-2 (ATXN2) is responsible for this disease, but the causal roles of deficient ATXN2 functions versus aggregation toxicity are still under debate. Here, we studied mouse mutants with Atxn2 knockout (KO) regarding their cerebellar global transcriptome by microarray and RT-qPCR, in comparison with data from Atxn2-CAG42-knock-in (KIN) mouse cerebellum. Global expression downregulations involved lipid and growth signaling pathways in good agreement with previous data. As a novel effect, downregulations of key factors in calcium homeostasis pathways (the transcription factor Rora, transporters Itpr1 and Atp2a2, as well as regulator Inpp5a) were observed in the KO cerebellum, and some of them also occurred subtly early in KIN cerebellum. The ITPR1 protein levels were depleted from soluble fractions of cerebellum in both mutants, but accumulated in its membrane-associated form only in the SCA2 model. Coimmunoprecipitation demonstrated no association of ITPR1 with Q42-expanded or with wild-type ATXN2. These findings provide evidence that the physiological functions and protein interactions of ATXN2 are relevant for calcium-mediated excitation of Purkinje cells as well as for ATXN2-triggered neurotoxicity. These insights may help to understand pathogenesis and tissue specificity in SCA2 and other polyQ ataxias like SCA1, where inositol regulation of calcium flux and RORalpha play a role.

  4. m-AAA proteases, mitochondrial calcium homeostasis and neurodegeneration.

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    Patron, Maria; Sprenger, Hans-Georg; Langer, Thomas

    2018-03-01

    The function of mitochondria depends on ubiquitously expressed and evolutionary conserved m-AAA proteases in the inner membrane. These ATP-dependent peptidases form hexameric complexes built up of homologous subunits. AFG3L2 subunits assemble either into homo-oligomeric isoenzymes or with SPG7 (paraplegin) subunits into hetero-oligomeric proteolytic complexes. Mutations in AFG3L2 are associated with dominant spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA28) characterized by the loss of Purkinje cells, whereas mutations in SPG7 cause a recessive form of hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP7) with motor neurons of the cortico-spinal tract being predominantly affected. Pleiotropic functions have been assigned to m-AAA proteases, which act as quality control and regulatory enzymes in mitochondria. Loss of m-AAA proteases affects mitochondrial protein synthesis and respiration and leads to mitochondrial fragmentation and deficiencies in the axonal transport of mitochondria. Moreover m-AAA proteases regulate the assembly of the mitochondrial calcium uniporter (MCU) complex. Impaired degradation of the MCU subunit EMRE in AFG3L2-deficient mitochondria results in the formation of deregulated MCU complexes, increased mitochondrial calcium uptake and increased vulnerability of neurons for calcium-induced cell death. A reduction of calcium influx into the cytosol of Purkinje cells rescues ataxia in an AFG3L2-deficient mouse model. In this review, we discuss the relationship between the m-AAA protease and mitochondrial calcium homeostasis and its relevance for neurodegeneration and describe a novel mouse model lacking MCU specifically in Purkinje cells. Our results pledge for a novel view on m-AAA proteases that integrates their pleiotropic functions in mitochondria to explain the pathogenesis of associated neurodegenerative disorders.

  5. Ataxia heredo-degenerativa associada a hipoacusia

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    José Antonio Levy

    1964-06-01

    Full Text Available São estudados três irmãos, respectivamente com 16, 8 e 6 anos de idade, todos do sexo masculino, com ataxia heredo-degenerativa associada, em dois dêles, a hipoacusia. Nos antecedentes há referência a moléstia semelhante em um avô e um tio-avô. É discutido o diagnóstico diferencial com a moléstia de Pièrre Marie, a doença de Charcot-Marie-Tooth, a síndrome de Refsum e a neurite intersticial hipertrófica, sendo acentuada a semelhança dos casos estudados com a moléstia de Friedreich. São feitos comentários à associação da doença de Friedreich com distúrbios da audição.

  6. Enfermedad cardiovascular en pacientes cubanos afectados por Ataxia de Friedreich.

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    Tania Cruz Mariño

    2010-01-01

    Full Text Available Al describir la ataxia de Friedreich, Nicholaus hizo referencia a la patología cardiaca. Esta enfermedad autosómica recesiva se debe a una mutación dinámica en el gen FRDA, codificándose deficientemente la proteína Frataxina, conduciendo a estrés oxidativo y muerte celular cardiaca. La presente investigación se desarrolló con el objetivo de describir las anomalías cardiovasculares presentes en los pacientes cubanos afectados por ataxia de Friedreich. A los individuos con diagnóstico molecular confirmatorio de la enfermedad se les realizó electrocardiograma y ecocardiograma, así como evaluación clínica mediante escalas validadas internacionalmente: ICARS y SARA. Los trastornos de repolarización ventricular difusos, los trastornos de conducción intraauricular, así como los trastornos de la función diastólica resultaron hallazgos frecuentes. El patrón restrictivo apreciado provee evidencia invivo de que la enfermedad conduce a disfunción diastólica del ventrículo izquierdo. La ocurrencia de un Infarto Agudo del Miocardio silente indica la importancia de identificar formas incipientes de afectación miocárdica.

  7. Transient cerebellopontine demyelinisation revealed by MRI in acute cerebellar ataxia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Aufricht, C.A.; Tenner, W.; Rosenmayr, F.; Stiglbauer, R.

    1990-01-01

    An eight year old boy was admitted to our ward with a history of abrupt onset of rapidly progressive gait disorder, nausea, vertigo and vomiting. The clinical as well as the laboratory findings suggested the diagnosis of acute cerebellar ataxia. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), however, showed marked demyelinisation in the cerebellar region and visual evoked potentials were pathologic. After immunosuppression the patient promptly improved clinically and the lesions depicted by MRI disappeared almost completely. (orig.)

  8. Novel Missense Mitochondrial ND4L Gene Mutations in Friedreich's Ataxia

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    Mohammad Mehdi Heidari

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available AbstractObjective(sThe mitochondrial defects in Friedreich's ataxia have been reported in many researches. Mitochondrial DNA is one of the candidates for defects in mitochondrion, and complex I is the first and one of the largest catalytic complexes of oxidative phosphorylation (OXPHOS system. Materials and MethodsWe searched the mitochondrial ND4L gene for mutations by TTGE and sequencing on 30 FRDA patients and 35 healthy controls.ResultsWe found 3 missense mutations [m.10506A>G (T13A, m.10530G>A (V21M, and m.10653G>A (A62T] in four patients whose m.10530G>A and m.10653G>A were not reported previously. In two patients, heteroplasmic m.10530G>A mutation was detected. They showed a very early ataxia syndrome. Our results showed that the number of mutations in FRDA patients was higher than that in the control cases (P= 0.0287.ConclusionAlthough this disease is due to nuclear gene mutation, the presence of these mutations might be responsible for further mitochondrial defects and the increase of the gravity of the disease. Thus, it should be considered in patients with this disorder.

  9. Atypical Features in a Large Turkish Family Affected with Friedreich Ataxia

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    Semiha Kurt

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Here, we describe the clinical features of several members of the same family diagnosed with Friedreich ataxia (FRDA and cerebral lesions, demyelinating neuropathy, and late-age onset without a significant cardiac involvement and presenting with similar symptoms, although genetic testing was negative for the GAA repeat expansion in one patient of the family. The GAA repeat expansion in the frataxin gene was shown in all of the family members except in a young female patient. MRI revealed arachnoid cysts in two patients; MRI was consistent with both cavum septum pellucidum-cavum vergae and nodular signal intensity increase in one patient. EMG showed demyelinating sensorimotor polyneuropathy in another patient. The GAA expansion-negative 11-year-old female patient had mental-motor retardation, epilepsy, and ataxia. None of the patients had significant cardiac symptoms. Description of FRDA families with different ethnic backgrounds may assist in identifying possible phenotypic and genetic features of the disease. Furthermore, the genetic heterogeneity observed in this family draws attention to the difficulty of genetic counseling in an inbred population and to the need for genotyping all affected members before delivering comprehensive genetic counseling.

  10. MicroRNAs in Experimental Models of Movement Disorders

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    Soon-Tae Lee

    2011-10-01

    Full Text Available MicroRNAs (miRNAs are small RNAs comprised of 20–25 nucleotides that regulates gene expression by inducing translational repression or degradation of target mRNA. The importance of miRNAs as a mediator of disease pathogenesis and therapeutic targets is rapidly emerging in neuroscience, as well as oncology, immunology, and cardiovascular diseases. In Parkinson’s disease and related disorders, multiple studies have identified the implications of specific miRNAs and the polymorphisms of miRNA target genes during the disease pathogenesis. With a focus on Parkinson’s disease, spinocerebellar ataxia, hereditary spastic paraplegia, and Huntington’s disease, this review summarizes and interprets the observations, and proposes future research topics in this field.

  11. Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS) Motor Dysfunction Modeled in Mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foote, Molly; Arque, Gloria; Berman, Robert F; Santos, Mónica

    2016-10-01

    Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder that affects some carriers of the fragile X premutation (PM). In PM carriers, there is a moderate expansion of a CGG trinucleotide sequence (55-200 repeats) in the fragile X gene (FMR1) leading to increased FMR1 mRNA and small to moderate decreases in the fragile X mental retardation protein (FMRP) expression. The key symptoms of FXTAS include cerebellar gait ataxia, kinetic tremor, sensorimotor deficits, neuropsychiatric changes, and dementia. While the specific trigger(s) that causes PM carriers to progress to FXTAS pathogenesis remains elusive, the use of animal models has shed light on the underlying neurobiology of the altered pathways involved in disease development. In this review, we examine the current use of mouse models to study PM and FXTAS, focusing on recent advances in the field. Specifically, we will discuss the construct, face, and predictive validities of these PM mouse models, the insights into the underlying disease mechanisms, and potential treatments.

  12. Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS) Motor Dysfunction Modeled in Mice

    Science.gov (United States)

    Foote, Molly; Arque, Gloria; Berman, Robert F.; Santos, Mónica

    2016-01-01

    Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late onset neurodegenerative disorder that affects some carriers of the Fragile X premutation (PM). In PM carriers there is a moderate expansion of a CGG trinucleotide sequence (55-200 repeats) in the fragile X gene (FMR1) leading to increased FMR1 mRNA and small to moderate decreases in the Fragile X Mental Retardation Protein (FMRP) expression. The key symptoms of FXTAS include cerebellar gait ataxia, kinetic tremor, sensorimotor deficits, neuropsychiatric changes, and dementia. While the specific trigger(s) that cause PM carriers to progress to FXTAS pathogenesis remains elusive, the use of animal models has shed light on the underlying neurobiology of the altered pathways involved in disease development. In this review, we examine the current use of mouse models to study PM and FXTAS, focusing on recent advances in the field. Specifically we will discuss the construct, face and predictive validities of these PM mouse models, the insights into the underlying disease mechanisms and potential treatments. PMID:27255703

  13. Cerebellar Ataxia and Coenzyme Q Deficiency through Loss of Unorthodox Kinase Activity.

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    Stefely, Jonathan A; Licitra, Floriana; Laredj, Leila; Reidenbach, Andrew G; Kemmerer, Zachary A; Grangeray, Anais; Jaeg-Ehret, Tiphaine; Minogue, Catherine E; Ulbrich, Arne; Hutchins, Paul D; Wilkerson, Emily M; Ruan, Zheng; Aydin, Deniz; Hebert, Alexander S; Guo, Xiao; Freiberger, Elyse C; Reutenauer, Laurence; Jochem, Adam; Chergova, Maya; Johnson, Isabel E; Lohman, Danielle C; Rush, Matthew J P; Kwiecien, Nicholas W; Singh, Pankaj K; Schlagowski, Anna I; Floyd, Brendan J; Forsman, Ulrika; Sindelar, Pavel J; Westphall, Michael S; Pierrel, Fabien; Zoll, Joffrey; Dal Peraro, Matteo; Kannan, Natarajan; Bingman, Craig A; Coon, Joshua J; Isope, Philippe; Puccio, Hélène; Pagliarini, David J

    2016-08-18

    The UbiB protein kinase-like (PKL) family is widespread, comprising one-quarter of microbial PKLs and five human homologs, yet its biochemical activities remain obscure. COQ8A (ADCK3) is a mammalian UbiB protein associated with ubiquinone (CoQ) biosynthesis and an ataxia (ARCA2) through unclear means. We show that mice lacking COQ8A develop a slowly progressive cerebellar ataxia linked to Purkinje cell dysfunction and mild exercise intolerance, recapitulating ARCA2. Interspecies biochemical analyses show that COQ8A and yeast Coq8p specifically stabilize a CoQ biosynthesis complex through unorthodox PKL functions. Although COQ8 was predicted to be a protein kinase, we demonstrate that it lacks canonical protein kinase activity in trans. Instead, COQ8 has ATPase activity and interacts with lipid CoQ intermediates, functions that are likely conserved across all domains of life. Collectively, our results lend insight into the molecular activities of the ancient UbiB family and elucidate the biochemical underpinnings of a human disease. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  14. Sugammadex reversal of rocuronium-induced neuromuscular block in a patient with ataxia-telangiectasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kang, E.; Jung, J.W.

    2015-01-01

    A 17-year-old adolescent with ataxia-telangiectasia was scheduled to have laparoscopic colectomy for a resection of colon cancer. He had symptoms and signs of dyspnea, generalized dystonia, dysmetria, ataxia, and telangiectasia on the orbit. General anesthesia was performed, and rocuronium 30 mg was administered for muscle relaxation. Deep neuromuscular block (post-tetanic count: 0-8) was maintained for 95 minutes without additional rocuronium. On completion of surgery, sugammadex 80 mg was injected and train-of-four ratio was 0.93 at 210 seconds after administration. The tracheal tube was removed 5 min after the end of surgery. He recovered full spontaneous respiration and voluntary movements within 1 minute after extubation. After the surgery, he transferred to the intensive care unit and discharged 14 days after the surgery without any concrete problem. The reversal of rocuronium induced neuromuscular block by sugammadex was fast, complete, and recovered to the initial preoperative level of neuromuscular function in this patient. (author)

  15. Use of trunk stabilization and locomotor training in an adult with cerebellar ataxia: a single system design.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Freund, Jane E; Stetts, Deborah M

    2010-10-01

    The purpose of this study is to describe the effects of trunk stabilization training and locomotor training (LT) using body-weight support on a treadmill (BWST) and overground walking on balance, gait, self-reported function, and trunk muscle performance in an adult with severe ataxia secondary to brain injury. There are no studies on the effectiveness of these combined interventions in persons with ataxia. The subject was a 23-year-old male who had a traumatic brain injury 13 months prior. An A-B-A withdrawal single-system design was used. Outcome measures were Berg Balance Test (BBT), timed unsupported stance, Functional Ambulation Category (FAC), 10-meter walk test (10-MWT), Outpatient Physical Therapy Improvement in Movement Assessment Log (OPTIMAL), transverse abdominis (TrA) thickness, and isometric trunk endurance tests. Performance on the BBT, timed unsupported stance, FAC, 10-MWT, and OPTIMAL each improved after 10 weeks of intervention. In additions, TrA symmetry at rest improved as did right side-bridge endurance time. LT, using BWST and overground walking, and trunk stabilization training may be effective in improving balance, gait, function, and trunk performance in individuals with severe ataxia. Further research with additional subjects is indicated.

  16. Characteristic brain MRI findings in ataxia-neuropathy spectrum related to POLG mutation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Henao, Adriana I; Pira, Sonia; Herrera, Diego A; Vargas, Sergio A; Montoya, Jorge; Castillo, Mauricio

    2016-02-01

    Patients with mutations in the polymerase gamma gene (POLG) may present with progressive ataxia and in such situations neuroimaging findings may suggest the diagnosis. Herein we report a patient with a POLG gene W748S homozygous mutation and characteristic lesions in the thalamus, cerebellum and inferior olivary nucleus seen on magnetic resonance imaging. © The Author(s) 2016.

  17. βIII Spectrin Is Necessary for Formation of the Constricted Neck of Dendritic Spines and Regulation of Synaptic Activity in Neurons.

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    Efimova, Nadia; Korobova, Farida; Stankewich, Michael C; Moberly, Andrew H; Stolz, Donna B; Wang, Junling; Kashina, Anna; Ma, Minghong; Svitkina, Tatyana

    2017-07-05

    Dendritic spines are postsynaptic structures in neurons often having a mushroom-like shape. Physiological significance and cytoskeletal mechanisms that maintain this shape are poorly understood. The spectrin-based membrane skeleton maintains the biconcave shape of erythrocytes, but whether spectrins also determine the shape of nonerythroid cells is less clear. We show that βIII spectrin in hippocampal and cortical neurons from rodent embryos of both sexes is distributed throughout the somatodendritic compartment but is particularly enriched in the neck and base of dendritic spines and largely absent from spine heads. Electron microscopy revealed that βIII spectrin forms a detergent-resistant cytoskeletal network at these sites. Knockdown of βIII spectrin results in a significant decrease in the density of dendritic spines. Surprisingly, the density of presynaptic terminals is not affected by βIII spectrin knockdown. However, instead of making normal spiny synapses, the presynaptic structures in βIII spectrin-depleted neurons make shaft synapses that exhibit increased amplitudes of miniature EPSCs indicative of excessive postsynaptic excitation. Thus, βIII spectrin is necessary for formation of the constricted shape of the spine neck, which in turn controls communication between the synapse and the parent dendrite to prevent excessive excitation. Notably, mutations of SPTNB2 encoding βIII spectrin are associated with neurodegenerative syndromes, spinocerebellar ataxia Type 5, and spectrin-associated autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia Type 1, but molecular mechanisms linking βIII spectrin functions to neuronal pathologies remain unresolved. Our data suggest that spinocerebellar ataxia Type 5 and spectrin-associated autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia Type 1 pathology likely arises from poorly controlled synaptic activity that leads to excitotoxicity and neurodegeneration. SIGNIFICANCE STATEMENT Dendritic spines are small protrusions from neuronal

  18. Pure Progressive Ataxia and Palatal Tremor (PAPT) Associated with a New Polymerase Gamma (POLG) Mutation.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nicastro, Nicolas; Ranza, Emmanuelle; Antonarakis, Stylianos E; Horvath, Judit

    2016-12-01

    Progressive ataxia with palatal tremor (PAPT) is a syndrome caused by cerebellar and brainstem lesions involving the dentato-rubro-olivary tract and associated with hypertrophic olivary degeneration. Etiologies include acquired posterior fossa lesions (e.g. tumors, superficial siderosis, and inflammatory diseases) and genetic disorders, such as glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) and polymerase gamma (POLG) mutations. We describe the case of a 52-year-old man who developed pure progressive ataxia and palatal tremor. Genetic analysis has shown that he is compound heterozygote for a known pathogenic (W748S) and a novel POLG variant (I1185N). Patients with POLG recessive mutations usually manifest a more complex clinical picture, including polyneuropathy and epilepsy; our case emphasizes the need to consider a genetic origin in a seemingly sporadic and pure PAPT.

  19. DNA-repair synthesis in ataxia telangiectasia lymphoblastoid cells

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    Ford, M.D.; Houldsworth, J.; Lavin, M.F. (Queensland Univ., Brisbane (Australia). Dept. of Biochemistry)

    1981-12-01

    The ability of a number of Epstein-Barr virus-transformed lymphoblastoid cells from ataxia telangiectasia (AT) patients to repair ..gamma..-radiation damage to DNA was determined. All of these AT cells were previously shown to be hypersensitive to ..gamma..-radiation. Two methods were used to determine DNA-repair synthesis: isopycnic gradient analysis and a method employing hydroxyurea to inhibit semiconservative DNA synthesis. Control, AT heterozygote and AT homozygote cells were demonstrated to have similar capacities for repair of radiation damage to DNA. In addition at high radiation doses (10-40 krad) the extent of inhibition of DNA synthesis was similar in the different cell types.

  20. Canine hereditary ataxia in old english sheepdogs and gordon setters is associated with a defect in the autophagy gene encoding RAB24.

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    Caryline Agler

    2014-02-01

    Full Text Available Old English Sheepdogs and Gordon Setters suffer from a juvenile onset, autosomal recessive form of canine hereditary ataxia primarily affecting the Purkinje neuron of the cerebellar cortex. The clinical and histological characteristics are analogous to hereditary ataxias in humans. Linkage and genome-wide association studies on a cohort of related Old English Sheepdogs identified a region on CFA4 strongly associated with the disease phenotype. Targeted sequence capture and next generation sequencing of the region identified an A to C single nucleotide polymorphism (SNP located at position 113 in exon 1 of an autophagy gene, RAB24, that segregated with the phenotype. Genotyping of six additional breeds of dogs affected with hereditary ataxia identified the same polymorphism in affected Gordon Setters that segregated perfectly with phenotype. The other breeds tested did not have the polymorphism. Genome-wide SNP genotyping of Gordon Setters identified a 1.9 MB region with an identical haplotype to affected Old English Sheepdogs. Histopathology, immunohistochemistry and ultrastructural evaluation of the brains of affected dogs from both breeds identified dramatic Purkinje neuron loss with axonal spheroids, accumulation of autophagosomes, ubiquitin positive inclusions and a diffuse increase in cytoplasmic neuronal ubiquitin staining. These findings recapitulate the changes reported in mice with induced neuron-specific autophagy defects. Taken together, our results suggest that a defect in RAB24, a gene associated with autophagy, is highly associated with and may contribute to canine hereditary ataxia in Old English Sheepdogs and Gordon Setters. This finding suggests that detailed investigation of autophagy pathways should be undertaken in human hereditary ataxia.

  1. MutLα heterodimers modify the molecular phenotype of Friedreich ataxia.

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    Vahid Ezzatizadeh

    Full Text Available Friedreich ataxia (FRDA, the most common autosomal recessive ataxia disorder, is caused by a dynamic GAA repeat expansion mutation within intron 1 of FXN gene, resulting in down-regulation of frataxin expression. Studies of cell and mouse models have revealed a role for the mismatch repair (MMR MutS-heterodimer complexes and the PMS2 component of the MutLα complex in the dynamics of intergenerational and somatic GAA repeat expansions: MSH2, MSH3 and MSH6 promote GAA repeat expansions, while PMS2 inhibits GAA repeat expansions.To determine the potential role of the other component of the MutLα complex, MLH1, in GAA repeat instability in FRDA, we have analyzed intergenerational and somatic GAA repeat expansions from FXN transgenic mice that have been crossed with Mlh1 deficient mice. We find that loss of Mlh1 activity reduces both intergenerational and somatic GAA repeat expansions. However, we also find that loss of either Mlh1 or Pms2 reduces FXN transcription, suggesting different mechanisms of action for Mlh1 and Pms2 on GAA repeat expansion dynamics and regulation of FXN transcription.Both MutLα components, PMS2 and MLH1, have now been shown to modify the molecular phenotype of FRDA. We propose that upregulation of MLH1 or PMS2 could be potential FRDA therapeutic approaches to increase FXN transcription.

  2. Édouard Manet's Tabes Dorsalis: From Painful Ataxia to Phantom Limb.

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    Bogousslavsky, Julien; Tatu, Laurent

    2016-01-01

    Édouard Manet (1832-1883) is considered the 'father' of Impressionism and even of XXth century modern art. Manet's genius involved getting away from the classical narrative or historical topics and replacing them by the banality of daily life. Technically, he erased volumes into flat two-dimensional coloured planes, and distorted conventional perspective with often gross brushstrokes intentionally giving an 'unfinished' aspect to the work. It is little known that Manet had a very painful second part of his life, due to excruciating limb and chest pains, which developed in parallel with proprioceptive ataxia and gait imbalance. Manet always remained discreet about his private life, and we mainly know that his future wife was his family piano teacher, with whom he had a liaison already at age 17. Later, the great but platonic passion of his life was the painter Berthe Morisot (1841-1895), who got married to Manet's brother Eugène. In fact, we do not know whether he had any mistress at all, although he had several elegant 'flirts' in the mundane and artistic milieu. Thus, while Manet's progressive painful ataxia from age 40 yields little doubt on its tabetic origin, how he contracted syphilis at least 15-20 years before will probably remain a mystery. It is fascinating that Manet's daily struggle against pain and poor coordination may have led his art to become one of the most significant of modern times, opening the way to XXth century avant-gardes, along with another victim of syphilis, Paul Gauguin (1848-1903). Manet never showed any sign of General Paresis, and like his contemporary the writer Alphonse Daudet, his clinical picture remained dominated by paroxysmal pain and walking impairment. Difficult hand coordination made him quit watercolor painting, and during the last 2 years of his life, he had to focus on small format oil works, whose subject was nearly limited to modest bunches of fresh flowers, now often considered to be his maturity masterpieces

  3. First de novo KCND3 mutation causes severe Kv4.3 channel dysfunction leading to early onset cerebellar ataxia, intellectual disability, oral apraxia and epilepsy

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Smets, Katrien; Duarri, Anna; Deconinck, Tine; Ceulemans, Berten; van de Warrenburg, Bart P.; Zuechner, Stephan; Gonzalez, Michael Anthony; Schuele, Rebecca; Synofzik, Matthis; Van der Aa, Nathalie; De Jonghe, Peter; Verbeek, Dineke S.; Baets, Jonathan

    2015-01-01

    Background: Identification of the first de novo mutation in potassium voltage-gated channel, shal-related subfamily, member 3 (KCND3) in a patient with complex early onset cerebellar ataxia in order to expand the genetic and phenotypic spectrum. Methods: Whole exome sequencing in a cerebellar ataxia

  4. Analysis of Genetic Mutations in a Cohort of Hereditary Optic Neuropathy in Shanghai, China.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gan, Dekang; Li, Mengwei; Wu, Jihong; Sun, Xinghuai; Tian, Guohong

    2017-01-01

    To evaluate the clinical classification and characteristics of hereditary optic neuropathy patients in a single center in China. Retrospective case study. Patients diagnosed with hereditary optic neuropathy between January 2014 and December 2015 in the neuro-ophthalmology division in Shanghai Eye and ENT Hospital of Fudan University were recruited. Clinical features as well as visual field, brain/orbital MRI, and spectrum domain optical coherence tomography (SD-OCT) were analyzed. Eighty-two patients diagnosed by gene test were evaluated, including 66 males and 16 females. The mean age of the patients was 19.4 years (range, 5-46 years). A total of 158 eyes were analyzed, including 6 unilateral, 61 bilateral, and 15 sequential. The median duration of the disease was 0.5 year (range, 0.1-20 years). Genetic test identified 68 patients with Leber hereditary optic neuropathy, 9 with dominant optic neuropathy, and 2 with a Wolfram gene mutation. There was also one case of hereditary spastic paraplegia, spinocerebellar ataxia, and polymicrogyria with optic nerve atrophy, respectively. Leber hereditary optic neuropathy is the most common detected type of hereditary optic neuropathy in Shanghai, China. The detection of other autosomal mutations in hereditary optic neuropathy is limited by the currently available technique.

  5. Ataxia with Parkinsonism and dystonia after intentional inhalation of liquefied petroleum gas

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    Godani M

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Massimiliano Godani,1 Francesca Canavese,1 Sonia Migliorini,2 Massimo Del Sette1 1Neurology Unit, 2Department of Neuroradiology, Sant’Andrea Hospital, La Spezia, Italy Abstract: The practice of inhaling liquefied petroleum gas (LPG to commit suicide is uncommon and almost exclusively a prerogative of the prison population. Numerous cases of sudden deaths caused by intentional propane and/or butane inhalation have been described, but these cases survived and a description of the consequences is very rare. We describe a prisoner who survived after voluntary inhalation of LPG, and who developed ataxia, Parkinsonism, and dystonia. Brain MRI showed bilateral hyperintensity in the basal ganglia and in the cerebellar hemispheres. The clinical evolution and the MRI abnormalities are similar to those described in cases of poisoning by CO where the mechanism of brain injury is related to histotoxic hypoxia. We believe that LPG, considered until now a mixture of gas with low neurotoxic power, may have caused direct toxic damage to the brain, mediated by a mechanism of hypoxia, such as in CO intoxication. Keywords: ataxia, Parkinsonism, dystonia, liquefied petroleum gas

  6. "Six sessions is a drop in the ocean": an exploratory study of neurological physiotherapy in idiopathic and inherited ataxias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Daker-White, Gavin; Greenfield, Julie; Ealing, John

    2013-12-01

    An exploratory study to examine specialist neurological physiotherapy service provision and utilisation for people with progressive ataxia. Qualitative study involving thematic analysis of accounts in semi-structured interviews with physiotherapists and patients. People with ataxia and specialist neuro-rehabilitation physiotherapists in Greater Manchester, UK. 38 people with ataxia and 8 neurological-physiotherapists working in academic and hospital and community-based services in NHS and private settings. Recruiting physiotherapists experienced in working with the patient group was a challenge. One hour cross-sectional semi-structured interview at physiotherapists' workplaces or in patients' own homes. Neurological physiotherapy was experienced by 25 (66%) of the 38 people with ataxia. The overarching themes emerging from the analysis were 'making a difference,' engagement and service provision. A majority of both samples felt that services should be organised so as to provide longer term therapy and support that goes beyond short care packages followed by provision of home exercise programme. Engagement with services was linked to patient expectations, adherence and perception of outcomes. The most predominant codes in the data set were encapsulated by the theme 'making a difference,' which further included concerns about how to measure perceived clinical improvement (as experienced by patients) in the context of progressive decline. The findings suggest a model of idealised service provision involving a holistic, open-access service including research efforts to improve the evidence base. Special attention needs to be paid to measuring improvements following therapy. Copyright © 2013 Chartered Society of Physiotherapy. Published by Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  7. Genetic and cellular features of ataxia telangiectasia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Taylor, A M.R.; Byrd, P J; McConville, C M; Thacker, S [Birmingham Univ. (United Kingdom). CRC Dept. of Cancer Studies

    1994-01-01

    Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) is a developmental disorder in which many organ systems are affected. The children are recognized by a progressive cerebellar deterioration. The gene for AT has now been localized to a region of chromosome 11q22-23 of no more than 3Mb in size and its product appears to be involved directly or indirectly in some form of DNA recombination. Patients and their cells are unusually sensitive to ionizing radiation and various radiometric drugs. Observations on the progressive nature of the disorder, with loss of selected cells or failure to develop normally, might be compatible with the pathological effect of an inability to correctly regulate apoptosis in some cell lineages. While this is an intriguing speculation, there is, at present, no evidence for such a defect in AT. (author).

  8. Alteration of CBF and CMRO2 and TRH effects on CBF in spinocerebellar degeneration

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Harada, Kiyoshi; Fukuyama, Hidenao; Miyoshi, Toshihiko; Namura, Yasuhiro; Kameyama, Masakuni

    1988-01-01

    The purpose of this study is to elucidate the effects of thyrotropin-releasing hormone (TRH) on cerebral blood flow (CBF) in patients with spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) and to evaluate the cerebral circulation and metabolism in patients with SCD. We performed a positron emission tomography study on each of six SCD patients (mean age 47.7 ± 3.6 : 5 cases; OPCA of Dejerene-Thomas type, 1 case; OPCA of Menzel type) and twelve normal volunteers. In SCD patients there were marked reductions in CBF (p < 0.01) and CMRO2 (p < 0.01) in the cerebellum compared with normal volunteers, while in the cerebral cortices and the thalamus, SCD patients showed normal values. There were no significant changes in regional and global CBF after 2 mg TRH intravenous injection in the SCD patients. But comparing CBF before TRH administration with corrected CBF (CBF after TRH · mean global CBF before TRH/mean global CBF after TRH), it is only the CBF of the cerebellum that increased after TRH administration (paired t test, p < 0.02). This elevation of CBF in the cerebellum would be related to some clinical effects of TRH in SCD patients. (author)

  9. MutLα Heterodimers Modify the Molecular Phenotype of Friedreich Ataxia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Ezzatizadeh, Vahid; Sandi, Chiranjeevi; Sandi, Madhavi; Anjomani-Virmouni, Sara; Al-Mahdawi, Sahar; Pook, Mark A.

    2014-01-01

    Background Friedreich ataxia (FRDA), the most common autosomal recessive ataxia disorder, is caused by a dynamic GAA repeat expansion mutation within intron 1 of FXN gene, resulting in down-regulation of frataxin expression. Studies of cell and mouse models have revealed a role for the mismatch repair (MMR) MutS-heterodimer complexes and the PMS2 component of the MutLα complex in the dynamics of intergenerational and somatic GAA repeat expansions: MSH2, MSH3 and MSH6 promote GAA repeat expansions, while PMS2 inhibits GAA repeat expansions. Methodology/Principal Findings To determine the potential role of the other component of the MutLα complex, MLH1, in GAA repeat instability in FRDA, we have analyzed intergenerational and somatic GAA repeat expansions from FXN transgenic mice that have been crossed with Mlh1 deficient mice. We find that loss of Mlh1 activity reduces both intergenerational and somatic GAA repeat expansions. However, we also find that loss of either Mlh1 or Pms2 reduces FXN transcription, suggesting different mechanisms of action for Mlh1 and Pms2 on GAA repeat expansion dynamics and regulation of FXN transcription. Conclusions/Significance Both MutLα components, PMS2 and MLH1, have now been shown to modify the molecular phenotype of FRDA. We propose that upregulation of MLH1 or PMS2 could be potential FRDA therapeutic approaches to increase FXN transcription. PMID:24971578

  10. DTI fiber tractography of cerebro-cerebellar pathways and clinical evaluation of ataxia in childhood posterior fossa tumor survivors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Oh, Myung Eun; Driever, Pablo Hernáiz; Khajuria, Rajiv K; Rueckriegel, Stefan Mark; Koustenis, Elisabeth; Bruhn, Harald; Thomale, Ulrich-Wilhelm

    2017-01-01

    Pediatric posterior fossa (PF) tumor survivors experience long-term motor deficits. Specific cerebrocerebellar connections may be involved in incidence and severity of motor dysfunction. We examined the relationship between long-term ataxia as well as fine motor function and alteration of differential cerebellar efferent and afferent pathways using diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and tractography. DTI-based tractography was performed in 19 patients (10 pilocytic astrocytoma (PA) and 9 medulloblastoma patients (MB)) and 20 healthy peers. Efferent Cerebello-Thalamo-Cerebral (CTC) and afferent Cerebro-Ponto-Cerebellar (CPC) tracts were reconstructed and analyzed concerning fractional anisotropy (FA) and volumetric measurements. Clinical outcome was assessed with the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). Kinematic parameters of fine motor function (speed, automation, variability, and pressure) were obtained by employing a digitizing graphic tablet. ICARS scores were significantly higher in MB patients than in PA patients. Poorer ICARS scores and impaired fine motor function correlated significantly with volume loss of CTC pathway in MB patients, but not in PA patients. Patients with pediatric post-operative cerebellar mutism syndrome showed higher loss of CTC pathway volume and were more atactic. CPC pathway volume was significantly reduced in PA patients, but not in MB patients. Neither relationship was observed between the CPC pathway and ICARS or fine motor function. There was no group difference of FA values between the patients and healthy peers. Reduced CTC pathway volumes in our cohorts were associated with severity of long-term ataxia and impaired fine motor function in survivors of MBs. We suggest that the CTC pathway seems to play a role in extent of ataxia and fine motor dysfunction after childhood cerebellar tumor treatment. DTI may be a useful tool to identify relevant structures of the CTC pathway and possibly avoid surgically induced long

  11. Expanding spectrum of contactin-associated protein 2 (CASPR2) autoimmunity-syndrome of parkinsonism and ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kannoth, Sudheeran; Nambiar, Vivek; Gopinath, Siby; Anandakuttan, Anandkumar; Mathai, Annamma; Rajan, Parvathy Kanjiramana

    2018-03-01

    Contactin-associated protein 2 (CASPR2) antibodies are originally associated with Morvan's syndrome and peripheral nerve hyper excitability. Our objective was to study retrospectively the clinical spectrum of CASPR2 antibody-positive patients in our hospital. This is a retrospective observational study. Patients treated at the Amrita Institute of Medical Sciences from May 2013 to April 2016, who were tested positive for CASPR2 antibodies, were included. A total of 1584 samples were tested in the neuroimmunology laboratory during the study period for voltage-gated potassium channel (VGKC) complex antibodies-leucine-rich glioma-inactivated protein 1 (LGI1) and CASPR2 antibodies. Thirty-four were positive for LGI1, 13 were positive for CASPR2, and 7 were for both (total 54-3.4% positivity). Of these 54 cases, 11 were treated in our hospital. Seven were positive for LGI1, three for CASPR2, and one for both. The patient who had both CASPR2 and LGI1 antibody positive had Morvan's syndrome. One patient with CASPR2 had neuromyotonia. The other patient was admitted with status epilepticus with a syndrome of parkinsonism and ataxia. The third patient had encephalopathy and myoclonus with a syndrome of parkinsonism and ataxia. Two of them underwent siddha treatment for other ailments prior to the onset of the disease for other ailments. Our short series shows the expanding spectrum of CASPR2 autoimmunity. Syndrome of parkinsonism and ataxia is an important manifestation of CASPR2 autoimmunity where we can offer a definitive treatment.

  12. New insights into the pathogenesis and therapeutics of Episodic Ataxia type 1.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maria Cristina D'Adamo

    2015-08-01

    Full Text Available Episodic ataxia type 1 (EA1 is a K+ channelopathy characterized by a broad spectrum of symptoms. Generally, patients may experience constant myokymia and dramatic episodes of spastic contractions of the skeletal muscles of the head, arms, and legs with loss of both motor coordination and balance. During attacks additional symptoms may be reported such as vertigo, blurred vision, diplopia, nausea, headache, diaphoresis, clumsiness, stiffening of the body, dysarthric speech, and difficulty in breathing. These episodes may be precipitated by anxiety, emotional stress, fatigue, startle response or sudden postural changes. Epilepsy is overrepresented in EA1. The disease is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner, and genetic analysis of several families has led to the discovery of a number of point mutations in the voltage-dependent K+ channel gene KCNA1 (Kv1.1, on chromosome 12p13. To date KCNA1 is the only gene known to be associated with EA1. Functional studies have shown that these mutations impair Kv1.1 channel function with variable effects on channel assembly, trafficking and biophysics. Despite the solid evidence obtained on the molecular mechanisms underlying EA1, how these cause dysfunctions within the central and peripheral nervous systems circuitries remains elusive. This review summarizes the main breakthrough findings in EA1, discusses the neurophysiological mechanisms underlying the disease, current therapies, future challenges and opens a window onto the role of Kv1.1 channels in CNS and PNS functions.

  13. [Progressive ataxia and cognitive deficits caused by premutation in the fragile-X-mental retardation gene

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Roks, G.; Sistermans, E.A.; Vries, L.B.A. de; Nijssen, P.C.

    2005-01-01

    A 75-year-old man had progressive difficulty with walking, intention tremor, ataxia, and mild cognitive deficits. MRI scan ofthe brain showed symmetrical hyperintensities in the middle cerebellar peduncles. DNA analysis ofthe fragile-X gene revealed an expansion of 150-200 repetitions in the

  14. ADCK3, an ancestral kinase, is mutated in a form of recessive ataxia associated with coenzyme Q10 deficiency.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lagier-Tourenne, Clotilde; Tazir, Meriem; López, Luis Carlos; Quinzii, Catarina M; Assoum, Mirna; Drouot, Nathalie; Busso, Cleverson; Makri, Samira; Ali-Pacha, Lamia; Benhassine, Traki; Anheim, Mathieu; Lynch, David R; Thibault, Christelle; Plewniak, Frédéric; Bianchetti, Laurent; Tranchant, Christine; Poch, Olivier; DiMauro, Salvatore; Mandel, Jean-Louis; Barros, Mario H; Hirano, Michio; Koenig, Michel

    2008-03-01

    Muscle coenzyme Q(10) (CoQ(10) or ubiquinone) deficiency has been identified in more than 20 patients with presumed autosomal-recessive ataxia. However, mutations in genes required for CoQ(10) biosynthetic pathway have been identified only in patients with infantile-onset multisystemic diseases or isolated nephropathy. Our SNP-based genome-wide scan in a large consanguineous family revealed a locus for autosomal-recessive ataxia at chromosome 1q41. The causative mutation is a homozygous splice-site mutation in the aarF-domain-containing kinase 3 gene (ADCK3). Five additional mutations in ADCK3 were found in three patients with sporadic ataxia, including one known to have CoQ(10) deficiency in muscle. All of the patients have childhood-onset cerebellar ataxia with slow progression, and three of six have mildly elevated lactate levels. ADCK3 is a mitochondrial protein homologous to the yeast COQ8 and the bacterial UbiB proteins, which are required for CoQ biosynthesis. Three out of four patients tested showed a low endogenous pool of CoQ(10) in their fibroblasts or lymphoblasts, and two out of three patients showed impaired ubiquinone synthesis, strongly suggesting that ADCK3 is also involved in CoQ(10) biosynthesis. The deleterious nature of the three identified missense changes was confirmed by the introduction of them at the corresponding positions of the yeast COQ8 gene. Finally, a phylogenetic analysis shows that ADCK3 belongs to the family of atypical kinases, which includes phosphoinositide and choline kinases, suggesting that ADCK3 plays an indirect regulatory role in ubiquinone biosynthesis possibly as part of a feedback loop that regulates ATP production.

  15. Cerebellar Ataxia with Bilateral Vestibulopathy: Description of a Syndrome and Its Characteristic Clinical Sign

    Science.gov (United States)

    Migliaccio, Americo A.; Halmagyi, G. Michael; McGarvie, Leigh A.; Cremer, Phillip D.

    2004-01-01

    We report four patients with the syndrome of cerebellar ataxia with bilateral vestibulopathy (CABV) and, using search coil oculography, we validate its characteristic clinical sign, namely impairment of the visually enhanced vestibulo-ocular reflex (VVOR) or doll's head reflex. In our four patients, CABV began in the sixth decade of life; they are…

  16. Human iPSC-Derived Cerebellar Neurons from a Patient with Ataxia-Telangiectasia Reveal Disrupted Gene Regulatory Networks

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Sam P. Nayler

    2017-10-01

    Full Text Available Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T is a rare genetic disorder caused by loss of function of the ataxia-telangiectasia-mutated kinase and is characterized by a predisposition to cancer, pulmonary disease, immune deficiency and progressive degeneration of the cerebellum. As animal models do not faithfully recapitulate the neurological aspects, it remains unclear whether cerebellar degeneration is a neurodevelopmental or neurodegenerative phenotype. To address the necessity for a human model, we first assessed a previously published protocol for the ability to generate cerebellar neuronal cells, finding it gave rise to a population of precursors highly enriched for markers of the early hindbrain such as EN1 and GBX2, and later more mature cerebellar markers including PTF1α, MATH1, HOXB4, ZIC3, PAX6, and TUJ1. RNA sequencing was used to classify differentiated cerebellar neurons generated from integration-free A-T and control induced pluripotent stem cells. Comparison of RNA sequencing data with datasets from the Allen Brain Atlas reveals in vitro-derived cerebellar neurons are transcriptionally similar to discrete regions of the human cerebellum, and most closely resemble the cerebellum at 22 weeks post-conception. We show that patient-derived cerebellar neurons exhibit disrupted gene regulatory networks associated with synaptic vesicle dynamics and oxidative stress, offering the first molecular insights into early cerebellar pathogenesis of ataxia-telangiectasia.

  17. The benefits of a Neurogenetics clinic in an adult Academic Teaching Hospital.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Olszewska, Diana A; McVeigh, Terri; Fallon, Emer M; Pastores, Gregory M; Lynch, Tim

    2018-03-09

    Genetics is the backbone of Neurology, where a number of disorders have a genetic aetiology and are complex, requiring a dedicated Neurogenetics clinic. Genetics in the Republic of Ireland is under-resourced, with the lowest number of consultants per million of population in Europe. In November 2014, we established the monthly adult Neurogenetics clinic in Ireland, staffed by 2 consultants and 2 registrars from each speciality. We see patients with complex rare neurological conditions that may potentially have an underlying genetic basis, in the presence or absence of a family history. We performed a retrospective cohort analysis, reviewing symptoms and work-up data. Twenty-seven patients attended a pilot clinic over 12 months. Conditions encountered included Parkin-related PD, leucodystrophy, ataxia, fronto-temporal lobar degeneration, spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 (SCA6) and ataxia-telangiectasia. Identification of pathogenic mutations directed screening, treatment and facilitated onward genetic counselling (n = 10, 33%). A number of novel mutations were identified in MAPT gene ("missing tau mutation" McCarthy et al., Brain, 2015), SLCA1 gene and GRN (progranulin). Phenotypic features not previously reported were seen; e.g. writer's cramp in SCA6; paroxysmal myoclonus in the glucose transporter protein type 1 (GLUT1) deficiency. Breast cancer screening for ATM mutations carriers and referral to international experts in two undiagnosed patients were arranged. The establishment of a Neurogenetics clinic has addressed a gap in service and allowed identification of rare and atypical diagnoses.

  18. Primary Sjogren’s Syndrome Presented with Sensory Ataxia Associated with Bilateral Hearing Loss and Dementia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Madjdinasab Nastaran

    2009-10-01

    Full Text Available Primary Sjorgen syndrome is one of the commonest autoimmune diseases with characteristic of involvement of lachrymal and salivary glands, but other organ involvements as peripheral and central nervous system are also possible. The reported case is a 23 year old lady presented with progressive sensory ataxia and weakness of four limbs, bilateral sensory hearing loss and cognitive impairment with minimental score equal to 15/30 since one year prior to admission with associated bilateral central corneal opacity, dry mouth and dry eyes. Electro physiologic studies showed sensory motor axonal polyneuropathy . A biopsy of sural nerve and salivary glands of lower lip showed lymphocytic infiltration. Serologic evidence showed positive Anti Ro (SS-B, negative HCV and HIV antibody, thereafter the diagnosis was confirmed and according to this diagnosis she received high dose of intravenous methyl prednisolon then both hearing loss and cognitive impairment improved partially (minimental score 21/30 . At last, she underwent plasmapheresis and her sensory ataxia improved greatly.

  19. NAD+ Replenishment Improves Lifespan and Healthspan in Ataxia Telangiectasia Models via Mitophagy and DNA Repair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Fang, Evandro Fei; Kassahun, Henok; Croteau, Deborah L; Scheibye-Knudsen, Morten; Marosi, Krisztina; Lu, Huiming; Shamanna, Raghavendra A; Kalyanasundaram, Sumana; Bollineni, Ravi Chand; Wilson, Mark A; Iser, Wendy B; Wollman, Bradley N; Morevati, Marya; Li, Jun; Kerr, Jesse S; Lu, Qiping; Waltz, Tyler B; Tian, Jane; Sinclair, David A; Mattson, Mark P; Nilsen, Hilde; Bohr, Vilhelm A

    2016-10-11

    Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare autosomal recessive disease characterized by progressive neurodegeneration and cerebellar ataxia. A-T is causally linked to defects in ATM, a master regulator of the response to and repair of DNA double-strand breaks. The molecular basis of cerebellar atrophy and neurodegeneration in A-T patients is unclear. Here we report and examine the significance of increased PARylation, low NAD + , and mitochondrial dysfunction in ATM-deficient neurons, mice, and worms. Treatments that replenish intracellular NAD + reduce the severity of A-T neuropathology, normalize neuromuscular function, delay memory loss, and extend lifespan in both animal models. Mechanistically, treatments that increase intracellular NAD + also stimulate neuronal DNA repair and improve mitochondrial quality via mitophagy. This work links two major theories on aging, DNA damage accumulation, and mitochondrial dysfunction through nuclear DNA damage-induced nuclear-mitochondrial signaling, and demonstrates that they are important pathophysiological determinants in premature aging of A-T, pointing to therapeutic interventions. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  20. Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2: clinical, biological and genotype/phenotype correlation study of a cohort of 90 patients.

    LENUS (Irish Health Repository)

    Anheim, M

    2009-10-01

    Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2) is an autosomal recessive disease due to mutations in the senataxin gene, causing progressive cerebellar ataxia with peripheral neuropathy, cerebellar atrophy, occasional oculomotor apraxia and elevated alpha-feto-protein (AFP) serum level. We compiled a series of 67 previously reported and 58 novel ataxic patients who underwent senataxin gene sequencing because of suspected AOA2. An AOA2 diagnosis was established for 90 patients, originating from 15 countries worldwide, and 25 new senataxin gene mutations were found. In patients with AOA2, median AFP serum level was 31.0 microg\\/l at diagnosis, which was higher than the median AFP level of AOA2 negative patients: 13.8 microg\\/l, P = 0.0004; itself higher than the normal level (3.4 microg\\/l, range from 0.5 to 17.2 microg\\/l) because elevated AFP was one of the possible selection criteria. Polyneuropathy was found in 97.5% of AOA2 patients, cerebellar atrophy in 96%, occasional oculomotor apraxia in 51%, pyramidal signs in 20.5%, head tremor in 14%, dystonia in 13.5%, strabismus in 12.3% and chorea in 9.5%. No patient was lacking both peripheral neuropathy and cerebellar atrophy. The age at onset and presence of occasional oculomotor apraxia were negatively correlated to the progression rate of the disease (P = 0.03 and P = 0.009, respectively), whereas strabismus was positively correlated to the progression rate (P = 0.03). An increased AFP level as well as cerebellar atrophy seem to be stable in the course of the disease and to occur mostly at or before the onset of the disease. One of the two patients with a normal AFP level at diagnosis had high AFP levels 4 years later, while the other had borderline levels. The probability of missing AOA2 diagnosis, in case of sequencing senataxin gene only in non-Friedreich ataxia non-ataxia-telangiectasia ataxic patients with AFP level > or =7 microg\\/l, is 0.23% and the probability for a non-Friedreich ataxia non-ataxia

  1. Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2: clinical, biological and genotype/phenotype correlation study of a cohort of 90 patients.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Anheim, M; Monga, B; Fleury, M; Charles, P; Barbot, C; Salih, M; Delaunoy, J P; Fritsch, M; Arning, L; Synofzik, M; Schöls, L; Sequeiros, J; Goizet, C; Marelli, C; Le Ber, I; Koht, J; Gazulla, J; De Bleecker, J; Mukhtar, M; Drouot, N; Ali-Pacha, L; Benhassine, T; Chbicheb, M; M'Zahem, A; Hamri, A; Chabrol, B; Pouget, J; Murphy, R; Watanabe, M; Coutinho, P; Tazir, M; Durr, A; Brice, A; Tranchant, C; Koenig, M

    2009-10-01

    Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2) is an autosomal recessive disease due to mutations in the senataxin gene, causing progressive cerebellar ataxia with peripheral neuropathy, cerebellar atrophy, occasional oculomotor apraxia and elevated alpha-feto-protein (AFP) serum level. We compiled a series of 67 previously reported and 58 novel ataxic patients who underwent senataxin gene sequencing because of suspected AOA2. An AOA2 diagnosis was established for 90 patients, originating from 15 countries worldwide, and 25 new senataxin gene mutations were found. In patients with AOA2, median AFP serum level was 31.0 microg/l at diagnosis, which was higher than the median AFP level of AOA2 negative patients: 13.8 microg/l, P = 0.0004; itself higher than the normal level (3.4 microg/l, range from 0.5 to 17.2 microg/l) because elevated AFP was one of the possible selection criteria. Polyneuropathy was found in 97.5% of AOA2 patients, cerebellar atrophy in 96%, occasional oculomotor apraxia in 51%, pyramidal signs in 20.5%, head tremor in 14%, dystonia in 13.5%, strabismus in 12.3% and chorea in 9.5%. No patient was lacking both peripheral neuropathy and cerebellar atrophy. The age at onset and presence of occasional oculomotor apraxia were negatively correlated to the progression rate of the disease (P = 0.03 and P = 0.009, respectively), whereas strabismus was positively correlated to the progression rate (P = 0.03). An increased AFP level as well as cerebellar atrophy seem to be stable in the course of the disease and to occur mostly at or before the onset of the disease. One of the two patients with a normal AFP level at diagnosis had high AFP levels 4 years later, while the other had borderline levels. The probability of missing AOA2 diagnosis, in case of sequencing senataxin gene only in non-Friedreich ataxia non-ataxia-telangiectasia ataxic patients with AFP level > or =7 microg/l, is 0.23% and the probability for a non-Friedreich ataxia non-ataxia

  2. Parkinsonism in fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS): revisited.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Niu, Yu-Qiong; Yang, Jin-Chen; Hall, Deborah A; Leehey, Maureen A; Tassone, Flora; Olichney, John M; Hagerman, Randi J; Zhang, Lin

    2014-04-01

    Parkinsonian features have been used as a minor diagnostic criterion for fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). However, prior studies have examined parkinsonism (defined as having bradykinesia with at least rest tremor or postural instability) mostly in premutation carriers without a diagnosis of FXTAS. The current study was intended to elaborate this important aspect of the FXTAS spectrum, and to quantify the relationships between parkinsonism, FXTAS clinical staging and genetic/molecular measures. Thirty eight (38) FXTAS patients and 10 age-matched normal controls underwent a detailed neurological examination that included all but one item (i.e. rigidity) of the motor section of the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS). The FXTAS patient group displayed substantially higher prevalence of parkinsonian features including body bradykinesia (57%) and rest tremor (26%), compared to the control group. Furthermore, parkinsonism was identified in 29% of FXTAS patients. Across all patients, body bradykinesia scores significantly correlated with FXTAS clinical stage, FMR1 mRNA level, and ataxic gait of cerebellar origin, while postural instability was associated with intention tremor. Parkinsonian features in FXTAS appear to be characterized as bradykinesia concurrent with cerebellar gait ataxia, postural instability accompanied by intention tremor, and frequent rest tremor, representing distinctive patterns that highlight the need for further clinical studies including genetic testing for the FMR1 premutation. The association between FMR1 mRNA level and bradykinesia implicates pathophysiological mechanisms which may link FMR1 mRNA toxicity, dopamine deficiency and parkinsonism in FXTAS. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  3. ATP1A3 Mutation in Adult Rapid-Onset Ataxia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kathleen J Sweadner

    Full Text Available A 21-year old male presented with ataxia and dysarthria that had appeared over a period of months. Exome sequencing identified a de novo missense variant in ATP1A3, the gene encoding the α3 subunit of Na,K-ATPase. Several lines of evidence suggest that the variant is causative. ATP1A3 mutations can cause rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism (RDP with a similar age and speed of onset, as well as severe diseases of infancy. The patient's ATP1A3 p.Gly316Ser mutation was validated in the laboratory by the impaired ability of the expressed protein to support the growth of cultured cells. In a crystal structure of Na,K-ATPase, the mutated amino acid was directly apposed to a different amino acid mutated in RDP. Clinical evaluation showed that the patient had many characteristics of RDP, however he had minimal fixed dystonia, a defining symptom of RDP. Successive magnetic resonance imaging (MRI revealed progressive cerebellar atrophy, explaining the ataxia. The absence of dystonia in the presence of other RDP symptoms corroborates other evidence that the cerebellum contributes importantly to dystonia pathophysiology. We discuss the possibility that a second de novo variant, in ubiquilin 4 (UBQLN4, a ubiquitin pathway component, contributed to the cerebellar neurodegenerative phenotype and differentiated the disease from other manifestations of ATP1A3 mutations. We also show that a homozygous variant in GPRIN1 (G protein-regulated inducer of neurite outgrowth 1 deletes a motif with multiple copies and is unlikely to be causative.

  4. Prolonged vertigo and ataxia after mandibular nerve block for treatment of trigeminal neuralgia

    OpenAIRE

    Arvind Chaturvedi; H H Dash

    2011-01-01

    Common complications of neurolytic mandibular nerve block are hypoesthesia, dysesthesia, and chemical neuritis. We report a rare complication, prolonged severe vertigo and ataxia, after neurolytic mandibular blockade in a patient suffering from trigeminal neuralgia. Coronoid approach was used for right sided mandibular block. After successful test injection with local anesthetic, absolute alcohol was given for neurolytic block. Immediately after alcohol injection, patient developed nausea and...

  5. hiPSC Disease Modeling of Rare Hereditary Cerebellar Ataxias: Opportunities and Future Challenges

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Lukovic, D.; Moreno-Manzano, V.; Rodriquez; Jimenez, F.J.; Vilches, A.; Syková, Eva; Jendelová, Pavla; Stojkovic, M.; Erceg, Slaven

    2017-01-01

    Roč. 23, č. 5 (2017), s. 554-566 ISSN 1073-8584 R&D Projects: GA ČR(CZ) GBP304/12/G069; GA MŠk(CZ) LO1309; GA MŠk(CZ) ED1.1.00/02.0109 Institutional support: RVO:68378041 Keywords : 3D organoids * ataxia * disease modelling Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology OBOR OECD: Developmental biology Impact factor: 7.391, year: 2016

  6. Treatment of fragile X-associated tremor ataxia syndrome (FXTAS and related neurological problems

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Randi J Hagerman

    2008-06-01

    Full Text Available Randi J Hagerman1,2, Deborah A Hall3, Sarah Coffey1,2, Maureen Leehey3, James Bourgeois4, John Gould5, Lin Zhang6, Andreea Seritan4, Elizabeth Berry-Kravis7–9, John Olichney6, Joshua W Miller10, Amy L Fong11, Randall Carpenter12, Cathy Bodine13, Louise W Gane1,2, Edgar Rainin1, Hillary Hagerman1, Paul J Hagerman141M.I.N.D. Institute, 2Department of Pediatrics, 4Department of Psychiatry & Behavioral Sciences, 5Department of Urology, 6Department of Neurology, 10Department of Pathology and Laboratory Medicine, 14Department of Biochemistry and Molecular Medicine, University of California, Davis, School of Medicine, Sacramento, CA, USA; 3Department of Neurology, University of Colorado, Denver, CO, USA; 7Department of Pediatrics, Neurology, and Biochemistry, 8Department of Neurological Sciences, 9Department of Biochemistry, Rush University Medical Center, Chicago, IL, USA; 11Physical Edge, Inc., Davis, CA, USA; 12Seaside Therapeutics, Cambridge, MA, USA; 13Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Colorado Health Sciences Center, Denver, CO, USAAbstract: Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS is a progressive neurological disorder that affects older adult carriers, predominantly males, of premutation alleles (55 to 200 CGG repeats of the fragile X (FMR1 gene. Principal features of FXTAS are intention tremor, ataxia, parkinsonism, cognitive decline, and peripheral neuropathy; ancillary features include, autonomic dysfunction, and psychiatric symptoms of anxiety, depression, and disinhibition. Although controlled trials have not been carried out in individuals with FXTAS, there is a significant amount of anecdotal information regarding various treatment modalities. Moreover, there exists a great deal of evidence regarding the efficacy of various medications for treatment of other disorders (eg, Alzheimer disease that have substantial phenotypic overlap with FXTAS. The current review summarizes what is currently

  7. Selected missense mutations impair frataxin processing in Friedreich ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Clark, Elisia; Butler, Jill S; Isaacs, Charles J; Napierala, Marek; Lynch, David R

    2017-08-01

    Frataxin (FXN) is a highly conserved mitochondrial protein. Reduced FXN levels cause Friedreich ataxia, a recessive neurodegenerative disease. Typical patients carry GAA repeat expansions on both alleles, while a subgroup of patients carry a missense mutation on one allele and a GAA repeat expansion on the other. Here, we report that selected disease-related FXN missense mutations impair FXN localization, interaction with mitochondria processing peptidase, and processing. Immunocytochemical studies and subcellular fractionation were performed to study FXN import into the mitochondria and examine the mechanism by which mutations impair FXN processing. Coimmunoprecipitation was performed to study the interaction between FXN and mitochondrial processing peptidase. A proteasome inhibitor was used to model traditional therapeutic strategies. In addition, clinical profiles of subjects with and without point mutations were compared in a large natural history study. FXN I 154F and FXN G 130V missense mutations decrease FXN 81-210 levels compared with FXN WT , FXN R 165C , and FXN W 155R , but do not block its association with mitochondria. FXN I 154F and FXN G 130V also impair FXN maturation and enhance the binding between FXN 42-210 and mitochondria processing peptidase. Furthermore, blocking proteosomal degradation does not increase FXN 81-210 levels. Additionally, impaired FXN processing also occurs in fibroblasts from patients with FXN G 130V . Finally, clinical data from patients with FXN G 130V and FXN I 154F mutations demonstrates a lower severity compared with other individuals with Friedreich ataxia. These data suggest that the effects on processing associated with FXN G 130V and FXN I 154F mutations lead to higher levels of partially processed FXN, which may contribute to the milder clinical phenotypes in these patients.

  8. Autosomal recessive posterior column ataxia with retinitis pigmentosa caused by novel mutations in the FLVCR1 gene.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Shaibani, Aziz; Wong, Lee-Jun; Wei Zhang, Victor; Lewis, Richard Alan; Shinawi, Marwan

    2015-01-01

    Posterior column ataxia with retinitis pigmentosa (PCARP) is an autosomal recessive disorder characterized by severe sensory ataxia, muscle weakness and atrophy, and progressive pigmentary retinopathy. Recently, mutations in the FLVCR1 gene were described in four families with this condition. We investigated the molecular basis and studied the phenotype of PCARP in a new family. The proband is a 33-year-old woman presented with sensory polyneuropathy and retinitis pigmentosa (RP). The constellation of clinical findings with normal metabolic and genetic evaluation, including mitochondrial DNA (mtDNA) analysis and normal levels of phytanic acid and vitamin E, prompted us to seek other causes of our patient's condition. Sequencing of FLVCR1 in the proband and targeted mutation testing in her two affected siblings revealed two novel variants, c.1547G > A (p.R516Q) and c.1593+5_+8delGTAA predicted, respectively, to be highly conserved throughout evolution and affecting the normal splicing, therefore, deleterious. This study supports the pathogenic role of FLVCR1 in PCARP and expands the molecular and clinical spectra of PCARP. We show for the first time that nontransmembrane domain (TMD) mutations in the FLVCR1 can cause PCARP, suggesting different mechanisms for pathogenicity. Our clinical data reveal that impaired sensation can be part of the phenotypic spectrum of PCARP. This study along with previously reported cases suggests that targeted sequencing of the FLVCR1 gene should be considered in patients with severe sensory ataxia, RP, and peripheral sensory neuropathy.

  9. Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) interacts with p400 ATPase for an efficient DNA damage response.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Smith, Rebecca J; Savoian, Matthew S; Weber, Lauren E; Park, Jeong Hyeon

    2016-11-04

    Ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) and TRRAP proteins belong to the phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related kinase family and are involved in DNA damage repair and chromatin remodeling. ATM is a checkpoint kinase that is recruited to sites of DNA double-strand breaks where it phosphorylates a diverse range of proteins that are part of the chromatin and DNA repair machinery. As an integral subunit of the TRRAP-TIP60 complexes, p400 ATPase is a chromatin remodeler that is also targeted to DNA double-strand break sites. While it is understood that DNA binding transcriptional activators recruit p400 ATPase into a regulatory region of the promoter, how p400 recognises and moves to DNA double-strand break sites is far less clear. Here we investigate a possibility whether ATM serves as a shuttle to deliver p400 to break sites. Our data indicate that p400 co-immunoprecipitates with ATM independently of DNA damage state and that the N-terminal domain of p400 is vital for this interaction. Heterologous expression studies using Sf9 cells revealed that the ATM-p400 complex can be reconstituted without other mammalian bridging proteins. Overexpression of ATM-interacting p400 regions in U2OS cells induced dominant negative effects including the inhibition of both DNA damage repair and cell proliferation. Consistent with the dominant negative effect, the stable expression of an N-terminal p400 fragment showed a decrease in the association of p400 with ATM, but did not alter the association of p400 with TRRAP. Taken together, our findings suggest that a protein-protein interaction between ATM and p400 ATPase occurs independently of DNA damage and contributes to efficient DNA damage response and repair.

  10. The preterm pig as a model of premature infant gait ataxia

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bergström, A.; Ryom, K.; Vanden Hole, C.

    Aims/background Compromised gait, balance and motor coordination (ataxia) as observed in cases of cerebral palsy is a serious complication to premature birth. The cerebellum is a central region with regards to these brain functions and its development shows high sensitivity to premature birth. Our...... group has over many years refined a pig model of premature birth focusing on gut and immune system development. Phenotypically, we have observed distinct motoric problems e.g. falls, tiptoe walking and swaying in preterm pigs relative to term born counterparts, indicating compromised brain function...

  11. Dantrolene is neuroprotective in Huntington's disease transgenic mouse model

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Chen Xi

    2011-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Huntington's disease (HD is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the Huntingtin protein which results in the selective degeneration of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs. Our group has previously demonstrated that calcium (Ca2+ signaling is abnormal in MSNs from the yeast artificial chromosome transgenic mouse model of HD (YAC128. Moreover, we demonstrated that deranged intracellular Ca2+ signaling sensitizes YAC128 MSNs to glutamate-induced excitotoxicity when compared to wild type (WT MSNs. In previous studies we also observed abnormal neuronal Ca2+ signaling in neurons from spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2 and spinocerebellar ataxia 3 (SCA3 mouse models and demonstrated that treatment with dantrolene, a ryanodine receptor antagonist and clinically relevant Ca2+ signaling stabilizer, was neuroprotective in experiments with these mouse models. The aim of the current study was to evaluate potential beneficial effects of dantrolene in experiments with YAC128 HD mouse model. Results The application of caffeine and glutamate resulted in increased Ca2+ release from intracellular stores in YAC128 MSN cultures when compared to WT MSN cultures. Pre-treatment with dantrolene protected YAC128 MSNs from glutamate excitotoxicty, with an effective concentration of 100 nM and above. Feeding dantrolene (5 mg/kg twice a week to YAC128 mice between 2 months and 11.5 months of age resulted in significantly improved performance in the beam-walking and gait-walking assays. Neuropathological analysis revealed that long-term dantrolene feeding to YAC128 mice significantly reduced the loss of NeuN-positive striatal neurons and reduced formation of Httexp nuclear aggregates. Conclusions Our results support the hypothesis that deranged Ca2+ signaling plays an important role in HD pathology. Our data also implicate the RyanRs as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HD and demonstrate that Ryan

  12. Dantrolene is neuroprotective in Huntington's disease transgenic mouse model.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chen, Xi; Wu, Jun; Lvovskaya, Svetlana; Herndon, Emily; Supnet, Charlene; Bezprozvanny, Ilya

    2011-11-25

    Huntington's disease (HD) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by a polyglutamine expansion in the Huntingtin protein which results in the selective degeneration of striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs). Our group has previously demonstrated that calcium (Ca2+) signaling is abnormal in MSNs from the yeast artificial chromosome transgenic mouse model of HD (YAC128). Moreover, we demonstrated that deranged intracellular Ca2+ signaling sensitizes YAC128 MSNs to glutamate-induced excitotoxicity when compared to wild type (WT) MSNs. In previous studies we also observed abnormal neuronal Ca2+ signaling in neurons from spinocerebellar ataxia 2 (SCA2) and spinocerebellar ataxia 3 (SCA3) mouse models and demonstrated that treatment with dantrolene, a ryanodine receptor antagonist and clinically relevant Ca2+ signaling stabilizer, was neuroprotective in experiments with these mouse models. The aim of the current study was to evaluate potential beneficial effects of dantrolene in experiments with YAC128 HD mouse model. The application of caffeine and glutamate resulted in increased Ca2+ release from intracellular stores in YAC128 MSN cultures when compared to WT MSN cultures. Pre-treatment with dantrolene protected YAC128 MSNs from glutamate excitotoxicty, with an effective concentration of 100 nM and above. Feeding dantrolene (5 mg/kg) twice a week to YAC128 mice between 2 months and 11.5 months of age resulted in significantly improved performance in the beam-walking and gait-walking assays. Neuropathological analysis revealed that long-term dantrolene feeding to YAC128 mice significantly reduced the loss of NeuN-positive striatal neurons and reduced formation of Httexp nuclear aggregates. Our results support the hypothesis that deranged Ca2+ signaling plays an important role in HD pathology. Our data also implicate the RyanRs as a potential therapeutic target for the treatment of HD and demonstrate that RyanR inhibitors and Ca2+ signaling stabilizers such as

  13. Neurodegeneration in ataxia-telangiectasia: Multiple roles of ATM kinase in cellular homeostasis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Choy, Kay Rui; Watters, Dianne J

    2018-01-01

    Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is characterized by neuronal degeneration, cancer, diabetes, immune deficiency, and increased sensitivity to ionizing radiation. A-T is attributed to the deficiency of the protein kinase coded by the ATM (ataxia-telangiectasia mutated) gene. ATM is a sensor of DNA double-strand breaks (DSBs) and signals to cell cycle checkpoints and the DNA repair machinery. ATM phosphorylates numerous substrates and activates many cell-signaling pathways. There has been considerable debate about whether a defective DNA damage response is causative of the neurological aspects of the disease. In proliferating cells, ATM is localized mainly in the nucleus; however, in postmitotic cells such as neurons, ATM is mostly cytoplasmic. Recent studies reveal an increasing number of roles for ATM in the cytoplasm, including activation by oxidative stress. ATM associates with organelles including mitochondria and peroxisomes, both sources of reactive oxygen species (ROS), which have been implicated in neurodegenerative diseases and aging. ATM is also associated with synaptic vesicles and has a role in regulating cellular homeostasis and autophagy. The cytoplasmic roles of ATM provide a new perspective on the neurodegenerative process in A-T. This review will examine the expanding roles of ATM in cellular homeostasis and relate these functions to the complex A-T phenotype. Developmental Dynamics 247:33-46, 2018. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  14. Gaze stabilization in chronic vestibular-loss and in cerebellar ataxia: interactions of feedforward and sensory feedback mechanisms.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sağlam, M; Lehnen, N

    2014-01-01

    During gaze shifts, humans can use visual, vestibular, and proprioceptive feedback, as well as feedforward mechanisms, for stabilization against active and passive head movements. The contributions of feedforward and sensory feedback control, and the role of the cerebellum, are still under debate. To quantify these contributions, we increased the head moment of inertia in three groups (ten healthy, five chronic vestibular-loss and nine cerebellar-ataxia patients) while they performed large gaze shifts to flashed targets in darkness. This induces undesired head oscillations. Consequently, both active (desired) and passive (undesired) head movements had to be compensated for to stabilize gaze. All groups compensated for active and passive head movements, vestibular-loss patients less than the other groups (P feedforward mechanisms substantially contribute to gaze stabilization. Proprioception alone is not sufficient (gain 0.2). Stabilization against active and passive head movements was not impaired in our cerebellar ataxia patients.

  15. Vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as acute ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Crawford, John Ross; Say, Daphne

    2013-03-26

    A previously healthy 7-year-old Caucasian boy was hospitalised for evaluation of acute ataxia and failure to thrive, initially suspicious for an intracranial mass. Weight and body mass index were below the third percentile and he demonstrated loss of joint position and vibratory sense on examination. Laboratory studies revealed megaloblastic anaemia while an initial MRI of the brain showed no evidence of mass lesions or other abnormalities. A dietary history revealed the child subscribed to a restrictive vegan diet with little to no intake of animal products or other fortified foods. The child was diagnosed with presumed vitamin B12 deficiency and was treated with intramuscular B12 injections. Neurological symptoms resolved promptly within several days after starting therapy. This case underlines the importance of assessing nutritional status in the evaluation of neurological dysfunction in the pediatric patient.

  16. Effect of subchronic caffeine treatment on MK-801-induced changes in locomotion, cognition and ataxia in mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    de Oliveira, R V; Dall'Igna, O P; Tort, A B L; Schuh, J F; Neto, P F; Santos Gomes, M W; Souza, D O; Lara, D R

    2005-03-01

    N-Methyl-D-aspartate (NMDA) receptor antagonists cause hyperlocomotion and cognitive deficits in rodents, and caffeine-tolerant mice show diminished locomotor response to NMDA receptor antagonists. The aim of this study was to evaluate the effect of subchronic caffeine treatment on MK-801-induced hyperlocomotion, ataxia and cognitive deficits, as well as amphetamine-induced hyperlocomotion in mice. Mice were treated subchronically with caffeine (0, 0.1, 0.3 and 1 mg/ml and 1, 3 and 7 days) and evaluated for locomotor activity, working memory (delayed alternation test), long-term memory (inhibitory avoidance task) and ataxia. Hyperlocomotion induced by MK-801 (0.25 mg/kg i.p.) was diminished after 3 days and almost abolished after 7 days of caffeine treatment at the 1 mg/ml dose, and this effect was also dose-dependent. Ataxia induced by 0.5 mg/kg MK-801 was not affected by caffeine treatment, but a short-lived hyperlocomotor effect was observed. Performance deficit in the inhibitory avoidance task induced by MK-801 (0.01 mg/kg) was prevented in mice treated with caffeine for 7 days at 1 mg/ml, and perseverative errors in the T-maze by MK-801 (0.4 mg/kg) were attenuated. The locomotor effect of amphetamine (5 mg/kg) was unaffected by subchronic caffeine treatment. The findings that hyperlocomotion and cognitive effects induced by MK-801 can be specifically influenced by reduced adenosinergic activity agree with a model of adenosine hypofunction in schizophrenia, since NMDA receptor antagonists are pharmacological models for this disorder.

  17. A novel mitochondrial mutation m.8989G>C associated with neuropathy, ataxia, retinitis pigmentosa - the NARP syndrome

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Duno, Morten; Wibrand, Flemming; Baggesen, Kirsten

    2013-01-01

    mitochondrial point mutation, m.8989G>C, in a patient presenting with neuropathy, ataxia and retinitis pigmentosa constituting the classical NARP phenotype. This mutation alters the amino acid right next to canonical NARP mutation. We suggest that classic NARP syndrome relates to a defined dysfunction of p...

  18. Vitamin-responsive disorders: cobalamin, folate, biotin, vitamins B1 and E.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Baumgartner, Matthias R

    2013-01-01

    The catalytic properties of many enzymes depend on the participation of vitamins as obligatory cofactors. Vitamin B12 (cobalamin) and folic acid (folate) deficiencies in infants and children classically present with megaloblastic anemia and are often accompanied by neurological signs. A number of rare inborn errors of cobalamin and folate absorption, transport, cellular uptake, and intracellular metabolism have been delineated and identification of disease-causing mutations has improved our ability to diagnose and treat many of these conditions. Two inherited defects in biotin metabolism are known, holocarboxylase synthetase and biotinidase deficiency. Both lead to multiple carboxylase deficiency manifesting with metabolic acidosis, neurological abnormalities, and skin rash. Thiamine-responsive megaloblastic anemia is characterized by megaloblastic anemia, non-type I diabetes, and sensorineural deafness that responds to pharmacological doses of thiamine (vitamin B1). Individuals affected with inherited vitamin E deficiencies including ataxia with isolated vitamin E deficiency and abetalipoproteinemia present with a spinocerebellar syndrome similar to patients with Friedreich's ataxia. If started early, treatment of these defects by oral or parenteral administration of the relevant vitamin often results in correction of the metabolic defect and reversal of the signs of disease, stressing the importance of early and correct diagnosis in these treatable conditions. Copyright © 2013 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  19. A clinical case of dentato-rubro-pallido-luysian atrophy (DRPLA)

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Katsube, Tomoko; Kobayashi, Shotai; Yamaguchi, Shuhei; Tsunematsu, Tokugoro; Shimada, Yasuo.

    1987-01-01

    Dentato-rubro-pallido-luysian atrophy (DRPLA) has been described as an atypical type of spino-cerebellar degeneration by J.K. Smith (1958). Choreo-athetoid movement characterizes the DRPLA. We here report a case of DRPLA that was suspected from clinical symptoms and CT brain examinations. Case report: A 36-year-old man was admitted to the hospital because of involuntary movements of the extremities in July, 1978. He had epileptic seizures since the age of 25. Since then, his intelligence had gradually been getting worse. At the same time, dysarthria (slow and slurred speech) also appeared. The neurological examination on admission revealed choreo-athetoid movements, with ataxia of the extremities, trancal ataxia, ataxic speech, moderate dementia, and a disturbance of the smooth-pursuit eye movements. He could not maintain his eye position in a steady gaze, but nystagmus was absent. A brain CT scan revealed a marked atrophy of the upper brain stem and cerebellar peduncle. The cerebral atrophy was mild, and caudate nuclei were spared. The electroencephalograph showed a slow, diffuse, high-voltage wave, with an associated spike and waves. The cerebrospinal fluid examination was normal. An electrophysiological examination revealed no myoclonus in the extremities. These clinical findings suggested that this case is a pseudo-Huntington form of DRPLA. (author)

  20. Revisiting genotype-phenotype overlap in neurogenetics: triplet-repeat expansions mimicking spastic paraplegias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bettencourt, Conceição; Quintáns, Beatriz; Ros, Raquel; Ampuero, Israel; Yáñez, Zuleima; Pascual, Samuel Ignacio; de Yébenes, Justo García; Sobrido, María-Jesús

    2012-09-01

    Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) constitute a heterogeneous group of neurological disorders, characterized primarily by progressive spasticity and weakness of the lower limbs. HSPs are caused by mutations in multiple genes (at least 48 loci and 28 causative genes). The clinical spectrum of HSPs is wide and important differences have been reported between patients with distinct mutations in the same gene, or even between different family members bearing the same mutation. Many patients with HSP present clinical deficits related to the involvement of neuronal systems other than corticospinal tracts, namely, peripheral nerves, sensory, or cerebellar pathways. These cases may be difficult to differentiate from other neurological diseases (e.g., hereditary ataxias), also genetically and clinically heterogeneous. As an illustration of how overlapping this genotype-phenotype relationship is, and the difficulties that it brings upon the development of neurogenetic algorithms and databases, we review the main clinical and genetic features of HSPs, and summarize reports on cases of triplet-repeat spinocerebellar ataxias that can mimic HSP phenotypes. This complex scenario makes the necessity of high-quality, curated mutation databases even more urgent, in order to develop adequate diagnostic guidelines, correct interpretation of genetic testing, and appropriate genetic counseling. © 2012 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  1. The neurological mouse mutations jittery and hesitant are allelic and map to the region of mouse chromosome 10 homologous to 19p13.3

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kapfhamer, D.; Sufalko, D.; Warren, S. [Univ. of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] [and others

    1996-08-01

    Jittery (ji) is a recessive mouse mutation on Chromosome 10 characterized by progressive ataxic gait, dystonic movements, spontaneus seizures, and death by dehydration/starvation before fertility. Recently, a viable neurological recessive mutation, hesitant, was discovered. It is characterized by hesitant, uncoordinated movements, exaggerated stepping of the hind limbs, and reduced fertility in males. In a complementation test and by genetic mapping we have shown here that hesitant and jittery are allelic. Using several large intersubspecific backcrosses and intercrosses we have genetically mapped ji near the marker Amh and microsatellite markers D10Mit7, D10Mit21, and D10Mit23. The linked region of mouse Chromosome 10 is homologous to human 19p13.3, to which several human ataxia loci have recently been mapped. By excluding genes that map to human 21q22.3 (Pfkl) and 12q23 (Nfyb), we conclude that jittery is not likely to be a genetic mouse model for human Unverricht-Lundborg progressive myoclonus epilepsy (EPM1) on 21q22.3 nor for spinocerebellar ataxia II (SCA2) on 12q22-q24. The closely linked markers presented here will facilitate positional cloning of the ji gene. 31 refs., 2 figs.

  2. Cerebellar Expression of the Neurotrophin Receptor p75 in Naked-Ataxia Mutant Mouse

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Maryam Rahimi Balaei

    2016-01-01

    Full Text Available Spontaneous mutation in the lysosomal acid phosphatase 2 (Acp2 mouse (nax—naked-ataxia mutant mouse correlates with severe cerebellar defects including ataxia, reduced size and abnormal lobulation as well as Purkinje cell (Pc degeneration. Loss of Pcs in the nax cerebellum is compartmentalized and harmonized to the classic pattern of gene expression of the cerebellum in the wild type mouse. Usually, degeneration starts in the anterior and posterior zones and continues to the central and nodular zones of cerebellum. Studies have suggested that the p75 neurotrophin receptor (NTR plays a role in Pc degeneration; thus, in this study, we investigated the p75NTR pattern and protein expression in the cerebellum of the nax mutant mouse. Despite massive Pc degeneration that was observed in the nax mouse cerebellum, p75NTR pattern expression was similar to the HSP25 pattern in nax mice and comparable with wild type sibling cerebellum. In addition, immunoblot analysis of p75NTR protein expression did not show any significant difference between nax and wild type sibling (p > 0.5. In comparison with wild type counterparts, p75NTR pattern expression is aligned with the fundamental cytoarchitecture organization of the cerebellum and is unchanged in the nax mouse cerebellum despite the severe neurodevelopmental disorder accompanied with Pc degeneration.

  3. Disruption of Higher Order DNA Structures in Friedreich's Ataxia (GAA)(n) Repeats by PNA or LNA Targeting

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Bergquist, Helen; Rocha, Cristina S. J.; Alvarez-Asencio, Ruben

    2016-01-01

    Expansion of (GAA)n repeats in the first intron of the Frataxin gene is associated with reduced mRNA and protein levels and the development of Friedreich’s ataxia. (GAA)n expansions form non-canonical structures, including intramolecular triplex (H-DNA), and R-loops and are associated with epigen...

  4. Excision of gamma-ray induced thymine lesions by preparations from ataxia telangiectasia fibroblasts

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Remsen, J F; Cerutti, P A [Florida Univ., Gainesville (USA). Inst. of Food and Agricultural Sciences; Florida Univ., Gainesville (USA). Dept. of Biochemistry)

    1977-04-01

    The capacity of whole cell sonicates of skin fibroblasts of normal individuals and patients with the autosomal recessive disease Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) to remove aerobic gamma-ray products of the 5,6-dihydroxydihydrothymine type (tsub(O/sub 2/)sup(..gamma..)) from exogenous DNA substrates was investigated. All four AT strains (AT CRL 1312, AT CRL 1343, AT GM 367, AT 4BI) possessed normal capabilities to excise tsub(O/sub 2/)sup(..gamma..) from irradiated bacteriophage DNA and irradiated chromatin isolated from normal and AT-skin fibroblasts.

  5. The idic(X)(q13) in myeloid malignancies: breakpoint clustering in segmental duplications and association with TET2 mutations

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Paulsson, Kajsa; Haferlach, Claudia; Fonatsch, Christa

    2010-01-01

    Myelodysplastic syndromes and acute myeloid leukemia with an isodicentric X chromosome [idic(X)(q13)] occur in elderly women and frequently display ringed sideroblasts. Because of the rarity of idic(X)(q13), little is known about its formation, whether a fusion gene is generated, and patterns...... of additional aberrations. We here present an SNP array study of 14 idic(X)-positive myeloid malignancies, collected through an international collaborative effort. The breakpoints clustered in two regions of segmental duplications and were not in a gene, making dosage effects from the concurrent gain of Xpter......-q13 and loss of Xq13-qter, rather than a fusion gene, the most likely pathogenetic outcome. Methylation analysis revealed involvement of the inactive X chromosomes in five cases and of the active in two. The ABCB7 gene, mutated in X-linked sideroblastic anemia and spinocerebellar ataxia...

  6. Neurotrophin Expression in Lymphocytes: a Powerful Indicator of Degeneration in Parkinson's Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis and Ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Sadanand, Anjana; Janardhanan, Anjali; Vanisree, A J; Pavai, Thamil

    2018-02-01

    Deregulated neurotrophin is an etiological factor in the pathology of neurodegenerative diseases (ND) that are clinically different entities but characterised by similar limb dysfunction. Earlier validation of peripheral biomarkers can provide significant translational benefit to ND patients. We analysed brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF)-tropomyosin possessing tyrosine-related kinase (Trk B) and its key downstream proteins which are implicated in ND such as Parkinson's disease (PD), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and ataxia. Blood from ND patients with PD, ALS and Ataxia with movement dysfunctions were obtained to analyse mRNA and protein expressions of the above mentioned factors in lymphocytes. The mRNA and protein expression of BDNF-Trk B and its key downstream molecules showed a significant variation when compared to control and among NDs. The study intends to show that on identifying the variation of these key molecules in the blood samples of patients with ND can serve as early diagnostic candidates. Thus by intervening, the neurotrophins and their pathways can help in early diagnosis and optimising levels of diagnostic certainty.

  7. Domination, Eternal Domination, and Clique Covering

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Klostermeyer William F.

    2015-05-01

    Full Text Available Eternal and m-eternal domination are concerned with using mobile guards to protect a graph against infinite sequences of attacks at vertices. Eternal domination allows one guard to move per attack, whereas more than one guard may move per attack in the m-eternal domination model. Inequality chains consisting of the domination, eternal domination, m-eternal domination, independence, and clique covering numbers of graph are explored in this paper.

  8. Exome Sequencing and Linkage Analysis Identified Novel Candidate Genes in Recessive Intellectual Disability Associated with Ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jazayeri, Roshanak; Hu, Hao; Fattahi, Zohreh; Musante, Luciana; Abedini, Seyedeh Sedigheh; Hosseini, Masoumeh; Wienker, Thomas F; Ropers, Hans Hilger; Najmabadi, Hossein; Kahrizi, Kimia

    2015-10-01

    Intellectual disability (ID) is a neuro-developmental disorder which causes considerable socio-economic problems. Some ID individuals are also affected by ataxia, and the condition includes different mutations affecting several genes. We used whole exome sequencing (WES) in combination with homozygosity mapping (HM) to identify the genetic defects in five consanguineous families among our cohort study, with two affected children with ID and ataxia as major clinical symptoms. We identified three novel candidate genes, RIPPLY1, MRPL10, SNX14, and a new mutation in known gene SURF1. All are autosomal genes, except RIPPLY1, which is located on the X chromosome. Two are housekeeping genes, implicated in transcription and translation regulation and intracellular trafficking, and two encode mitochondrial proteins. The pathogenesis of these variants was evaluated by mutation classification, bioinformatic methods, review of medical and biological relevance, co-segregation studies in the particular family, and a normal population study. Linkage analysis and exome sequencing of a small number of affected family members is a powerful new technique which can be used to decrease the number of candidate genes in heterogenic disorders such as ID, and may even identify the responsible gene(s).

  9. Evaluation of acetazolamine response in patients with cerebellar ataxia using dynamic quantitative F-18-FDG PET

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kim, Y. K.; Lee, D. S.; Lee, J. S.; Kim, M. H.; Lee, K. M.; Yeo, J. S.; Chung, J. K.; Lee, M. C.

    2001-01-01

    Cerebellar Ataxia (CA) usually shows dramatic response to acetazolamide treatment. But few cases of acetazolamide unresponse CA were reported recently. Using dynamic FDG PET, we tried to evaluate the metabolic abnormality and its drug response in CA. Quantitative F-18-FDG PET was performed prior and after treatment of acetazolamide (250 mg qid for 10 days) in two patient suspected episodic cerebellar ataxia. Using Model-based clustering method, the regional cerebral glucose metabolic rate (rCMRglu) was calculated. Two patients showed different treatment response to acetazolamide. In one patient who showed markedly reduced frequency of the ataxic attack after treatment. FDG PET showed that mean cerebellar glucose metabolism was increased after treatment (ΔrCMRglu:9%). However, in the other who showed poor response to acetazolamide, FDG PET showed the more decrease metabolism in cerebellar metabolism after treatment (ΔrCMRglu:-17%). The change of the cerebellar glucose metabolism on FDG PET reflected the symptomatic improvement after acetazolamide in these two CA patients. We could expected that FDG PET might be a very useful tool to quantitatively predict the treatment response in CA and other neurologic disorder

  10. TORC1 Inhibition by Rapamycin Promotes Antioxidant Defences in a Drosophila Model of Friedreich's Ataxia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Pablo Calap-Quintana

    Full Text Available Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA, the most common inherited ataxia in the Caucasian population, is a multisystemic disease caused by a significant decrease in the frataxin level. To identify genes capable of modifying the severity of the symptoms of frataxin depletion, we performed a candidate genetic screen in a Drosophila RNAi-based model of FRDA. We found that genetic reduction in TOR Complex 1 (TORC1 signalling improves the impaired motor performance phenotype of FRDA model flies. Pharmacologic inhibition of TORC1 signalling by rapamycin also restored this phenotype and increased the lifespan and ATP levels. Furthermore, rapamycin reduced the altered levels of malondialdehyde + 4-hydroxyalkenals and total glutathione of the model flies. The rapamycin-mediated protection against oxidative stress is due in part to an increase in the transcription of antioxidant genes mediated by cap-n-collar (Drosophila ortholog of Nrf2. Our results suggest that autophagy is indeed necessary for the protective effect of rapamycin in hyperoxia. Rapamycin increased the survival and aconitase activity of model flies subjected to high oxidative insult, and this improvement was abolished by the autophagy inhibitor 3-methyladenine. These results point to the TORC1 pathway as a new potential therapeutic target for FRDA and as a guide to finding new promising molecules for disease treatment.

  11. Amnesic syndrome and severe ataxia following the recreational use of 3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA, 'ecstasy') and other substances.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kopelman, M D; Reed, L J; Marsden, P; Mayes, A R; Jaldow, E; Laing, H; Isaac, C

    2001-01-01

    A 26-year-old woman suffered disseminated intravascular coagulation (DIC) and a brief respiratory arrest following recreational use of 3,4-methylene-dioxymethamphetamine (MDMA; 'ecstasy'), together with amyl nitrate, lysergic acid (LSD), cannabis and alcohol. She was left with residual cognitive and physical deficits, particularly severe anterograde memory disorder, mental slowness, severe ataxia and dysarthria. Follow-up investigations have shown that these have persisted, although there has been some improvement in verbal recognition memory and in social functioning. Magnetic resonance imaging and quantified positron emission tomography investigations have revealed: (i) severe cerebellar atrophy and hypometabolism accounting for the ataxia and dysarthria; (ii) thalamic, retrosplenial and left medial temporal hypometabolism to which the anterograde amnesia can be attributed; and (iii) some degree of fronto-temporal-parietal hypometabolism, possibly accounting for the cognitive slowness. The putative relationship of these abnormalities to the direct and indirect effects of MDMA toxicity, hypoxia and ischaemia is considered.

  12. Compound Heterozygous Inheritance of Mutations in Coenzyme Q8A Results in Autosomal Recessive Cerebellar Ataxia and Coenzyme Q10 Deficiency in a Female Sib-Pair.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Jacobsen, Jessie C; Whitford, Whitney; Swan, Brendan; Taylor, Juliet; Love, Donald R; Hill, Rosamund; Molyneux, Sarah; George, Peter M; Mackay, Richard; Robertson, Stephen P; Snell, Russell G; Lehnert, Klaus

    2017-11-21

    Autosomal recessive ataxias are characterised by a fundamental loss in coordination of gait with associated atrophy of the cerebellum. There is significant clinical and genetic heterogeneity amongst inherited ataxias; however, an early molecular diagnosis is essential with low-risk treatments available for some of these conditions. We describe two female siblings who presented early in life with unsteady gait and cerebellar atrophy. Whole exome sequencing revealed compound heterozygous inheritance of two pathogenic mutations (p.Leu277Pro, c.1506+1G>A) in the coenzyme Q8A gene (COQ8A), a gene central to biosynthesis of coenzyme Q (CoQ). The paternally derived p.Leu277Pro mutation is predicted to disrupt a conserved motif in the substrate-binding pocket of the protein, resulting in inhibition of CoQ 10 production. The maternal c.1506+1G>A mutation destroys a canonical splice donor site in exon 12 affecting transcript processing and subsequent protein translation. Mutations in this gene can result in primary coenzyme Q 10 deficiency type 4, which is characterized by childhood onset of cerebellar ataxia and exercise intolerance, both of which were observed in this sib-pair. Muscle biopsies revealed unequivocally low levels of CoQ 10, and the siblings were subsequently established on a therapeutic dose of CoQ 10 with distinct clinical evidence of improvement after 1 year of treatment. This case emphasises the importance of an early and accurate molecular diagnosis for suspected inherited ataxias, particularly given the availability of approved treatments for some subtypes.

  13. A novel pathogenic variant in an Iranian Ataxia telangiectasia family revealed by next-generation sequencing followed by in silico analysis.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Tabatabaiefar, Mohammad Amin; Alipour, Paria; Pourahmadiyan, Azam; Fattahi, Najmeh; Shariati, Laleh; Golchin, Neda; Mohammadi-Asl, Javad

    2017-08-15

    Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a neurodegenerative autosomal recessive disorder with the main characteristics of progressive cerebellar degeneration, sensitivity to ionizing radiation, immunodeficiency, telangiectasia, premature aging, recurrent sinopulmonary infections, and increased risk of malignancy, especially of lymphoid origin. Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated gene, ATM, as a causative gene for the A-T disorder, encodes the ATM protein, which plays an important role in the activation of cell-cycle checkpoints and initiation of DNA repair in response to DNA damage. Targeted next-generation sequencing (NGS) was performed on an Iranian 5-year-old boy presented with truncal and limb ataxia, telangiectasia of the eye, Hodgkin lymphoma, hyper pigmentation, total alopecia, hepatomegaly, and dysarthria. Sanger sequencing was used to confirm the candidate pathogenic variants. Computational docking was done using the HEX software to examine how this change affects the interactions of ATM with the upstream and downstream proteins. Three different variants were identified comprising two homozygous SNPs and one novel homozygous frameshift variant (c.80468047delTA, p.Thr2682ThrfsX5), which creates a stop codon in exon 57 leaving the protein truncated at its C-terminal portion. Therefore, the activation and phosphorylation of target proteins are lost. Moreover, the HEX software confirmed that the mutated protein lost its interaction with upstream and downstream proteins. The variant was classified as pathogenic based on the American College of Medical Genetics and Genomics guideline. This study expands the spectrum of ATM pathogenic variants in Iran and demonstrates the utility of targeted NGS in genetic diagnostics. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier B.V.

  14. [Analysis of 14 individuals who requested predictive genetic testing for hereditary neuromuscular diseases].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Yoshida, Kunihiro; Tamai, Mariko; Kubota, Takeo; Kawame, Hiroshi; Amano, Naoji; Ikeda, Shu-ichi; Fukushima, Yoshimitsu

    2002-02-01

    Predictive genetic testing for hereditary neuromuscular diseases is a delicate issue for individuals at risk and their families, as well as for medical staff because these diseases are often late-onset and intractable. Therefore careful pre- and post-test genetic counseling and psychosocial support should be provided along with such genetic testing. The Division of Clinical and Molecular Genetics was established at our hospital in May 1996 to provide skilled professional genetic counseling. Since its establishment, 14 individuals have visited our clinic to request predictive genetic testing for hereditary neuromuscular diseases (4 for myotonic dystrophy, 6 for spinocerebellar ataxia, 3 for Huntington's disease, and 1 for Alzheimer's disease). The main reasons for considering testing were to remove uncertainty about the genetic status and to plan for the future. Nine of 14 individuals requested testing for making decisions about a forthcoming marriage or pregnancy (family planning). Other reasons raised by the individuals included career or financial planning, planning for their own health care, and knowing the risk for their children. At the first genetic counseling session, all of the individuals expressed hopes of not being a gene carrier and of escaping from fear of disease, and seemed not to be mentally well prepared for an increased-risk result. To date, 7 of the 14 individuals have received genetic testing and only one, who underwent predictive genetic testing for spinocerebellar ataxia, was given an increased-risk result. The seven individuals including the one with an increased-risk result, have coped well with their new knowledge about their genetic status after the testing results were disclosed. None of them has expressed regret. In pre-test genetic counseling sessions, we consider it quite important not only to determine the psychological status of the individual, but also to make the individual try to anticipate the changes in his/her life upon

  15. Genetic screening of Greek patients with Huntington’s disease phenocopies identifies an SCA8 expansion.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koutsis, G; Karadima, G; Pandraud, A; Sweeney, M G; Paudel, R; Houlden, H; Wood, N W; Panas, M

    2012-09-01

    Huntington’s disease (HD) is an autosomal dominant disorder characterized by a triad of chorea, psychiatric disturbance and cognitive decline. Around 1% of patients with HD-like symptoms lack the causative HD expansion and are considered HD phenocopies. Genetic diseases that can present as HD phenocopies include HD-like syndromes such as HDL1, HDL2 and HDL4 (SCA17), some spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) and dentatorubral-pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA). In this study we screened a cohort of 21 Greek patients with HD phenocopy syndromes formutations causing HDL2, SCA17, SCA1, SCA2, SCA3,SCA8, SCA12 and DRPLA. Fifteen patients (71%) had a positive family history. We identified one patient (4.8% of the total cohort) with an expansion of 81 combined CTA/CTG repeats at the SCA8 locus. This falls within what is believed to be the high-penetrance allele range. In addition to the classic HD triad, the patient had features of dystonia and oculomotor apraxia. There were no cases of HDL2, SCA17, SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA12 or DRPLA. Given the controversy surrounding the SCA8 expansion, the present finding may be incidental. However, if pathogenic, it broadens the phenotype that may be associated with SCA8 expansions. The absence of any other mutations in our cohort is not surprising, given the low probability of reaching a genetic diagnosis in HD phenocopy patients.

  16. Establishment and Maintenance of Primary Fibroblast Repositories for Rare Diseases-Friedreich's Ataxia Example.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yanjie; Polak, Urszula; Clark, Amanda D; Bhalla, Angela D; Chen, Yu-Yun; Li, Jixue; Farmer, Jennifer; Seyer, Lauren; Lynch, David; Butler, Jill S; Napierala, Marek

    2016-08-01

    Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) represents a rare neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of GAA trinucleotide repeats in the first intron of the FXN gene. The number of GAA repeats in FRDA patients varies from approximately 60 to repositories, especially in the context of rare and heterogeneous disorders, are presented. Although the economic aspect of creating and maintaining such repositories is important, the benefits of easy access to a collection of well-characterized cell lines for the purpose of drug discovery or disease mechanism studies overshadow the associated costs. Importantly, all FRDA fibroblast cell lines collected in our repository are available to the scientific community.

  17. Investigation of Exon 1 in FXN Gene in Patients with Clinical Symptomatic of Friedreich Ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Naseroleslami M

    2013-01-01

    Full Text Available Background and Objectives: Friedreich’s ataxia (FRDA is an autosomal recessive disorder that is typically associated with dysarthria, muscle weakness, spasticity in the lower limbs, scoliosis, bladder dysfunction, absent lower limb reflexes, and loss of position and vibration sense. Approximately two-thirds of these patients suffer from cardiomyopathy and more than 30% have diabetes mellitus. Individuals with FRDA have identifiable mutations in the FXN gene. The most common type of mutation which is observed on both alleles in more than 98% of patients is an expansion of a GAA triplet-repeat in intron of FXN gene. Approximately 2% of individuals with FRDA are compound heterozygotes, who have a GAA expansion in the disease-causing range in one FXN allele and an inactivating FXN mutation in another allele. Aim of the present study was to investigate exon 1 in FRDA gene in patients with clinical symptoms of Friedreich’s Ataxia that have not GAA triplet-repeat expansion in intron 1 of FXN gene.Methods: In this study, exon 1 in 5 patients suspected of FRDA analyzed using PCR and sequencing. Results: An A to G transition at nucleotide number 815284, in exon 1 was observed in all patients. Conclusion: The results of this study showed that disease-causing homozygous mutations could be because of consanguinity marriage in Iran. Therefore, sequencing of all exons of the gene is necessary.

  18. ERS statement on the multidisciplinary respiratory management of ataxia telangiectasia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Jayesh M. Bhatt

    2015-12-01

    Full Text Available Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T is a rare, progressive, multisystem disease that has a large number of complex and diverse manifestations which vary with age. Patients with A-T die prematurely with the leading causes of death being respiratory diseases and cancer. Respiratory manifestations include immune dysfunction leading to recurrent upper and lower respiratory infections; aspiration resulting from dysfunctional swallowing due to neurodegenerative deficits; inefficient cough; and interstitial lung disease/pulmonary fibrosis. Malnutrition is a significant comorbidity. The increased radiosensitivity and increased risk of cancer should be borne in mind when requesting radiological investigations. Aggressive proactive monitoring and treatment of these various aspects of lung disease under multidisciplinary expertise in the experience of national multidisciplinary clinics internationally forms the basis of this statement on the management of lung disease in A-T. Neurological management is outwith the scope of this document.

  19. Structure validation of the Josephin domain of ataxin-3: Conclusive evidence for an open conformation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Nicastro, Giuseppe; Habeck, Michael; Masino, Laura; Svergun, Dmitri I.; Pastore, Annalisa

    2006-01-01

    The availability of new and fast tools in structure determination has led to a more than exponential growth of the number of structures solved per year. It is therefore increasingly essential to assess the accuracy of the new structures by reliable approaches able to assist validation. Here, we discuss a specific example in which the use of different complementary techniques, which include Bayesian methods and small angle scattering, resulted essential for validating the two currently available structures of the Josephin domain of ataxin-3, a protein involved in the ubiquitin/proteasome pathway and responsible for neurodegenerative spinocerebellar ataxia of type 3. Taken together, our results demonstrate that only one of the two structures is compatible with the experimental information. Based on the high precision of our refined structure, we show that Josephin contains an open cleft which could be directly implicated in the interaction with polyubiquitin chains and other partners

  20. Validation of a clinical practice-based algorithm for the diagnosis of autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias based on NGS identified cases.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mallaret, Martial; Renaud, Mathilde; Redin, Claire; Drouot, Nathalie; Muller, Jean; Severac, Francois; Mandel, Jean Louis; Hamza, Wahiba; Benhassine, Traki; Ali-Pacha, Lamia; Tazir, Meriem; Durr, Alexandra; Monin, Marie-Lorraine; Mignot, Cyril; Charles, Perrine; Van Maldergem, Lionel; Chamard, Ludivine; Thauvin-Robinet, Christel; Laugel, Vincent; Burglen, Lydie; Calvas, Patrick; Fleury, Marie-Céline; Tranchant, Christine; Anheim, Mathieu; Koenig, Michel

    2016-07-01

    Establishing a molecular diagnosis of autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias (ARCA) is challenging due to phenotype and genotype heterogeneity. We report the validation of a previously published clinical practice-based algorithm to diagnose ARCA. Two assessors performed a blind analysis to determine the most probable mutated gene based on comprehensive clinical and paraclinical data, without knowing the molecular diagnosis of 23 patients diagnosed by targeted capture of 57 ataxia genes and high-throughput sequencing coming from a 145 patients series. The correct gene was predicted in 61 and 78 % of the cases by the two assessors, respectively. There was a high inter-rater agreement [K = 0.85 (0.55-0.98) p < 0.001] confirming the algorithm's reproducibility. Phenotyping patients with proper clinical examination, imaging, biochemical investigations and nerve conduction studies remain crucial for the guidance of molecular analysis and to interpret next generation sequencing results. The proposed algorithm should be helpful for diagnosing ARCA in clinical practice.

  1. Small Molecules Targeting Ataxia Telangiectasia and Rad3-Related (ATR) Kinase: An Emerging way to Enhance Existing Cancer Therapy

    Czech Academy of Sciences Publication Activity Database

    Andrs, M.; Korábečný, J.; Nepovimova, E.; Jun, D.; Hodný, Zdeněk; Kuca, K.

    2016-01-01

    Roč. 16, č. 3 (2016), s. 200-208 ISSN 1568-0096 Institutional support: RVO:68378050 Keywords : Ataxia telangiectasia and Rad3-related kinase (ATR) * cancer * chemosensitization * DNA damage response * phosphatidylinositol 3-kinase-related protein kinases (PIKK) * radiosensitization * synthetic lethality Subject RIV: EB - Genetics ; Molecular Biology Impact factor: 2.992, year: 2016

  2. Domination versus disjunctive domination in graphs | Henning ...

    African Journals Online (AJOL)

    Domination versus disjunctive domination in graphs. Michael A Henning, Sinclair A Marcon. Abstract. A dominating set in a graph G is a set S of vertices of G such that every vertex not in S is adjacent to a vertex of S. The domination number of G is the minimum cardinality of a dominating set of G. For a positive integer b, ...

  3. Harmony as a convergence attractor that minimizes the energy expenditure and variability in physiological gait and the loss of harmony in cerebellar ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Serrao, Mariano; Chini, Giorgia; Iosa, Marco; Casali, Carlo; Morone, Giovanni; Conte, Carmela; Bini, Fabiano; Marinozzi, Franco; Coppola, Gianluca; Pierelli, Francesco; Draicchio, Francesco; Ranavolo, Alberto

    2017-10-01

    The harmony of the human gait was recently found to be related to the golden ratio value (ϕ). The ratio between the duration of the stance and that of the swing phases of a gait cycle was in fact found to be close to ϕ, which implies that, because of the fractal property of autosimilarity of that number, the gait ratios stride/stance, stance/swing, swing/double support, were not significantly different from one another. We studied a group of patients with cerebellar ataxia to investigate how the differences between their gait ratios and the golden ratio are related to efficiency and stability of their gait, assessed by energy expenditure and stride-to-stride variability, respectively. The gait of 28 patients who were affected by degenerative cerebellar ataxia and of 28 healthy controls was studied using a stereophotogrammetric system. The above mentioned gait ratios, the energy expenditure estimated using the pelvis reconstructed method and the gait variability in terms of the stride length were computed, and their relationships were analyzed. Matching procedures have also been used to avoid multicollinearity biases. The gait ratio values of the patients were farther from the controls (and hence from ϕ), even in speed matched conditions (P=0.011, Cohen's D=0.76), but not when the variability and energy expenditure were matched between the two groups (Cohen's D=0.49). In patients with cerebellar ataxia, the farther the stance-swing ratio was from ϕ, the larger the total mechanical work (R 2 adj =0.64). Further, a significant positive correlation was observed between the difference of the gait ratio from the golden ratio and the severity of the disease (R=0.421, P=0.026). Harmony of gait appears to be a benchmark of physiological gait leading to physiological energy recovery and gait reliability. Neurorehabilitation of patients with ataxia might benefit from the restoration of harmony of their locomotor patterns. Copyright © 2017. Published by Elsevier Ltd.

  4. Falls and cerebellar ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    I. V. Damulin

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available The paper considers the main causes of falls. Whatever their cause is, falls may lead to severe maladjustment in everyday life. In nearly 1 out of 10 cases, they are accompanied by severe injuries, including fractures (most commonly those of the proximal femur and humerus, hands, pelvic bones, and vertebrae, subdural hematoma, and severe soft tissue and head injuries. This process is emphasized to be multifactorial. Particular emphasis is laid on the involvement of the cerebellum and its associations, which may be accompanied by falls. This is clinically manifested mainly by gait disorders. Walking is a result of an interaction of three related functions (locomotion, maintenance of balance and adaptive reactions. In addition to synergies related to locomotion and balance maintenance, standing at rest and walking are influenced bythe following factors: postural and environmental information (proprioceptive, vestibular, and visual, the capacity to interpret and integrate this information, the ability of the musculoskeletal system to make movements, and the capability to optimally modulate these movements in view of the specific situation and the ability to choose and adapt synergy in terms of external factors and the capacities and purposes of an individual. The clinical signs of damage to the cerebellum and its associations are considered in detail. These structures are emphasized to be involved not only in movements, but also in cognitive functions. The major symptoms that permit cerebellar dysfunction to be diagnosed are given. Symptoms in cerebellar injuries are generally most pronounced when suddenly changing the direction of movements or attempting to start walking immediately after a dramatic rise. The magnitude of ataxia also increases in a patient who tries to decrease the step size. Falling tendencies or bending to one side (in other symptoms characteristic of cerebellar diseases suggest injury of the corresponding

  5. Hereditary syndromes with enhanced radiosensitivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lohmann, D.

    2000-01-01

    Sensitivity to ionizing radiation is modified by heritable genetic factors. This is exemplified by heritable disorders that are characterized by predisposition to the development of neoplasms. Cells derived from patients with ataxia telangiectasia, Nijmegen breakage syndrome and ataxia telangiektasia-like disorder show a markedly changed reaction to exposure to ionizing radiation. Correspondingly, at least in patients with ataxia telangiectasia, an enhanced radiosensitivity that is of clinical importance has been observed. In addition to these recessive disorders, some autosomal dominant cancer predisposition syndromes are associated with increased radiosensitivity. As cells from these patients still have a normal allele (that is dominant over the mutant allele), the cellular phenotype is most often normal. Specifically, there is no overtly altered reaction in response to ionizing radiation. Nevertheless, two dominant cancer predisposition syndromes, namely hereditary retinoblastoma and naevoid basal cell carcinoma syndrome, are associated with a enhanced radiosensitivity as indicated by increased development of tumors following radiation therapy. (orig.) [de

  6. Phospho-SMC1 in-Cell ELISA based Detection of Ataxia Telangiectasia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Majid Zaki dizaji

    2016-12-01

    Full Text Available BackgroundAtaxia telangiectasia (A-T is a common genetically inherited cause of early childhood-onset ataxia. The infrequency of this disease, vast phenotype variation, disorders with features similar to those of A-T, and lack of definite laboratory test, make diagnosis difficult.  In addition, there is no rapid reliable laboratory method for identifying A-T heterozygotes, who susceptible to ionizing radiation (IR, atherosclerosis, diabetes, and cancers. We used SMC1pSer966 (pSMC1 in-cell colorimetric ELISA to diagnosis and screen in A-T families.Materials and Methods: With informed consent, 2cc peripheral blood was collected from the 15 A-T patients, their parents, and 24 healthy controls with no family history of malignancy, diabetes, and atherosclerosis. Extracted peripheral blood mononuclear cells (PBMCs were cultured in poly-L-Lysine treated 96-well plate with density of 70,000 cells per well. SMC1 phosphorylation was evaluated with cell-based ELISA kit 1 hour after 5 Gy IR and the pSMC1data normalized with Glyceraldehyde-3-phosphate dehydrogenase (GAPDH.Results: SMC1 phosphorylation was significantly low in A-T`s PBMC (mean + standard deviation [SD]: 0.075 + 0.034 in comparison to carriers (mean + SD: 0.190 + 0.060 and healthy controls (mean + SD: 0.312 +0.081, but unluckily could only discriminate A-T patients (Area Under the Curve -receiver operating characteristic [AUC-ROC]: 1.00, 1.00-1.00. This method in spite of rapidness and simplicity showed poor imprecision (22.49% coefficient of variation [CV] for intraday imprecision.Conclusion: It seems pSMC1 assessment by in-cell ELISA can be used for detection of A-T patients, but it may not sensitive enough for identification of carriers. This ELISA test is very simple, rapid, and requires less than 2cc blood. Thus it may be proposed for the early differential diagnosis of A-T as an alternative method.

  7. Expression of Caytaxin protein in Cayman Ataxia mouse models correlates with phenotype severity.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Kristine M Sikora

    Full Text Available Caytaxin is a highly-conserved protein, which is encoded by the Atcay/ATCAY gene. Mutations in Atcay/ATCAY have been identified as causative of cerebellar disorders such as the rare hereditary disease Cayman ataxia in humans, generalized dystonia in the dystonic (dt rat, and marked motor defects in three ataxic mouse lines. While several lines of evidence suggest that Caytaxin plays a critical role in maintaining nervous system processes, the physiological function of Caytaxin has not been fully characterized. In the study presented here, we generated novel specific monoclonal antibodies against full-length Caytaxin to examine endogenous Caytaxin expression in wild type and Atcay mutant mouse lines. Caytaxin protein is absent from brain tissues in the two severely ataxic Atcay(jit (jittery and Atcay(swd (sidewinder mutant lines, and markedly decreased in the mildly ataxic/dystonic Atcay(ji-hes (hesitant line, indicating a correlation between Caytaxin expression and disease severity. As the expression of wild type human Caytaxin in mutant sidewinder and jittery mice rescues the ataxic phenotype, Caytaxin's physiological function appears to be conserved between the human and mouse orthologs. Across multiple species and in several neuronal cell lines Caytaxin is expressed as several protein isoforms, the two largest of which are caused by the usage of conserved methionine translation start sites. The work described in this manuscript presents an initial characterization of the Caytaxin protein and its expression in wild type and several mutant mouse models. Utilizing these animal models of human Cayman Ataxia will now allow an in-depth analysis to elucidate Caytaxin's role in maintaining normal neuronal function.

  8. Exploration of transitional life events in individuals with Friedreich ataxia: Implications for genetic counseling

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Farmer Jennifer M

    2010-10-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background Human development is a process of change, adaptation and growth. Throughout this process, transitional events mark important points in time when one's life course is significantly altered. This study captures transitional life events brought about or altered by Friedreich ataxia, a progressive chronic illness leading to disability, and the impact of these events on an affected individual's life course. Methods Forty-two adults with Friedreich ataxia (18-65y were interviewed regarding their perceptions of transitional life events. Data from the interviews were coded and analyzed thematically using an iterative process. Results Identified transitions were either a direct outcome of Friedreich ataxia, or a developmental event altered by having the condition. Specifically, an awareness of symptoms, fear of falling and changes in mobility status were the most salient themes from the experience of living with Friedreich ataxia. Developmental events primarily influenced by the condition were one's relationships and life's work. Conclusions Friedreich ataxia increased the complexity and magnitude of transitional events for study participants. Transitional events commonly represented significant loss and presented challenges to self-esteem and identity. Findings from this study help alert professionals of potentially challenging times in patients' lives, which are influenced by chronic illness or disability. Implications for developmental counseling approaches are suggested for genetic counseling. Background Human development can be described in terms of key transitional events, or significant times of change. Transitional events initiate shifts in the meaning or direction of life and require the individual to develop skills or utilize coping strategies to adapt to a novel situation 12. A successful transition has been defined as the development of a sense of mastery over the changed event 3. Transitions can be influenced by a variety

  9. Construct Validity and Reliability of the SARA Gait and Posture Sub-scale in Early Onset Ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Tjitske F. Lawerman

    2017-12-01

    Full Text Available Aim: In children, gait and posture assessment provides a crucial marker for the early characterization, surveillance and treatment evaluation of early onset ataxia (EOA. For reliable data entry of studies targeting at gait and posture improvement, uniform quantitative biomarkers are necessary. Until now, the pediatric test construct of gait and posture scores of the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia sub-scale (SARA is still unclear. In the present study, we aimed to validate the construct validity and reliability of the pediatric (SARAGAIT/POSTURE sub-scale.Methods: We included 28 EOA patients [15.5 (6–34 years; median (range]. For inter-observer reliability, we determined the ICC on EOA SARAGAIT/POSTURE sub-scores by three independent pediatric neurologists. For convergent validity, we associated SARAGAIT/POSTURE sub-scores with: (1 Ataxic gait Severity Measurement by Klockgether (ASMK; dynamic balance, (2 Pediatric Balance Scale (PBS; static balance, (3 Gross Motor Function Classification Scale -extended and revised version (GMFCS-E&R, (4 SARA-kinetic scores (SARAKINETIC; kinetic function of the upper and lower limbs, (5 Archimedes Spiral (AS; kinetic function of the upper limbs, and (6 total SARA scores (SARATOTAL; i.e., summed SARAGAIT/POSTURE, SARAKINETIC, and SARASPEECH sub-scores. For discriminant validity, we investigated whether EOA co-morbidity factors (myopathy and myoclonus could influence SARAGAIT/POSTURE sub-scores.Results: The inter-observer agreement (ICC on EOA SARAGAIT/POSTURE sub-scores was high (0.97. SARAGAIT/POSTURE was strongly correlated with the other ataxia and functional scales [ASMK (rs = -0.819; p < 0.001; PBS (rs = -0.943; p < 0.001; GMFCS-E&R (rs = -0.862; p < 0.001; SARAKINETIC (rs = 0.726; p < 0.001; AS (rs = 0.609; p = 0.002; and SARATOTAL (rs = 0.935; p < 0.001]. Comorbid myopathy influenced SARAGAIT/POSTURE scores by concurrent muscle weakness, whereas comorbid myoclonus predominantly influenced

  10. Myoclonus epilepsy and ataxia due to KCNC1 mutation

    DEFF Research Database (Denmark)

    Oliver, Karen L.; Franceschetti, Silvana; Milligan, Carol J.

    2017-01-01

    generalized spike and polyspike wave discharges, with documented photosensitivity in most. Polygraphic EEG–electromyographic studies demonstrated a cortical origin for myoclonus and striking coactivation of agonist and antagonist muscles. Magnetic resonance imaging revealed symmetrical cerebellar atrophy...... data for 20 patients with MEAK due to recurrent KCNC1 p.R320H mutation. In vitro electrophysiological studies were conducted using whole cell patch-clamp to explore biophysical properties of wild-type and mutant KV3.1 channels. Results: Symptoms began at between 3 and 15 years of age (median = 9.......5), with progressively severe myoclonus and rare tonic–clonic seizures. Ataxia was present early, but quickly became overshadowed by myoclonus; 10 patients were wheelchair-bound by their late teenage years. Mild cognitive decline occurred in half. Early death was not observed. Electroencephalogram (EEG) showed...

  11. Bladder Wall Telangiectasia in a Patient with Ataxia-Telangiectasia and How to Manage?

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Fatma Deniz Aygün

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T is a rare neurodegenerative, inherited disease causing severe morbidity. Oculocutaneous telangiectasias are almost constant findings among the affected cases as telangiectasia is considered the main clinical finding for diagnosis. Vascular abnormalities in organs have been reported infrequently but bladder wall telangiectasias are extremely rare. We aimed to report recurrent hemorrhage from bladder wall telangiectasia in a 9-year-old boy with A-T who had received intravenous cyclophosphamide for non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Since A-T patients are known to be more susceptible to chemical agents, we suggested that possibly cyclophosphamide was the drug which induced bladder wall injury in this patient.

  12. Establishment and Maintenance of Primary Fibroblast Repositories for Rare Diseases—Friedreich's Ataxia Example

    Science.gov (United States)

    Li, Yanjie; Polak, Urszula; Clark, Amanda D.; Bhalla, Angela D.; Chen, Yu-Yun; Li, Jixue; Farmer, Jennifer; Seyer, Lauren; Lynch, David

    2016-01-01

    Friedreich's ataxia (FRDA) represents a rare neurodegenerative disease caused by expansion of GAA trinucleotide repeats in the first intron of the FXN gene. The number of GAA repeats in FRDA patients varies from approximately 60 to repositories, especially in the context of rare and heterogeneous disorders, are presented. Although the economic aspect of creating and maintaining such repositories is important, the benefits of easy access to a collection of well-characterized cell lines for the purpose of drug discovery or disease mechanism studies overshadow the associated costs. Importantly, all FRDA fibroblast cell lines collected in our repository are available to the scientific community. PMID:27002638

  13. Pedaleo de brazos en personas con lesión medular, parálisis cerebral o ataxia cerebelosa: Parámetros fisiológicos. [Armcrank pedaling in persons with spinal cord injury, cerebral palsy or cerebellar ataxia: Physiological parameters].

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    Iris González-Carbonell

    2016-10-01

    Full Text Available Los desórdenes neurológicos generan afectación física y derivan en sedentarismo, enfermedades coronarias y obesidad o diabetes, reduciendo tanto la esperanza como la calidad de vida. La oferta de actividad física adaptada es escasa por falta de información específica sobre la forma de adecuarlo y dosificarlo a las personas que presentan estos desórdenes. Con el fin de comparar el efecto del ejercicio de pedaleo de brazos sobre la respuesta fisiológica y la percepción del esfuerzo, en 8 personas con lesión medular, 4 con parálisis cerebral y 4 con ataxia de Friedreich, se analizó su respuesta fisiológica, así como su percepción subjetiva al esfuerzo, frente a un grupo Control (16 participantes. Para ello realizó un ejercicio normalizado de pedaleo de brazos en un ergómetro y se midieron frecuencia cardíaca, frecuencia respiratoria, volumen corriente, volumen espirado, consumo de Oxígeno relativo, pulso de Oxígeno y percepción del esfuerzo y se realizó un ANOVA con estas variables. Para el grupo con lesión medular, el estrés y gasto energético resultaron los más bajos. El grupo con parálisis cerebral mostró los niveles de estrés más altos, además percibiéndolo como una carga moderada. El grupo con ataxia de Friedreich, mostró respuestas cardiorrespiratorias altas intermedias. Se puede concluir que diferentes desórdenes neurológicos muestran respuestas fisiológicas muy diferentes frente al ejercicio y es importante su control. Abstract Neurological disorders produce physical impairment that result in physical inactivity, heart disease and obesity or diabetes, reducing both life expectancy and quality of life. The supply of adapted physical activity is limited by lack of specific information on how to adapt and dosed to people who have these disorders. In order to compare the effect of armcrank pedaling exercise on their physiological response and perception of effort, 8 people with spinal cord injury, 4 with

  14. Establishment of cell lines derived from ataxia telangiectasia and xeroderma pigmentosum patients with high radiation sensitivity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hashimoto, Tomoko; Furuyama, Jun-ichi; Nakano, Yoshiro; Owada, M. Koji; Kakunaga, Takeo

    1986-01-01

    Four human fibroblast cell lines, three of which were derived from a patient with ataxia telangiectasia and the other from a patient with xeroderma pigmentosum, were established after transfection with cloned SV40 DNA. These 4 cell lines showed some phenotypes characteristic of neoplastically transformed cells, and had a human karyotype with heteromorphisms identical to those of the parental fibroblasts. Their sensitivity to the cytotoxic effects of γ-rays or ultraviolet irradiation was as high as those of their parental fibroblasts. (Auth.)

  15. Expansion of the clinical phenotype of the distal 10q26.3 deletion syndrome to include ataxia and hyperemia of the hands and feet.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Lacaria, Melanie; Srour, Myriam; Michaud, Jacques L; Doja, Asif; Miller, Elka; Schwartzentruber, Jeremy; Goldsmith, Claire; Majewski, Jacek; Boycott, Kym M

    2017-06-01

    Distal deletion of the long arm of chromosome 10 is associated with a dysmorphic craniofacial appearance, microcephaly, behavioral issues, developmental delay, intellectual disability, and ocular, urogenital, and limb abnormalities. Herein, we present clinical, molecular, and cytogenetic investigations of four patients, including two siblings, with nearly identical terminal deletions of 10q26.3, all of whom have an atypical presentation of this syndrome. Their prominent features include ataxia, mild-to-moderate intellectual disability, and hyperemia of the hands and feet, and they do not display many of the other features commonly associated with deletions of this region. These results point to a novel gene locus associated with ataxia and highlight the variability of the clinical presentation of patients with deletions of this region. © 2017 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  16. Ataxia telangiectasia: LET dependence of cellular inactivation

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Blakely, E.A.; Tobias, C.A.

    1984-01-01

    Human Ataxia telangiectasia cells (AT 2SF line) have been irradiated in vitro under aerobic and hypoxic conditions with heavy-ion beams accelerated at the Berkeley Bevalac as a part of a study to characterize the radiation responses of genetically sensitive and resistant cell lines to high LET radiations. Results from track-segment exposures to neon, silicon, argon and iron ion beams accelerated to initial energies of from 225 to 670 MeV/amu provided an LET range between 30 to 1,000 KeV/μm. The data indicate: (1) The sensitivity of AT cells increases with increasing LET, similar to resistant human lines (e.g., T-1 cells). However, due to efficient repair, T-1 cells are more resistant than AT cells at LET values below 200 keV/μm; (2) Maximum cell kill occurs for both lines at 100-200 keV/μm; at higher LET the sensitivity of the two lines approach each other; (3) There is only small variation in the sensitivity of AT cells to particles of various atomic numbers at the same LET; differences are more pronounced in the LET domain between 50 and 200 keV/μm; and (4) AT cells have slightly lower OER values than T-1 cells in the range of LET studied below 200 keV/μm

  17. Regional Cerebral Disease Progression in Friedreich's Ataxia: A Longitudinal Diffusion Tensor Imaging Study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mascalchi, Mario; Toschi, Nicola; Giannelli, Marco; Ginestroni, Andrea; Della Nave, Riccardo; Tessa, Carlo; Piacentini, Silvia; Dotti, Maria Teresa; Aiello, Marco; Nicolai, Emanuele; Soricelli, Andrea; Salvi, Fabrizio; Diciotti, Stefano

    2016-01-01

    Imaging biomarkers of disease progression are desirable in inherited ataxias. MRI has demonstrated brain damage in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA) in form of regional atrophy of the medulla, peridentate cerebellar white matter (WM) and superior cerebellar peduncles (visible in T1-weighted images) and of change of microstructural characteristics of WM tracts of the brainstem, cerebellar peduncles, cerebellum, and supratentorial structures (visible through diffusion-weighted imaging). We explored the potential of brain MR morphometry and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) to track the progression of neurodegeneration in FRDA. Eight patients (5F, 3M; age 13.4-41.2 years) and 8 healthy controls (2F, 6M; age 26.2-48.3 years) underwent 2 MRI examinations (mean 3.9 and 4.1 years apart, respectively) on the same 1.5T scanner. The protocol included 3D T1-weighted images and axial diffusion-weighted images (b-value 1,000 s/mm(2)) for calculating maps of fractional anisotropy, mean, axial and radial diffusivity, and mode of anisotropy. Tensor-based morphometry was used to investigate regional volume changes and tract-based spatial statistics was used to investigate microstructural changes in WM tracts. Longitudinal analyses showed no differences in regional volume changes but a significant difference in axial diffusivity changes in cerebral and corpus callosum WM of patients as compared to controls (mean longitudinal rate of change for axial diffusivity: -.02 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s/year in patients vs. .01 × 10(-3) mm(2)/s/year in controls). No correlation with number of triplets, disease duration, and worsening of the clinical deficit was observed. DTI can track brain microstructural changes in FRDA and can be considered a potential biomarker of disease progression. Copyright © 2015 by the American Society of Neuroimaging.

  18. Lipid Involvement in Neurodegenerative Diseases of the Motor System: Insights from Lysosomal Storage Diseases.

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    Dodge, James C

    2017-01-01

    Lysosomal storage diseases (LSDs) are a heterogeneous group of rare inherited metabolic diseases that are frequently triggered by the accumulation of lipids inside organelles of the endosomal-autophagic-lysosomal system (EALS). There is now a growing realization that disrupted lysosomal homeostasis (i.e., lysosomal cacostasis) also contributes to more common neurodegenerative disorders such as Parkinson disease (PD). Lipid deposition within the EALS may also participate in the pathogenesis of some additional neurodegenerative diseases of the motor system. Here, I will highlight the lipid abnormalities and clinical manifestations that are common to LSDs and several diseases of the motor system, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), atypical forms of spinal muscular atrophy, Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT), hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), multiple system atrophy (MSA), PD and spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA). Elucidating the underlying basis of intracellular lipid mislocalization as well as its consequences in each of these disorders will likely provide innovative targets for therapeutic research.

  19. Yeast Sgf73/Ataxin-7 serves to anchor the deubiquitination module into both SAGA and Slik(SALSA HAT complexes

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    Lee Kenneth K

    2009-02-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA is a physically devastating, genetically inherited disorder characterized by abnormal brain function that results in the progressive loss of the ability to coordinate movements. There are many types of SCAs as there are various gene mutations that can cause this disease. SCA types 1–3, 6–10, 12, and 17 result from a trinucleotide repeat expansion in the DNA-coding sequence. Intriguingly, recent work has demonstrated that increased trinucleotde expansions in the SCA7 gene result in defect in the function of the SAGA histone acetyltransferase complex. The SCA7 gene encodes a subunit of the SAGA complex. This subunit is conserved in yeast as the SGF73 gene. We demonstrate that Sgf73 is required to recruit the histone deubiquitination module into both SAGA and the related SliK(SALSA complex, and to maintain levels of histone ubiquitination, which is necessary for regulation of transcription at a number of genes.

  20. Stabilization and Degradation Mechanisms of Cytoplasmic Ataxin-1

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    Mayumi F. Kohiyama

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available Aggregation-prone proteins in neurodegenerative disease disrupt cellular protein stabilization and degradation pathways. The neurodegenerative disease spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1 is caused by a coding polyglutamine expansion in the Ataxin-1 gene ( ATXN1 , which gives rise to the aggregation-prone mutant form of ATXN1 protein. Cerebellar Purkinje neurons, preferentially vulnerable in SCA1, produce ATXN1 protein in both cytoplasmic and nuclear compartments. Cytoplasmic stabilization of ATXN1 by phosphorylation and 14-3-3-mediated mechanisms ultimately drive translocation of the protein to the nucleus where aggregation may occur. However, experimental inhibition of phosphorylation and 14-3-3 binding results in rapid degradation of ATXN1, thus preventing nuclear translocation and cellular toxicity. The exact mechanism of cytoplasmic ATXN1 degradation is currently unknown; further investigation of degradation may provide future therapeutic targets. This review examines the present understanding of cytoplasmic ATXN1 stabilization and potential degradation mechanisms during normal and pathogenic states.

  1. A Patient with Fragile X-Associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome Presenting with Executive Cognitive Deficits and Cerebral White Matter Lesions

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    Kensaku Kasuga

    2011-05-01

    Full Text Available Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS is a late-onset neurodegenerative disorder that primarily affects males who are carriers of a premutation of a CGG expansion in the FMR1 gene. In Asian populations, FXTAS has rarely been reported. Here, we report the case of a Japanese FXTAS patient who showed predominant executive cognitive deficits as the main feature of his disease. In contrast, the patient exhibited only very mild symptoms of intention tremor and ataxia, which did not interfere with daily activities. A gene analysis revealed that the patient carried a premutation of a CGG expansion (111 CGG repeats in the FMR1 gene. The mRNA expression level of FMR1 in the patient was 1.5-fold higher than in controls. On brain MRI scans, fluid-attenuated inversion recovery images showed high-intensity lesions in the middle cerebellar peduncles and the cerebral white matter, with a frontal predominance. The present case extends previous notions regarding the cognitive impairment in FXTAS patients. Recognizing FXTAS patients with predominant cognitive impairment from various ethnic backgrounds would contribute to our understanding of the phenotypic variation of this disease.

  2. High functioning male with fragile X syndrome and fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Basuta, Kirin; Schneider, Andrea; Gane, Louise; Polussa, Jonathan; Woodruff, Bryan; Pretto, Dalyir; Hagerman, Randi; Tassone, Flora

    2015-09-01

    Fragile X syndrome (FXS) affects individuals with more than 200 CGG repeats (full mutation) in the fragile X mental retardation 1 (FMR1) gene. Those born with FXS experience cognitive and social impairments, developmental delays, and some features of autism spectrum disorders. Carriers of a premutation (55-200 CGG repeats) are generally not severely affected early in life; however, are at high risk of developing the late onset neurodegenerative disorder, Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS), or Fragile X-associated Primary Ovarian Insufficiency (FXPOI), and may have other medical conditions such as developmental delay, autism spectrum disorders, hypertension, anxiety, and immune-mediated disorders. Here we present a case of a 58-year-old man with a borderline IQ, average memory skills, and executive function deficits. He met criteria for multiple psychiatric diagnoses and presented with tremor and ataxia, meeting criteria for FXTAS. Molecular testing unveiled a completely unmethylated FMR1 full mutation in peripheral blood mononucleated cells with elevated FMR1 mRNA and premutation alleles of different sizes in two other tissues (primary fibroblasts and sperm), indicating the presence of allele instability based on both inter- and intra-tissue mosaicism. The observation of FXTAS in this case of a full mutation mosaic man suggests that the pathogenic mechanism underlying this disorder is not observed exclusively in premutation carriers as it was originally thought. The concomitant presence of features of FXS and late onset neurological deterioration with probable FXTAS likely result from a combined molecular pathology of elevated FMR1 mRNA levels, a molecular hallmark of FXTAS and low FMRP expression that leads to FXS. © 2015 Wiley Periodicals, Inc.

  3. Spontaneous shaker rat mutant - a new model for X-linked tremor/ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueroa, Karla P; Paul, Sharan; Calì, Tito; Lopreiato, Raffaele; Karan, Sukanya; Frizzarin, Martina; Ames, Darren; Zanni, Ginevra; Brini, Marisa; Dansithong, Warunee; Milash, Brett; Scoles, Daniel R; Carafoli, Ernesto; Pulst, Stefan M

    2016-05-01

    The shaker rat is an X-linked recessive spontaneous model of progressive Purkinje cell (PC) degeneration exhibiting a shaking ataxia and wide stance. Generation of Wistar Furth (WF)/Brown Norwegian (BN) F1 hybrids and genetic mapping of F2 sib-sib offspring using polymorphic markers narrowed the candidate gene region to 26 Mbp denoted by the last recombinant genetic marker DXRat21 at 133 Mbp to qter (the end of the long arm). In the WF background, the shaker mutation has complete penetrance, results in a stereotypic phenotype and there is a narrow window for age of disease onset; by contrast, the F2 hybrid phenotype was more varied, with a later age of onset and likely non-penetrance of the mutation. By deep RNA-sequencing, five variants were found in the candidate region; four were novel without known annotation. One of the variants caused an arginine (R) to cysteine (C) change at codon 35 of the ATPase, Ca(2+) transporting, plasma membrane 3 (Atp2b3) gene encoding PMCA3 that has high expression in the cerebellum. The variant was well supported by hundreds of overlapping reads, and was found in 100% of all affected replicas and 0% of the wild-type (WT) replicas. The mutation segregated with disease in all affected animals and the amino acid change was found in an evolutionarily conserved region of PMCA3. Despite strong genetic evidence for pathogenicity, in vitro analyses of PMCA3(R35C) function did not show any differences to WT PMCA3. Because Atp2b3 mutation leads to congenital ataxia in humans, the identified Atp2b3 missense change in the shaker rat presents a good candidate for the shaker rat phenotype based on genetic criteria, but cannot yet be considered a definite pathogenic variant owing to lack of functional changes. © 2016. Published by The Company of Biologists Ltd.

  4. Ataxia, dystonia and myoclonus in adult patients with Niemann-Pick type C.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Koens, L H; Kuiper, A; Coenen, M A; Elting, J W J; de Vries, J J; Engelen, M; Koelman, J H T M; van Spronsen, F J; Spikman, J M; de Koning, T J; Tijssen, M A J

    2016-09-01

    Niemann-Pick type C (NP-C) is a rare autosomal recessive progressive neurodegenerative disorder caused by mutations in the NP-C 1 or 2 gene. Besides visceral symptoms, presentation in adolescent and adult onset variants is often with neurological symptoms. The most frequently reported presenting symptoms of NP-C in adulthood are psychiatric symptoms (38 %), cognitive decline (23 %) and ataxia (20 %). Myoclonus can be present, but its value in early diagnosis and the evolving clinical phenotype in NP-C is unclear. In this paper we present eight Dutch cases of NP-C of whom five with myoclonus. Eight patients with genetically confirmed NP-C were recruited from two Dutch University Medical Centers. A structured interview and neuropsychological tests (for working and verbal memory, attention and emotion recognition) were performed. Movement disorders were assessed using a standardized video protocol. Quality of life was evaluated by questionnaires (Rand-36, SIP-68, HAQ). In four of the five patients with myoclonic jerks simultaneous EEG with EMG was performed. A movement disorder was the initial neurological symptom in six patients: three with myoclonus and three with ataxia. Two others presented with psychosis. Four experienced cognitive deficits early in the course of the disease. Patients showed cognitive deficits in all investigated domains. Five patients showed myoclonic jerks, including negative myoclonus. In all registered patients EEG-EMG coherence analysis and/or back-averaging proved a cortical origin of myoclonus. Patients with more severe movement disorders experienced significantly more physical disabilities. Presenting neurological symptoms of NP-C include movement disorders, psychosis and cognitive deficits. At current neurological examination movement disorders were seen in all patients. The incidence of myoclonus in our cohort was considerably higher (63 %) than in previous publications and it was the presenting symptom in 38 %. A cortical origin

  5. Body composition, muscle strength and hormonal status in patients with ataxia telangiectasia: a cohort study.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Pommerening, H; van Dullemen, S; Kieslich, M; Schubert, R; Zielen, S; Voss, S

    2015-12-09

    Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is a devastating human autosomal recessive disorder that causes progressive cerebellar ataxia, immunodeficiency, premature aging, chromosomal instability and increased cancer risk. Affected patients show growth failure, poor weight gain, low body mass index (BMI), myopenia and increased fatigue during adolescence. The prevalence of alterations in body composition, muscle strength and hormonal status has not been well described in classical A-T patients. Additionally, no current guidelines are available for the assessment and management of these changes. We analyzed body composition, manual muscle strength and hormonal status in 25 A-T patients and 26 age-matched, healthy controls. Bioelectrical impedance analysis (BIA) was performed to evaluate the body composition, fat-free mass (FFM), body cell mass (BCM), extracellular matrix (ECM), phase angle (PhA), fat mass (FM) and ECM to BCM ratio. Manual muscle strength was measured using a hydraulic hand dynamometer. The BMI, FFM and PhA were significantly lower in A-T patients than in controls (BMI 16.56 ± 3.52 kg/m(2) vs. 19.86 ± 3.54 kg/m(2); Z-Score: -1.24 ± 1.29 vs. 0.05 ± 0.92, p body composition, characterized by depleted BMI, PhA and BCM; by the need to sit in a wheelchair; by altered hormone levels; and by poor muscle strength, is a major factor underlying disease progression and increased fatigue in A-T patients. ClinicalTrials.gov NCT02345200.

  6. Total Domination Versus Paired-Domination in Regular Graphs

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    Cyman Joanna

    2018-05-01

    Full Text Available A subset S of vertices of a graph G is a dominating set of G if every vertex not in S has a neighbor in S, while S is a total dominating set of G if every vertex has a neighbor in S. If S is a dominating set with the additional property that the subgraph induced by S contains a perfect matching, then S is a paired-dominating set. The domination number, denoted γ(G, is the minimum cardinality of a dominating set of G, while the minimum cardinalities of a total dominating set and paired-dominating set are the total domination number, γt(G, and the paired-domination number, γpr(G, respectively. For k ≥ 2, let G be a connected k-regular graph. It is known [Schaudt, Total domination versus paired domination, Discuss. Math. Graph Theory 32 (2012 435–447] that γpr(G/γt(G ≤ (2k/(k+1. In the special case when k = 2, we observe that γpr(G/γt(G ≤ 4/3, with equality if and only if G ≅ C5. When k = 3, we show that γpr(G/γt(G ≤ 3/2, with equality if and only if G is the Petersen graph. More generally for k ≥ 2, if G has girth at least 5 and satisfies γpr(G/γt(G = (2k/(k + 1, then we show that G is a diameter-2 Moore graph. As a consequence of this result, we prove that for k ≥ 2 and k ≠ 57, if G has girth at least 5, then γpr(G/γt(G ≤ (2k/(k +1, with equality if and only if k = 2 and G ≅ C5 or k = 3 and G is the Petersen graph.

  7. Glutamine deprivation induces interleukin-8 expression in ataxia telangiectasia fibroblasts.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Kim, Min-Hyun; Kim, Aryung; Yu, Ji Hoon; Lim, Joo Weon; Kim, Hyeyoung

    2014-05-01

    To investigate whether glutamine deprivation induces expression of inflammatory cytokine interleukin-8 (IL-8) by determining NF-κB activity and levels of oxidative indices (ROS, reactive oxygen species; hydrogen peroxide; GSH, glutathione) in fibroblasts isolated from patients with ataxia telangiectasia (A-T). We used A-T fibroblasts stably transfected with empty vector (Mock) or with human full-length ataxia telangiectasia mutated (ATM) cDNA (YZ5) and mouse embryonic fibroblasts (MEFs) transiently transfected with ATM small interfering RNA (siRNA) or with non-specific control siRNA. The cells were cultured with or without glutamine or GSH. ROS levels were determined using a fluorescence reader and confocal microscopy. IL-8 or murine IL-8 homolog, keratinocyte chemoattractant (KC), and hydrogen peroxide levels in the medium were determined by enzyme-linked immunosorbent assay and colorimetric assay. GSH level was assessed by enzymatic assay, while IL-8 (KC) mRNA level was measured by reverse transcription-polymerase chain reaction (RT-PCR) and/or quantitative real-time PCR. NF-κB DNA-binding activity was determined by electrophoretic mobility shift assay. Catalase activity and ATM protein levels were determined by O2 generation and Western blotting. While glutamine deprivation induced IL-8 expression and increased NF-κB DNA-binding activity in Mock cells, both processes were decreased by treatment of cells with glutamine or GSH or both glutamine and GSH. Glutamine deprivation had no effect on IL-8 expression or NF-κB DNA-binding activity in YZ5 cells. Glutamine-deprived Mock cells had higher oxidative stress indices (increases in ROS and hydrogen peroxide, reduction in GSH) than glutamine-deprived YZ5 cells. In Mock cells, glutamine deprivation-induced oxidative stress indices were suppressed by treatment with glutamine or GSH or both glutamine and GSH. GSH levels and catalase activity were lower in Mock cells than YZ5 cells. MEFs transfected with ATM siRNA and

  8. Role of chromatin structure modulation by the histone deacetylase inhibitor trichostatin A on the radio-sensitivity of ataxia telangiectasia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Meschini, Roberta, E-mail: meschini@unitus.it; Morucci, Elisa; Berni, Andrea; Lopez-Martinez, Wilner; Palitti, Fabrizio

    2015-07-15

    Highlights: • Role of chromatin compaction on chromosomal instability. • Reduced radiation-induced clastogenicity in Ataxia telangiectasia cell lines. • Histone tails hyperacetylation reduces heterochromatin content favouring DSBs repair. - Abstract: At present, a lot is known about biochemical aspects of double strand breaks (DBS) repair but how chromatin structure affects this process and the sensitivity of DNA to DSB induction is still an unresolved question. Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) patients are characterised by very high sensitivity to DSB-inducing agents such as ionising radiation. This radiosensitivity is revealed with an enhancement of chromosomal instability as a consequence of defective DNA repair for a small fraction of breaks located in the heterochromatin, where they are less accessible. Besides, recently it has been reported that Ataxia Telangiectasia Mutated (ATM) mediated signalling modifies chromatin structure. In order to study the impact of chromatin compaction on the chromosomal instability of A-T cells, the response to trichostatin-A, an histone deacetylase inhibitor, in normal and A-T lymphoblastoid cell lines was investigated testing its effect on chromosomal aberrations, cell cycle progression, DNA damage and repair after exposure to X-rays. The results suggest that the response to both trichostatin-A pre- and continuous treatments is independent of the presence of either functional or mutated ATM protein, as the reduction of chromosomal damage was found also in the wild-type cell line. The presence of trichostatin-A before exposure to X-rays could give rise to prompt DNA repair functioning on chromatin structure already in an open conformation. Differently, trichostatin-A post-treatment causing hyperacetylation of histone tails and reducing the heterochromatic DNA content might diminish the requirement for ATM and favour DSBs repair reducing chromosomal damage only in A-T cells. This fact could suggest that trichostatin-A post

  9. Ethical dilemmas in genetic testing: examples from the Cuban program for predictive diagnosis of hereditary ataxias.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Mariño, Tania Cruz; Armiñán, Rubén Reynaldo; Cedeño, Humberto Jorge; Mesa, José Miguel Laffita; Zaldivar, Yanetza González; Rodríguez, Raúl Aguilera; Santos, Miguel Velázquez; Mederos, Luis Enrique Almaguer; Herrera, Milena Paneque; Pérez, Luis Velázquez

    2011-06-01

    Predictive testing protocols are intended to help patients affected with hereditary conditions understand their condition and make informed reproductive choices. However, predictive protocols may expose clinicians and patients to ethical dilemmas that interfere with genetic counseling and the decision making process. This paper describes ethical dilemmas in a series of five cases involving predictive testing for hereditary ataxias in Cuba. The examples herein present evidence of the deeply controversial situations faced by both individuals at risk and professionals in charge of these predictive studies, suggesting a need for expanded guidelines to address such complexities.

  10. Inhibition of colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor early in disease ameliorates motor deficits in SCA1 mice.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Qu, Wenhui; Johnson, Andrea; Kim, Joo Hyun; Lukowicz, Abigail; Svedberg, Daniel; Cvetanovic, Marija

    2017-05-25

    Polyglutamine (polyQ) expansion in the protein Ataxin-1 (ATXN1) causes spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), a fatal dominantly inherited neurodegenerative disease characterized by motor deficits, cerebellar neurodegeneration, and gliosis. Currently, there are no treatments available to delay or ameliorate SCA1. We have examined the effect of depleting microglia during the early stage of disease by using PLX, an inhibitor of colony-stimulating factor 1 receptor (CSFR1), on disease severity in a mouse model of SCA1. Transgenic mouse model of SCA1, ATXN1[82Q] mice, and wild-type littermate controls were treated with PLX from 3 weeks of age. The effects of PLX on microglial density, astrogliosis, motor behavior, atrophy, and gene expression of Purkinje neurons were examined at 3 months of age. PLX treatment resulted in the elimination of 70-80% of microglia from the cerebellum of both wild-type and ATXN1[82Q] mice. Importantly, PLX ameliorated motor deficits in SCA1 mice. While we have not observed significant improvement in the atrophy or disease-associated gene expression changes in Purkinje neurons upon PLX treatment, we have detected reduced expression of pro-inflammatory cytokine tumor necrosis factor alpha (TNFα) and increase in the protein levels of wild-type ataxin-1 and post-synaptic density protein 95 (PSD95) that may help improve PN function. A decrease in the number of microglia during an early stage of disease resulted in the amelioration of motor deficits in SCA1 mice.

  11. The ATM gene and the radiobiology of ataxia-telangiectasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Jorgensen, T.J.; Shiloh, Y.

    1996-01-01

    Ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) is the classic human genetic disease involving severe ionizing radiation sensitivity and as such has been intensely studied by radiation biologists over the years. Unlike its counterpart for UV light sensitivity -xeroderma pigmentosum - A-T has no obvious DNA repair defect; and there has been much speculation as to the mechanism underlying the altered radioresponses associated with this disease. The gene defective in A-T (ATM) has recently been cloned, and its primary coding sequence determined. The primary sequence of the ATM protein suggests that it has some regulatory functions related to cellular radioresponse and maintenance of genomic stability, and shares these functions with a growing family of other proteins in various organisms. At this juncture it is appropriate to review our current knowledge about the radiobiology of A-T and reflect on the possible radiobiological mechanisms that are suggested by the ATM gene itself. This article will attempt briefly to review current knowledge about the radiobiology of A-T and to introduce new speculations about underlying radiobiological mechanisms that are suggested by the primary amino acid sequence of the predicted ATM gene product. (Author)

  12. Cognitive Functions in Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia Type 2

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    Péter eKlivényi

    2012-08-01

    Full Text Available Background: Ataxia with oculomotor apraxia type 2 (AOA2 is characterized by cerebellar atrophy, peripheral neuropathy, oculomotor apraxia, and elevated serum alpha-fetoprotein levels. The disease is caused by a recessive mutation in the senataxin gene. Since it is a very rare cerebellar disorder, no detailed examination of cognitive functions in AOA2 has been published to date. The aim of the present study was to investigate the neuropsychological profile of a 54-year-old patient with AOA2. Methods: A broad range of neuropsychological examination protocol was administered including the following domains: short-term, working- and episodic- memories, executive functions, implicit sequence learning, and the temporal parameters of speech. Results: The performance on the Listening Span, Letter Fluency, Serial Reaction Time Task and pause ratio in speech was 2 or more standard deviations (SD lower compared to controls, and 1 SD lower on Backward Digit Span, Semantic Fluency, articulation rate and speech tempo. Conclusions: These findings indicate that the pathogenesis of the cerebrocerebellar circuit in AOA2 is responsible for the weaker coordination of complex cognitive functions such as working memory, executive functions, speech and sequence learning.

  13. The response of normal and ataxia-telangiectasia human fibroblasts to the lethal effects of far, mid and near ultraviolet radiations

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Keyse, S.M.; McAleer, M.A.; Davies, D.J.G.; Moss, S.H.

    1985-01-01

    The responses of two ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) cell strains to the lethal effects of monochromatic far, mid and near ultraviolet radiations have been determined and compared with the responses of three normal human cell strains. The authors results confirm a previous observation that the A-T cell strain AT4BI is abnormally sensitive to the lethal effects of mid u.v. (313 nm) radiation. After far u.v. (254 nm) radiation the strain AT4BI exhibits a small but statistically significant increase in sensitivity compared to the normal strains. Of most interest, in terms of a mechanistic interpretation of the sensitivity of A-T strains, the survival responses of neither A-T strain tested to near u.v. (365 nm) radiation differed significantly from the mean response of the normal strains, although it is of interest that one normal strain (48BR) was found to be significantly more resistant to near u.v. radiation than any of the other strains tested. The results are discussed in terms of the possible induction of radiogenic lesions in DNA by ultraviolet radiations and the possible mechanisms of radiation sensitivity in ataxia-telangiectasia. (author)

  14. Ataxia and peripheral nerve hypomyelination in ADAM22-deficient mice

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Ino Mitsuhiro

    2005-05-01

    Full Text Available Abstract Background ADAM22 is a member of the ADAM gene family, but the fact that it is expressed only in the nervous systems makes it unique. ADAM22's sequence similarity to other ADAMs suggests it to be an integrin binder and thus to have a role in cell-cell or cell-matrix interactions. To elucidate the physiological functions of ADAM22, we employed gene targeting to generate ADAM22 knockout mice. Results ADAM22-deficient mice were produced in a good accordance with the Mendelian ratio and appeared normal at birth. After one week, severe ataxia was observed, and all homozygotes died before weaning, probably due to convulsions. No major histological abnormalities were detected in the cerebral cortex or cerebellum of the homozygous mutants; however, marked hypomyelination of the peripheral nerves was observed. Conclusion The results of our study demonstrate that ADAM22 is closely involved in the correct functioning of the nervous system. Further analysis of ADAM22 will provide clues to understanding the mechanisms of human diseases such as epileptic seizures and peripheral neuropathy.

  15. Analysis of regional cerebral blood flow and distribution volume in Machado-Joseph disease by iodine-{sup 123}I IMP single photon emission computed tomography

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hayashi, Tsunemi; Nakajima, Takashi; Fukuhara, Nobuyoshi [National Saigata Hospital, Ohagata, Niigata (Japan)

    2001-09-01

    Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) is an autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia. Its clinical features vary greatly in different generations of the same family. Regional cerebral blood flow (rCBF) and distribution volume (V{sub d}) in the pons, cerebellum, and cerebral cortex were measured in 12 patients with MJD by autoradiography (ARG) and the table look-up (TLU) method of iodine-123 IMP ({sup 123}I-IMP) single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT). Representative cases were as follows: A 46-year-old woman first experienced gait ataxia at age 38. Computed tomography (CT) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) showed no atrophy in the pons or cerebellum, but rCBF measured by the {sup 123}I-IMP SPECT ARG method detected hypoperfusion in the pons, and cerebellar vermis and hemisphere. A 76-year-old woman first experienced gait ataxia at age 69. CT and MRI findings showed severe atrophy in the pons, and cerebellar vermis and hemisphere. Moreover, rCBF was decreased in the pons, whereas it was not decreased in the cerebellar vermis and hemisphere. In the pons of patients with MJD, rCBF was markedly decreased regardless of disease severity. Because this SPECT finding for the pons looked like a 'dot', we have called it the 'pontine dot sign'. In the MJD group, rCBF was significantly decreased in the pons (Student's t test, p<0.01) and cerebellar vermis (p<0.05). The V{sub d} was also significantly decreased in the pons (p<0.005) in comparison with that for normal subjects. Pearson's correlation analysis yielded a significant relationship between the rCBF in the pons and age at onset (r=0.578, p<0.05). There was a strong correlation between the V{sub d} for the pons and age at onset (r=0.59, p<0.05). Person's correlation analysis also showed a significant relationship between the V{sub d} in the cerebellar hemispheres and International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (r=0.644, p<0.05). The pontine rCBFs in patients with early onset MJD

  16. False-positive head-impulse test in cerebellar ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Olympia eKremmyda

    2012-11-01

    Full Text Available Abstract:The objective of this study was to compare the findings of the bedside head impulse test (HIT, passive head rotation gain, and caloric irrigation in patients with cerebellar ataxia (CA. In 16 patients with CA and bilaterally pathological bedside HIT, VOR gains were measured during HIT and passive head rotation by scleral search coil technique. Eight of the patients had pathologically reduced caloric responsiveness, while the other eight had normal caloric responses. Those with normal calorics showed a slightly reduced HIT gain (mean±SD: 0.73±0.15. In those with pathological calorics, gains 80ms and 100 ms after the HIT as well as the passive rotation VOR gains were significantly lower. The corrective saccade after head turn occurred earlier in patients with pathological calorics (111±62 ms after onset of the HIT than in those with normal calorics. (191±17 ms, p=0.0064 We indentified two groups of patients with CA: those with an isolated moderate HIT deficit only, probably due to floccular dysfunction, and those with combined HIT, passive rotation and caloric deficit, probably due to a peripheral vestibular deficit. From a clinical point of view, these results show that the bedside HIT alone can be false positive for establishing a diagnosis of a bilateral peripheral vestibular deficit in patients with CA.

  17. Spontaneous shaker rat mutant – a new model for X-linked tremor/ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Karla P. Figueroa

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available The shaker rat is an X-linked recessive spontaneous model of progressive Purkinje cell (PC degeneration exhibiting a shaking ataxia and wide stance. Generation of Wistar Furth (WF/Brown Norwegian (BN F1 hybrids and genetic mapping of F2 sib-sib offspring using polymorphic markers narrowed the candidate gene region to 26 Mbp denoted by the last recombinant genetic marker DXRat21 at 133 Mbp to qter (the end of the long arm. In the WF background, the shaker mutation has complete penetrance, results in a stereotypic phenotype and there is a narrow window for age of disease onset; by contrast, the F2 hybrid phenotype was more varied, with a later age of onset and likely non-penetrance of the mutation. By deep RNA-sequencing, five variants were found in the candidate region; four were novel without known annotation. One of the variants caused an arginine (R to cysteine (C change at codon 35 of the ATPase, Ca2+ transporting, plasma membrane 3 (Atp2b3 gene encoding PMCA3 that has high expression in the cerebellum. The variant was well supported by hundreds of overlapping reads, and was found in 100% of all affected replicas and 0% of the wild-type (WT replicas. The mutation segregated with disease in all affected animals and the amino acid change was found in an evolutionarily conserved region of PMCA3. Despite strong genetic evidence for pathogenicity, in vitro analyses of PMCA3R35C function did not show any differences to WT PMCA3. Because Atp2b3 mutation leads to congenital ataxia in humans, the identified Atp2b3 missense change in the shaker rat presents a good candidate for the shaker rat phenotype based on genetic criteria, but cannot yet be considered a definite pathogenic variant owing to lack of functional changes.

  18. Spontaneous shaker rat mutant – a new model for X-linked tremor/ataxia

    Science.gov (United States)

    Figueroa, Karla P.; Paul, Sharan; Calì, Tito; Lopreiato, Raffaele; Karan, Sukanya; Frizzarin, Martina; Ames, Darren; Zanni, Ginevra; Brini, Marisa; Dansithong, Warunee; Milash, Brett; Scoles, Daniel R.; Carafoli, Ernesto; Pulst, Stefan M.

    2016-01-01

    ABSTRACT The shaker rat is an X-linked recessive spontaneous model of progressive Purkinje cell (PC) degeneration exhibiting a shaking ataxia and wide stance. Generation of Wistar Furth (WF)/Brown Norwegian (BN) F1 hybrids and genetic mapping of F2 sib-sib offspring using polymorphic markers narrowed the candidate gene region to 26 Mbp denoted by the last recombinant genetic marker DXRat21 at 133 Mbp to qter (the end of the long arm). In the WF background, the shaker mutation has complete penetrance, results in a stereotypic phenotype and there is a narrow window for age of disease onset; by contrast, the F2 hybrid phenotype was more varied, with a later age of onset and likely non-penetrance of the mutation. By deep RNA-sequencing, five variants were found in the candidate region; four were novel without known annotation. One of the variants caused an arginine (R) to cysteine (C) change at codon 35 of the ATPase, Ca2+ transporting, plasma membrane 3 (Atp2b3) gene encoding PMCA3 that has high expression in the cerebellum. The variant was well supported by hundreds of overlapping reads, and was found in 100% of all affected replicas and 0% of the wild-type (WT) replicas. The mutation segregated with disease in all affected animals and the amino acid change was found in an evolutionarily conserved region of PMCA3. Despite strong genetic evidence for pathogenicity, in vitro analyses of PMCA3R35C function did not show any differences to WT PMCA3. Because Atp2b3 mutation leads to congenital ataxia in humans, the identified Atp2b3 missense change in the shaker rat presents a good candidate for the shaker rat phenotype based on genetic criteria, but cannot yet be considered a definite pathogenic variant owing to lack of functional changes. PMID:27013529

  19. Pulmonary function in adolescents with ataxia telangiectasia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    McGrath-Morrow, Sharon; Lefton-Greif, Maureen; Rosquist, Karen; Crawford, Thomas; Kelly, Amber; Zeitlin, Pamela; Carson, Kathryn A; Lederman, Howard M

    2008-01-01

    Pulmonary complications are common in adolescents with ataxia telangiectasia (A-T), however objective measurements of lung function may be difficult to obtain because of underlying bulbar weakness, tremors, and difficulty coordinating voluntary respiratory maneuvers. To increase the reliability of pulmonary testing, minor adjustments were made to stabilize the head and to minimize leaks in the system. Fifteen A-T adolescents completed lung volume measurements by helium dilution. To assess for reproducibility of spirometry testing, 10 A-T adolescents performed spirometry on three separate occasions. Total lung capacity (TLC) was normal or just mildly decreased in 12/15 adolescents tested. TLC correlated positively with functional residual capacity (FRC), a measurement independent of patient effort (R2=0.71). The majority of individuals had residual volumes (RV) greater than 120% predicted (10/15) and slow vital capacities (VC) less than 70% predicted (9/15). By spirometry, force vital capacity (FVC) and forced expiratory volume in 1 sec (FEV1) values were reproducible in the 10 individuals who underwent testing on three separate occasions (R=0.97 and 0.96 respectively). Seven of the 10 adolescents had FEV1/FVC ratios>90%. Lung volume measurements from A-T adolescents revealed near normal TLC values with increased RV and decreased VC values. These findings indicate a decreased ability to expire to residual volume rather then a restrictive defect. Spirometry was also found to be reproducible in A-T adolescents suggesting that spirometry testing may be useful for tracking changes in pulmonary function over time in this population. Copyright (c) 2007 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  20. “Hot cross bun” sign in multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia: A comparison between proton density-weighted imaging and T2-weighted imaging

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Kasahara, Seiko, E-mail: nuun077@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Miki, Yukio, E-mail: yukio.miki@med.osaka-cu.ac.jp [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Department of Radiology, Osaka City University Graduate School of Medicine, 1-4-3 Asahi-machi, Abeno-ku, Osaka 545–8585 (Japan); Kanagaki, Mitsunori, E-mail: mitsuk@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Kondo, Takayuki, E-mail: kondotak@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Yamamoto, Akira, E-mail: yakira@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Morimoto, Emiko, E-mail: foresta@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Okada, Tomohisa, E-mail: tomokada@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Diagnostic Imaging and Nuclear Medicine, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Ito, Hidefumi, E-mail: itohid@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); Takahashi, Ryosuke, E-mail: ryosuket@kuhp.kyoto-u.ac.jp [Department of Neurology, Kyoto University Graduate School of Medicine, 54 Shogoin-Kawaharacho, Sakyo-ku, Kyoto 606-8507 (Japan); and others

    2012-10-15

    Objective: To investigate whether proton density-weighted imaging can detect the “hot cross bun” sign in the pons in multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia significantly better than T2-weighted imaging at 3 T. Methods: Sixteen consecutive patients with multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia according to the Consensus Criteria were reviewed. Axial unenhanced proton density-weighted imaging and T2-weighted imaging were obtained using a dual-echo fast spin-echo sequence at 3 T. Two neuroradiologists independently evaluated visualisation of the abnormal pontine signal using a 4-point visual grade from Grade 0 (no “hot cross bun” sign) to Grade 3 (prominent “hot cross bun” sign on two or more sequential slices). Differences in grade between proton density-weighted imaging and T2-weighted imaging were statistically analysed using the Wilcoxon signed-rank test. Results: In 11 patients (69%), a higher grade was given for proton density-weighted imaging than T2-weighted imaging. In 1 patient (6%), grades were the same (Grade 3) on both images. In the remaining 4 patients (25%), signal abnormalities were not detected on either image (Grade 0). The “hot cross bun” sign was thus observed significantly better on proton density-weighted imaging than on T2-weighted imaging (P = 0.001). Conclusions: The “hot cross bun” sign considered diagnostic for multiple system atrophy with predominant cerebellar ataxia is significantly better visualised on proton density-weighted imaging than on T2-weighted imaging at 3 T.

  1. Effects of acetyl-DL-leucine on cerebellar ataxia (ALCAT trial): study protocol for a multicenter, multinational, randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled, crossover phase III trial.

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Feil, K.; Adrion, C.; Teufel, J.; Bosch, S.; Claassen, J.; Giordano, I.; Hengel, H.; Jacobi, H.; Klockgether, T.; Klopstock, T.; Nachbauer, W.; Schols, L.; Stendel, C.; Uslar, E.; Warrenburg, B.P. van de; Berger, I.; Naumann, I.; Bayer, O.; Muller, H.H.; Mansmann, U.; Strupp, M.

    2017-01-01

    BACKGROUND: Cerebellar ataxia (CA) is a frequent and often disabling condition that impairs motor functioning and impacts on quality of life (QoL). No medication has yet been proven effective for the symptomatic or even causative treatment of hereditary or non-hereditary, non-acquired CA. So far,

  2. Sex-linked dominant

    Science.gov (United States)

    Inheritance - sex-linked dominant; Genetics - sex-linked dominant; X-linked dominant; Y-linked dominant ... can be either an autosomal chromosome or a sex chromosome. It also depends on whether the trait ...

  3. Cellular and molecular response to irradiation in ataxia telangiectasia and in Fanconi's anemia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Ridet, A.; Guillouf, C.; Duchaud, E.; Moustacchi, E.; Rosselli, F.

    1997-01-01

    Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) and Fanconi anemia (FA) are recessive genetic diseases featuring chromosomal instability, increased predisposition to cancer and in vitro hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation (AT) or DNA cross-linking agents (FA). Moreover, an in vivo hypersensitivity to γ-rays exposure was reported in both syndromes. Cellular response to irradiation includes growth arrest (cell cycle modification) and cell death (by apoptosis or necrosis). Since it is generally accepted that apoptosis modulates cellular sensitivity to genotoxic stress, it was of interest to investigate the contribution of apoptosis in determining FA and AT responses to DNA Damaging Agents. The results support the contention that the in vivo hypersensitivity to radiation in these syndromes is not related to a higher rate of apoptotic cells but could be to a higher necrotic response triggering inflammatory reactions in the patients affected by this syndromes. (authors)

  4. Defect in radiation signal transduction in ataxia-telangiectasia

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Lavin, M.F.

    1994-01-01

    Exposure of mammalian cells to ionizing radiation causes a delay in progression through the cycle at several checkpoints. Cells from patients with ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T) ignore these checkpoint controls postirradiation. The tumour suppressor gene product p53 plays a key role at the G 1 /S checkpoint preventing the progression of cells into S phase. The induction of p53 by radiation is reduced and/or delayed in A-T cells, which appears to account for the failure of delay at the G 1 /S checkpoint. We have investigated further this defect in radiation signal transduction in A-T. While the p53 response was defective after radiation, agents that interfered with cell cycle progression such as mimosine, aphidicolin and deprivation of serum led to a normal p53 response in A-T cells. None of these agents caused breaks in DNA, as determined by pulse-field gel electrophoresis, in order to elicit the response. Since this pathway is mediated by protein kinases, we investigated the activity of several of these enzymes in control and A-T cells. Ca +2 -dependent and -independent protein kinase C activities were increased by radiation to the same extent in the two cell types, a variety of serine/threonine protein kinase activities were approximately the same and anti-tyrosine antibodies failed to reveal any differences in protein phosphorylation between A-T and control cells. (author)

  5. Associação de miopatia com ataxia e piramidalismo: estudo de dois irmãos

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Newra Tellechea Rotta

    1974-09-01

    Full Text Available São estudados os casos de dois irmãos examinados em Serviço de Neurologia Infantil por apresentarem dificuldade para manter o equilíbrio estático e dinâmico. Ao exame foi assinalado déficit estrutural, deficiência mental, distrofia muscular, síndrome piramidal e síndrome cerebelar. Os casos foram estudados do ponto de vista clínico, laboratorial, radiológico, eletromiográfico, psicológico e genético. É feita a discussão diagnóstica considerando miopatia autossômica recessiva da cintura pélvica e miopatia ocular associada a ataxia.

  6. Somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the evaluation of opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia syndrome

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Joshi, Prathamesh; Lele, Vikram

    2013-01-01

    Opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia (OMA) syndrome is the most common paraneoplastic neurological syndrome of childhood, associated with occult neuroblastoma in 20%-50% of all cases. OMA is the initial presentation of neuroblastoma in 1%-3% of children. Conventional radiological imaging approaches include chest radiography and abdominal computed tomography (CT). Nuclear medicine techniques, in form of 123 I/ 131 I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy have been incorporated in various diagnostic algorithms for evaluation of OMA. We describe use of somatostatin receptor PET/CT with 68 Gallium- DOTA-DPhe 1 , Tyr 3 -octreotate (DOTATATE) in diagnosis of neuroblastoma in two cases of OMA

  7. Somatostatin receptor positron emission tomography/computed tomography (PET/CT) in the evaluation of opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia syndrome.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Joshi, Prathamesh; Lele, Vikram

    2013-04-01

    Opsoclonus-myoclonus ataxia (OMA) syndrome is the most common paraneoplastic neurological syndrome of childhood, associated with occult neuroblastoma in 20%-50% of all cases. OMA is the initial presentation of neuroblastoma in 1%-3% of children. Conventional radiological imaging approaches include chest radiography and abdominal computed tomography (CT). Nuclear medicine techniques, in form of (123)I/(131)I-metaiodobenzylguanidine (MIBG) scintigraphy have been incorporated in various diagnostic algorithms for evaluation of OMA. We describe use of somatostatin receptor PET/CT with (68)Gallium- DOTA-DPhe(1), Tyr(3)-octreotate (DOTATATE) in diagnosis of neuroblastoma in two cases of OMA.

  8. Stable radioresistance in ataxia-telangiectasia cells containing DNA from normal human cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Kapp, L.N.; Painter, R.B.

    1989-01-01

    SV40-transformed ataxia-telangiectasia (AT) cells were transfected with a cosmid containing a normal human DNA library and selectable marker, the neo gene, which endows successfully transformed mammalian cells with resistance to the antibiotic G418. Cells from this line were irradiated with 50 Gy of X-rays and fused with non-transfected AT cells. Among the G418-resistant colonies recovered was one stably resistant to radiation. Resistance to ionizing radiation of both primary transfectant line and its fusion derivative was intermediate between that of AT cells and normal cells, as assayed by colony-forming ability and measurement of radiation-induced G 2 chromatic aberrations; both cell lines retained AT-like radioresistant DNA synthesis. Results suggest that, because radioresistance in transfected cells was not as great as in normal human cells, two hallmarks of AT, radiosensitivity and radioresistant DNA synthesis, may still be the result of a single defective AT gene. (author)

  9. The dominance behavioral system and manic temperament: motivation for dominance, self-perceptions of power, and socially dominant behaviors.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Johnson, Sheri L; Carver, Charles S

    2012-12-15

    The dominance behavioral system has been conceptualized as a biologically based system comprising motivation to achieve social power and self-perceptions of power. Biological, behavioral, and social correlates of dominance motivation and self-perceived power have been related to a range of psychopathological tendencies. Preliminary evidence suggests that mania and risk for mania (manic temperament) relate to the dominance system. Four studies examine whether manic temperament, measured with the Hypomanic Personality Scale (HPS), is related to elevations in dominance motivation, self-perceptions of power, and engagement in socially dominant behavior across multiple measures. In Study 1, the HPS correlated with measures of dominance motivation and the pursuit of extrinsically-oriented ambitions for fame and wealth among 454 undergraduates. In Study 2, the HPS correlated with perceptions of power and extrinsically-oriented lifetime ambitions among 780 undergraduates. In Study 3, the HPS was related to trait-like tendencies to experience hubristic (dominance-related) pride, as well as dominance motivation and pursuit of extrinsically-oriented ambitions. In Study 4, we developed the Socially Dominant Behavior Scale to capture behaviors reflecting high power. The scale correlated highly with the HPS among 514 undergraduates. The studies rely on self-ratings of manic temperament and dominance constructs, and findings have not yet been generalized to a clinical sample. Taken together, results support the hypothesis that manic temperament is related to a focus on achieving social dominance, ambitions related to achieving social recognition, perceptions of having achieved power, tendencies to experience dominance-related pride, and engagement in social behaviors consistent with this elevated sense of power. Copyright © 2012 Elsevier B.V. All rights reserved.

  10. Degenerative cerebellar diseases and differential diagnoses; Degenerative Kleinhirnerkrankungen und Differenzialdiagnosen

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Reith, W.; Roumia, S.; Dietrich, P. [Universitaetsklinikum des Saarlandes, Klinik fuer Diagnostische und Interventionelle Neuroradiologie, Homburg/Saar (Germany)

    2016-11-15

    Cerebellar syndromes result in distinct clinical symptoms, such as ataxia, dysarthria, dysmetria, intention tremor and eye movement disorders. In addition to the medical history and clinical examination, imaging is particularly important to differentiate other diseases, such as hydrocephalus and multi-infarct dementia from degenerative cerebellar diseases. Degenerative diseases with cerebellar involvement include Parkinson's disease, multiple system atrophy as well as other diseases including spinocerebellar ataxia. In addition to magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), nuclear medicine imaging investigations are also helpful for the differentiation. Axial fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) and T2-weighted sequences can sometimes show a signal increase in the pons as a sign of degeneration of pontine neurons and transverse fibers in the basilar part of the pons. The imaging is particularly necessary to exclude other diseases, such as normal pressure hydrocephalus (NPH), multi-infarct dementia and cerebellar lesions. (orig.) [German] Klinisch imponieren Kleinhirnsyndrome durch Ataxie, Dysarthrie, Dysmetrie, Intentionstremor und Augenbewegungsstoerungen. Neben der Anamnese und klinischen Untersuchung ist die Bildgebung v. a. wichtig um andere Erkrankungen wie Hydrozephalus und Multiinfarktdemenz von degenerativen Kleinhirnerkrankungen zu differenzieren. Zu den degenerativen Erkrankungen mit Kleinhirnbeteiligung gehoeren der Morbus Parkinson, die Multisystematrophie sowie weitere Erkrankungen einschliesslich der spinozerebellaeren Ataxien. Neben der MRT sind auch nuklearmedizinische Untersuchungen zur Differenzierung hilfreich. Axiale Fluid-attenuated-inversion-recovery(FLAIR)- und T2-gewichtete Sequenzen koennen mitunter eine Signalsteigerung im Pons als Ausdruck einer Degeneration der pontinen Neuronen und transversalen Bahnen im Brueckenfuss zeigen. Die Bildgebung ist aber v. a. notwendig, um andere Erkrankungen wie Normaldruckhydrozephalus

  11. Genetic inactivation of mGlu5 receptor improves motor coordination in the Grm1crv4 mouse model of SCAR13 ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Bossi, Simone; Musante, Ilaria; Bonfiglio, Tommaso; Bonifacino, Tiziana; Emionite, Laura; Cerminara, Maria; Cervetto, Chiara; Marcoli, Manuela; Bonanno, Giambattista; Ravazzolo, Roberto; Pittaluga, Anna; Puliti, Aldamaria

    2018-01-01

    Deleterious mutations in the glutamate receptor metabotropic 1 gene (GRM1) cause a recessive form of cerebellar ataxia, SCAR13. GRM1 and GRM5 code for the metabotropic glutamate type 1 (mGlu1) and type 5 (mGlu5) receptors, respectively. Their different expression profiles suggest they could have distinct functional roles. In a previous study, homozygous mice lacking mGlu1 receptors (Grm1 crv4/crv4 ) and exhibiting ataxia presented cerebellar overexpression of mGlu5 receptors, that was proposed to contribute to the mouse phenotype. To test this hypothesis, we here crossed Grm1 crv4 and Grm5 ko mice to generate double mutants (Grm1 crv4/crv4 Grm5 ko/ko ) lacking both mGlu1 and mGlu5 receptors. Double mutants and control mice were analyzed for spontaneous behavior and for motor activity by rotarod and footprint analyses. In the same mice, the release of glutamate from cerebellar nerve endings (synaptosomes) elicited by 12mM KCl or by α-amino-3-hydroxy-5-methyl-4-isoxazole propionic acid (AMPA) was also evaluated. Motor coordination resulted improved in double mutants when compared to Grm1 crv4/crv4 mice. Furthermore, in in vitro studies, glutamate release elicited by both KCl depolarization and activation of AMPA autoreceptors resulted reduced in Grm1 crv4/crv4 mice compared to wild type mice, while it presented normal levels in double mutants. Moreover, we found that Grm1 crv4/crv4 mice showed reduced expression of GluA2/3 AMPA receptor subunits in cerebellar synaptosomes, while it resulted restored to wild type level in double mutants. To conclude, blocking of mGlu5 receptor reduced the dysregulation of glutamate transmission and improved motor coordination in the Grm1 crv4 mouse model of SCAR13, thus suggesting the possible usefulness of pharmacological therapies based on modulation of mGlu5 receptor activity for the treatment of this type of ataxia. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  12. The m-AAA Protease Associated with Neurodegeneration Limits MCU Activity in Mitochondria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    König, Tim; Tröder, Simon E; Bakka, Kavya; Korwitz, Anne; Richter-Dennerlein, Ricarda; Lampe, Philipp A; Patron, Maria; Mühlmeister, Mareike; Guerrero-Castillo, Sergio; Brandt, Ulrich; Decker, Thorsten; Lauria, Ines; Paggio, Angela; Rizzuto, Rosario; Rugarli, Elena I; De Stefani, Diego; Langer, Thomas

    2016-10-06

    Mutations in subunits of mitochondrial m-AAA proteases in the inner membrane cause neurodegeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA28) and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP7). m-AAA proteases preserve mitochondrial proteostasis, mitochondrial morphology, and efficient OXPHOS activity, but the cause for neuronal loss in disease is unknown. We have determined the neuronal interactome of m-AAA proteases in mice and identified a complex with C2ORF47 (termed MAIP1), which counteracts cell death by regulating the assembly of the mitochondrial Ca 2+ uniporter MCU. While MAIP1 assists biogenesis of the MCU subunit EMRE, the m-AAA protease degrades non-assembled EMRE and ensures efficient assembly of gatekeeper subunits with MCU. Loss of the m-AAA protease results in accumulation of constitutively active MCU-EMRE channels lacking gatekeeper subunits in neuronal mitochondria and facilitates mitochondrial Ca 2+ overload, mitochondrial permeability transition pore opening, and neuronal death. Together, our results explain neuronal loss in m-AAA protease deficiency by deregulated mitochondrial Ca 2+ homeostasis. Copyright © 2016 Elsevier Inc. All rights reserved.

  13. Hsp104 suppresses polyglutamine-induced degeneration post onset in a drosophila MJD/SCA3 model.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Mimi Cushman-Nick

    Full Text Available There are no effective therapeutics that antagonize or reverse the protein-misfolding events underpinning polyglutamine (PolyQ disorders, including Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type-3 (SCA3. Here, we augment the proteostasis network of Drosophila SCA3 models with Hsp104, a powerful protein disaggregase from yeast, which is bafflingly absent from metazoa. Hsp104 suppressed eye degeneration caused by a C-terminal ataxin-3 (MJD fragment containing the pathogenic expanded PolyQ tract, but unexpectedly enhanced aggregation and toxicity of full-length pathogenic MJD. Hsp104 suppressed toxicity of MJD variants lacking a portion of the N-terminal deubiquitylase domain and full-length MJD variants unable to engage polyubiquitin, indicating that MJD-ubiquitin interactions hinder protective Hsp104 modalities. Importantly, in staging experiments, Hsp104 suppressed toxicity of a C-terminal MJD fragment when expressed after the onset of PolyQ-induced degeneration, whereas Hsp70 was ineffective. Thus, we establish the first disaggregase or chaperone treatment administered after the onset of pathogenic protein-induced degeneration that mitigates disease progression.

  14. [Local ice application in therapy of kinetic limb ataxia. Clinical assessment of positive treatment effects in patients with multiple sclerosis].

    Science.gov (United States)

    Albrecht, H; Schwecht, M; Pöllmann, W; Parag, D; Erasmus, L P; König, N

    1998-12-01

    Upper limb ataxia is one of the most disabling symptoms of patients with multiple sclerosis (MS). There are some clinically tested therapeutic strategies, especially with regard to cerebellar tremor. But most of the methods used for treatment of limb ataxia in physiotherapy and occupational therapy are not systematically evaluated, e.g. the effect of local ice applications, as reported by MS patients and therapists, respectively. We investigated 21 MS patients before and in several steps 1 up to 45 min after cooling the most affected forearm. We used a series of 6 tests, including parts of neurological status and activities of daily living as well. At each step skin temperature and nerve conduction velocity were recorded. All tests were documented by video for later offline analysis. Standardized evaluation was done by the investigators and separately by an independent second team, both of them using numeric scales for quality of performance. After local cooling all patients showed a positive effect, especially a reduction of intentional tremor. In most cases this effect lasted 45 min, in some patients even longer. We presume that a decrease in the proprioceptive afferent inflow-induced by cooling-may be the probable cause of this reduction of cerebellar tremor. Patients can use ice applications as a method of treating themselves when a short-time reduction of intention tremor is required, e.g. for typing, signing or self-catheterization.

  15. Time-resolved functional analysis of acute impairment of frataxin expression in an inducible cell model of Friedreich ataxia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Dörte Poburski

    2016-05-01

    Full Text Available Friedreich ataxia is a neurodegenerative disease caused by a GAA triplet repeat expansion in the first intron of the frataxin gene, which results in reduced expression levels of the corresponding protein. Despite numerous animal and cellular models, therapeutic options that mechanistically address impaired frataxin expression are lacking. Here, we have developed a new mammalian cell model employing the Cre/loxP recombination system to induce a homozygous or heterozygous frataxin knockout in mouse embryonic fibroblasts. Induction of Cre-mediated disruption by tamoxifen was successfully tested on RNA and protein levels. After loss of frataxin protein, cell division, aconitase activity and oxygen consumption rates were found to be decreased, while ROS production was increased in the homozygous state. By contrast, in the heterozygous state no such changes were observed. A time-resolved analysis revealed the loss of aconitase activity as an initial event after induction of complete frataxin deficiency, followed by secondarily elevated ROS production and a late increase in iron content. Initial impairments of oxygen consumption and ATP production were found to be compensated in the late state and seemed to play a minor role in Friedreich ataxia pathophysiology. In conclusion and as predicted from its proposed role in iron sulfur cluster (ISC biosynthesis, disruption of frataxin primarily causes impaired function of ISC-containing enzymes, whereas other consequences, including elevated ROS production and iron accumulation, appear secondary. These parameters and the robustness of the newly established system may additionally be used for a time-resolved study of pharmacological candidates in a HTS manner.

  16. Relating 2-Rainbow Domination To Roman Domination

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Alvarado José D.

    2017-11-01

    Full Text Available For a graph G, let R(G and yr2(G denote the Roman domination number of G and the 2-rainbow domination number of G, respectively. It is known that yr2(G ≤ R(G ≤ 3/2yr2(G. Fujita and Furuya [Difference between 2-rainbow domination and Roman domination in graphs, Discrete Appl. Math. 161 (2013 806-812] present some kind of characterization of the graphs G for which R(G − yr2(G = k for some integer k. Unfortunately, their result does not lead to an algorithm that allows to recognize these graphs efficiently. We show that for every fixed non-negative integer k, the recognition of the connected K4-free graphs G with yR(G − yr2(G = k is NP-hard, which implies that there is most likely no good characterization of these graphs. We characterize the graphs G such that yr2(H = yR(H for every induced subgraph H of G, and collect several properties of the graphs G with R(G = 3/2yr2(G.

  17. Cellular and molecular response to irradiation in ataxia telangiectasia and in Fanconi`s anemia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Ridet, A.; Guillouf, C.; Duchaud, E.; Moustacchi, E.; Rosselli, F. [Institut Curie-Recherche, UMR 218, CNRS, 75 - Paris (France)

    1997-03-01

    Ataxia telangiectasia (AT) and Fanconi anemia (FA) are recessive genetic diseases featuring chromosomal instability, increased predisposition to cancer and in vitro hypersensitivity to ionizing radiation (AT) or DNA cross-linking agents (FA). Moreover, an in vivo hypersensitivity to {gamma}-rays exposure was reported in both syndromes. Cellular response to irradiation includes growth arrest (cell cycle modification) and cell death (by apoptosis or necrosis). Since it is generally accepted that apoptosis modulates cellular sensitivity to genotoxic stress, it was of interest to investigate the contribution of apoptosis in determining FA and AT responses to DNA Damaging Agents. The results support the contention that the in vivo hypersensitivity to radiation in these syndromes is not related to a higher rate of apoptotic cells but could be to a higher necrotic response triggering inflammatory reactions in the patients affected by this syndromes. (authors)

  18. Topics on domination

    CERN Document Server

    Hedetniemi, ST

    1991-01-01

    The contributions in this volume are divided into three sections: theoretical, new models and algorithmic. The first section focuses on properties of the standard domination number &ggr;(G), the second section is concerned with new variations on the domination theme, and the third is primarily concerned with finding classes of graphs for which the domination number (and several other domination-related parameters) can be computed in polynomial time.

  19. The paired-domination and the upper paired-domination numbers of graphs

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Włodzimierz Ulatowski

    2015-01-01

    Full Text Available In this paper we continue the study of paired-domination in graphs. A paired-dominating set, abbreviated PDS, of a graph \\(G\\ with no isolated vertex is a dominating set of vertices whose induced subgraph has a perfect matching. The paired-domination number of \\(G\\, denoted by \\(\\gamma_{p}(G\\, is the minimum cardinality of a PDS of \\(G\\. The upper paired-domination number of \\(G\\, denoted by \\(\\Gamma_{p}(G\\, is the maximum cardinality of a minimal PDS of \\(G\\. Let \\(G\\ be a connected graph of order \\(n\\geq 3\\. Haynes and Slater in [Paired-domination in graphs, Networks 32 (1998, 199-206], showed that \\(\\gamma_{p}(G\\leq n-1\\ and they determine the extremal graphs \\(G\\ achieving this bound. In this paper we obtain analogous results for \\(\\Gamma_{p}(G\\. Dorbec, Henning and McCoy in [Upper total domination versus upper paired-domination, Questiones Mathematicae 30 (2007, 1-12] determine \\(\\Gamma_{p}(P_n\\, instead in this paper we determine \\(\\Gamma_{p}(C_n\\. Moreover, we describe some families of graphs \\(G\\ for which the equality \\(\\gamma_{p}(G=\\Gamma_{p}(G\\ holds.

  20. Cerebellar ataxia by enhanced Cav2.1 currents is alleviated by Ca2+-dependent K-channel activators in Cacna1aS218l mutant mice

    NARCIS (Netherlands)

    Z. Gao (Zhenyu); B. Todorov (Boyan); C.F. Barrett (Curtis); S. van Dorp (Stijn); M.D. Ferrari (Michel); M. Dichgans (Martin); C.I. de Zeeuw (Chris); F.E. Hoebeek (Freek)

    2012-01-01

    textabstractMutations in the CACNA1A gene are associated with neurological disorders, such as ataxia, hemiplegic migraine, and epilepsy. These mutations affect the pore-forming α1A-subunit of CaV2.1 channels and thereby either decrease or increase neuronal Ca2+ influx. A decreased CaV2.1-mediated

  1. Familial study of ataxia telangiectasia. Heterozygotes identification on the basis of sensitivity of gamma-irradiated cultures to caffeine post-treatment

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Pawlak, A.L.; Kotecki, M.

    1994-01-01

    The effects of caffeine (CF), γ-irradiation + CF post-treatment on chromosomal aberrations were studied in lymphocyte cultures from a patient with ataxia telangiectasia (AT), his parents and brother. In the studied family both the homozygotes and the obligatory heterozygotes of AT showed increased sensitivity to CF post-treatment. Individual differences in sensitivity to γ-irradiation + CF post-treatment proved to be correlated with the sensitivity of non-irradiated cells to CF treatment, but not to γ-irradiation. (author). 19 refs, 1 fig., 1 tab

  2. Familial study of ataxia telangiectasia. Heterozygotes identification on the basis of sensitivity of gamma-irradiated cultures to caffeine post-treatment

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Pawlak, A.L.; Kotecki, M. [Polska Akademia Nauk, Poznan (Poland). Zaklad Genetyki Czlowieka; Ignatowicz, R. [Centrum Zdrowia Dziecka, Warsaw (Poland)

    1994-12-31

    The effects of caffeine (CF), {gamma}-irradiation + CF post-treatment on chromosomal aberrations were studied in lymphocyte cultures from a patient with ataxia telangiectasia (AT), his parents and brother. In the studied family both the homozygotes and the obligatory heterozygotes of AT showed increased sensitivity to CF post-treatment. Individual differences in sensitivity to {gamma}-irradiation + CF post-treatment proved to be correlated with the sensitivity of non-irradiated cells to CF treatment, but not to {gamma}-irradiation. (author). 19 refs, 1 fig., 1 tab.

  3. Mitochondrial dysfunction in the neuro-degenerative and cardio-degenerative disease, Friedreich's ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Chiang, Shannon; Kalinowski, Danuta S; Jansson, Patric J; Richardson, Des R; Huang, Michael L-H

    2017-08-04

    Mitochondrial homeostasis is essential for maintaining healthy cellular function and survival. The detrimental involvement of mitochondrial dysfunction in neuro-degenerative diseases has recently been highlighted in human conditions, such as Parkinson's, Alzheimer's and Huntington's disease. Friedreich's ataxia (FA) is another neuro-degenerative, but also cardio-degenerative condition, where mitochondrial dysfunction plays a crucial role in disease progression. Deficient expression of the mitochondrial protein, frataxin, is the primary cause of FA, which leads to adverse alterations in whole cell and mitochondrial iron metabolism. Dys-regulation of iron metabolism in these compartments, results in the accumulation of inorganic iron deposits in the mitochondrial matrix that is thought to potentiate oxidative damage observed in FA. Therefore, the maintenance of mitochondrial homeostasis is crucial in the progression of neuro-degenerative conditions, particularly in FA. In this review, vital mitochondrial homeostatic processes and their roles in FA pathogenesis will be discussed. These include mitochondrial iron processing, mitochondrial dynamics (fusion and fission processes), mitophagy, mitochondrial biogenesis, mitochondrial energy production and calcium metabolism. Copyright © 2017 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  4. Novel frataxin isoforms may contribute to the pathological mechanism of Friedreich ataxia.

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Haiyan Xia

    Full Text Available Friedreich ataxia (FRDA is an inherited neurodegenerative disease caused by frataxin (FXN deficiency. The nervous system and heart are the most severely affected tissues. However, highly mitochondria-dependent tissues, such as kidney and liver, are not obviously affected, although the abundance of FXN is normally high in these tissues. In this study we have revealed two novel FXN isoforms (II and III, which are specifically expressed in affected cerebellum and heart tissues, respectively, and are functional in vitro and in vivo. Increasing the abundance of the heart-specific isoform III significantly increased the mitochondrial aconitase activity, while over-expression of the cerebellum-specific isoform II protected against oxidative damage of Fe-S cluster-containing aconitase. Further, we observed that the protein level of isoform III decreased in FRDA patient heart, while the mRNA level of isoform II decreased more in FRDA patient cerebellum compared to total FXN mRNA. Our novel findings are highly relevant to understanding the mechanism of tissue-specific pathology in FRDA.

  5. Describing the organization of dominance relationships by dominance-directed tree method.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Izar, Patrícia; Ferreira, Renata G; Sato, Takechi

    2006-02-01

    Methods to describe dominance hierarchies are a key tool in primatology studies. Most current methods are appropriate for analyzing linear and near-linear hierarchies; however, more complex structures are common in primate groups. We propose a method termed "dominance-directed tree." This method is based on graph theory and set theory to analyze dominance relationships in social groups. The method constructs a transitive matrix by imposing transitivity to the dominance matrix and produces a graphical representation of the dominance relationships, which allows an easy visualization of the hierarchical position of the individuals, or subsets of individuals. The method is also able to detect partial and complete hierarchies, and to describe situations in which hierarchical and nonhierarchical principles operate. To illustrate the method, we apply a dominance tree analysis to artificial data and empirical data from a group of Cebus apella. Copyright 2006 Wiley-Liss, Inc.

  6. A V1143F mutation in the neuronal-enriched isoform 2 of the PMCA pump is linked with ataxia.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Vicario, Mattia; Zanni, Ginevra; Vallese, Francesca; Santorelli, Filippo; Grinzato, Alessandro; Cieri, Domenico; Berto, Paola; Frizzarin, Martina; Lopreiato, Raffaele; Zonta, Francesco; Ferro, Stefania; Sandre, Michele; Marin, Oriano; Ruzzene, Maria; Bertini, Enrico; Zanotti, Giuseppe; Brini, Marisa; Calì, Tito; Carafoli, Ernesto

    2018-04-12

    The fine regulation of intracellular calcium is fundamental for all eukaryotic cells. In neurons, Ca 2+ oscillations govern the synaptic development, the release of neurotransmitters and the expression of several genes. Alterations of Ca 2+ homeostasis were found to play a pivotal role in neurodegenerative progression. The maintenance of proper Ca 2+ signaling in neurons demands the continuous activity of Ca 2+ pumps and exchangers to guarantee physiological cytosolic concentration of the cation. The plasma membrane Ca 2+ ATPases (PMCA pumps) play a key role in the regulation of Ca 2+ handling in selected sub-plasma membrane microdomains. Among the four basic PMCA pump isoforms existing in mammals, isoforms 2 and 3 are particularly enriched in the nervous system. In humans, genetic mutations in the PMCA2 gene in association with cadherin 23 mutations have been linked to hearing loss phenotypes, while those occurring in the PMCA3 gene were associated with X-linked congenital cerebellar ataxias. Here we describe a novel missense mutation (V1143F) in the calmodulin binding domain (CaM-BD) of the PMCA2 protein. The mutant pump was present in a patient showing congenital cerebellar ataxia but no overt signs of deafness, in line with the absence of mutations in the cadherin 23 gene. Biochemical and molecular dynamics studies on the mutated PMCA2 have revealed that the V1143F substitution alters the binding of calmodulin to the CaM-BD leading to impaired Ca 2+ ejection. Copyright © 2018. Published by Elsevier Inc.

  7. The dominance behavioral system and manic temperament: Motivation for dominance, self-perceptions of power, and socially dominant behaviors

    OpenAIRE

    Johnson, Sheri L.; Carver, Charles S.

    2012-01-01

    The dominance behavioral system has been conceptualized as a biologically based system comprising motivation to achieve social power and self-perceptions of power. Biological, behavioral, and social correlates of dominance motivation and self-perceived power have been related to a range of psychopathological tendencies. Preliminary evidence suggests that mania and risk for mania (manic temperament) relate to the dominance system.

  8. A New Algorithm Using the Non-Dominated Tree to Improve Non-Dominated Sorting.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Gustavsson, Patrik; Syberfeldt, Anna

    2018-01-01

    Non-dominated sorting is a technique often used in evolutionary algorithms to determine the quality of solutions in a population. The most common algorithm is the Fast Non-dominated Sort (FNS). This algorithm, however, has the drawback that its performance deteriorates when the population size grows. The same drawback applies also to other non-dominating sorting algorithms such as the Efficient Non-dominated Sort with Binary Strategy (ENS-BS). An algorithm suggested to overcome this drawback is the Divide-and-Conquer Non-dominated Sort (DCNS) which works well on a limited number of objectives but deteriorates when the number of objectives grows. This article presents a new, more efficient algorithm called the Efficient Non-dominated Sort with Non-Dominated Tree (ENS-NDT). ENS-NDT is an extension of the ENS-BS algorithm and uses a novel Non-Dominated Tree (NDTree) to speed up the non-dominated sorting. ENS-NDT is able to handle large population sizes and a large number of objectives more efficiently than existing algorithms for non-dominated sorting. In the article, it is shown that with ENS-NDT the runtime of multi-objective optimization algorithms such as the Non-Dominated Sorting Genetic Algorithm II (NSGA-II) can be substantially reduced.

  9. The social dominance paradox.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Cook, Jennifer Louise; den Ouden, Hanneke E M; Heyes, Cecilia M; Cools, Roshan

    2014-12-01

    Dominant individuals report high levels of self-sufficiency, self-esteem, and authoritarianism. The lay stereotype suggests that such individuals ignore information from others, preferring to make their own choices. However, the nonhuman animal literature presents a conflicting view, suggesting that dominant individuals are avid social learners, whereas subordinates focus on learning from private experience. Whether dominant humans are best characterized by the lay stereotype or the animal view is currently unknown. Here, we present a "social dominance paradox": using self-report scales and computerized tasks, we demonstrate that socially dominant people explicitly value independence, but, paradoxically, in a complex decision-making task, they show an enhanced reliance (relative to subordinate individuals) on social learning. More specifically, socially dominant people employed a strategy of copying other agents when the agents' responses had a history of being correct. However, in humans, two subtypes of dominance have been identified: aggressive and social. Aggressively dominant individuals, who are as likely to "get their own way" as socially dominant individuals but who do so through the use of aggressive or Machiavellian tactics, did not use social information, even when it was beneficial to do so. This paper presents the first study of dominance and social learning in humans and challenges the lay stereotype in which all dominant individuals ignore others' views. The more subtle perspective we offer could have important implications for decision making in both the boardroom and the classroom. Copyright © 2014 Elsevier Ltd. All rights reserved.

  10. Posterior cerebellar Purkinje cells in an SCA5/SPARCA1 mouse model are especially vulnerable to the synergistic effect of loss of β-III spectrin and GLAST.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Perkins, Emma M; Suminaite, Daumante; Clarkson, Yvonne L; Lee, Sin Kwan; Lyndon, Alastair R; Rothstein, Jeffrey D; Wyllie, David J A; Tanaka, Kohichi; Jackson, Mandy

    2016-10-15

    Clinical phenotypes of spinocerebellar ataxia type-5 (SCA5) and spectrin-associated autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxia type-1 (SPARCA1) are mirrored in mice lacking β-III spectrin (β-III-/-). One function of β-III spectrin is the stabilization of the Purkinje cell-specific glutamate transporter EAAT4 at the plasma membrane. In β-III-/- mice EAAT4 levels are reduced from an early age. In contrast levels of the predominant cerebellar glutamate transporter GLAST, expressed in Bergmann glia, only fall progressively from 3 months onwards. Here we elucidated the roles of these two glutamate transporters in cerebellar pathogenesis mediated through loss of β-III spectrin function by studying EAAT4 and GLAST knockout mice as well as crosses of both with β-III-/- mice. Our data demonstrate that EAAT4 loss, but not abnormal AMPA receptor composition, in young β-III-/- mice underlies early Purkinje cell hyper-excitability and that subsequent loss of GLAST, superimposed on the earlier deficiency of EAAT4, is responsible for Purkinje cell loss and progression of motor deficits. Yet the loss of GLAST appears to be independent of EAAT4 loss, highlighting that other aspects of Purkinje cell dysfunction underpin the pathogenic loss of GLAST. Finally, our results demonstrate that Purkinje cells in the posterior cerebellum of β-III-/- mice are most susceptible to the combined loss of EAAT4 and GLAST, with degeneration of proximal dendrites, the site of climbing fibre innervation, most pronounced. This highlights the necessity for efficient glutamate clearance from these regions and identifies dysregulation of glutamatergic neurotransmission particularly within the posterior cerebellum as a key mechanism in SCA5 and SPARCA1 pathogenesis.

  11. Polymorphic human (CTAT)n microsatellite provides a conserved linkage marker for mouse mutants causing cleft palate, vestibular defects, obesity and ataxia

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Griffith, A.J.; Burgess, D.L.; Kohrman, D. [Univ. of MIchigan, Ann Arbor, MI (United States)] [and others

    1994-09-01

    The Twirler mutation (Tw) causing cleft palate {plus_minus} cleft lip, vestibular defects and obesity is located within 0.5 cM of an ataxia locus (ax) on mouse chromosome 18. We identified a transgene-induced insertional mutation with vestibular and craniofacial defects that appears to be a new allele of Twirler. Mouse DNA flanking the transgene insertion site was isolated from a cosmid library. An evolutionarily conserved, zoo blot positive cosmid subclone was used to probe a human {lambda} genomic library. From the sequence of a highly homologous human {lambda} clone, we designed STS primers and screened a human P1 library. DNA from two positive P1 clones was hybridized with simple sequence probes, and a (CTAT){sub 12} repeat was detected. Analysis of 62 CEPH parents with primers flanking the repeat identified six alleles containing 9 to 14 copies of the repeat, at frequencies of 0.17, 0.17, 0.17, 0.27, 0.15 and 0.07, respectively. The observed heterozygosity was 49/62 with a calculated PIC value of 0.76. This polymorphic microsatellite marker, designated Umi3, was mapped to the predicted conserved human linkage group by analysis of somatic cell hybrid panels. The anticipated short distance between Umi3 and the disease genes will facilitate detection of linkage in small families. We would like to type appropriate human pedigrees with Umi3 in order to identify patients with inherited disorders homologous to the mouse mutations Twirler and ataxia.

  12. Impaired recovery and mutagenic SOS-like responses in ataxia telangiectasia cells

    Energy Technology Data Exchange (ETDEWEB)

    Hilgers, G. (Universite Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (Netherlands)); Abrahams, P.J. (Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (Netherlands)); Chen, Y.Q. (Universite Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium)); Schouten, R. (Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (Netherlands)); Cornelis, J.J. (Universite Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) Institut Pasteur, 75 - Paris (France)); Lowe, J.E. (Sussex Univ., Brighton (UK)); Eb, A.J. van der (Rijksuniversiteit Leiden (Netherlands)); Rommelaere, J. (Universite Libre de Bruxelles (Belgium) Institut Pasteur, 75 - Paris (France))

    1989-01-01

    Radiosensitive fibroblasts from patients with ataxia telangiectasia (AT) were studied for their proficiency in two putative eukaryotic SOS-like responses, namely the enhanced reactivation (ER) and enhanced mutagenesis of damaged viruses infecting pre-irradiated versus mock-treated cells. A previous report indicated that, unlike normal human cells, a line of AT fibroblasts (AT5BIVA) could not be induced to express ER of damaged parvovirus H-1, a single-stranded DNA virus, by UV- or X-irradiation. In the present study, AT5BIVA fibroblasts were also distinguished from normal cells by the inability of the former to achieve enhanced mutagenesis of damaged H-1 virus upon cell UV-irradiation. In contrast, dose-response and time-course experiments revealed normal levels of ER of Herpes simplex virus 1, a double-stranded DNA virus, in X- or UV-irradiated AT5BIVA cells. Taken together, these data point to a possible deficiency of AT cells in a conditioned mutagenic process that contributes to a greater extent to the recovery of damaged single-stranded than double-stranded DNA. Such a defect may concern the replication of damaged DNA or the generation of signals promoting the latter process and may be related to the lack of radiation-induced delay that is typical of AT cell DNA synthesis. (author).

  13. Impaired recovery and mutagenic SOS-like responses in ataxia telangiectasia cells

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Hilgers, G.; Abrahams, P.J.; Chen, Y.Q.; Schouten, R.; Cornelis, J.J.; Lowe, J.E.; Eb, A.J. van der; Rommelaere, J.

    1989-01-01

    Radiosensitive fibroblasts from patients with ataxia telangiectasia (AT) were studied for their proficiency in two putative eukaryotic SOS-like responses, namely the enhanced reactivation (ER) and enhanced mutagenesis of damaged viruses infecting pre-irradiated versus mock-treated cells. A previous report indicated that, unlike normal human cells, a line of AT fibroblasts (AT5BIVA) could not be induced to express ER of damaged parvovirus H-1, a single-stranded DNA virus, by UV- or X-irradiation. In the present study, AT5BIVA fibroblasts were also distinguished from normal cells by the inability of the former to achieve enhanced mutagenesis of damaged H-1 virus upon cell UV-irradiation. In contrast, dose-response and time-course experiments revealed normal levels of ER of Herpes simplex virus 1, a double-stranded DNA virus, in X- or UV-irradiated AT5BIVA cells. Taken together, these data point to a possible deficiency of AT cells in a conditioned mutagenic process that contributes to a greater extent to the recovery of damaged single-stranded than double-stranded DNA. Such a defect may concern the replication of damaged DNA or the generation of signals promoting the latter process and may be related to the lack of radiation-induced delay that is typical of AT cell DNA synthesis. (author)

  14. Thiamin is decomposed due to Anaphe spp. entomophagy in seasonal ataxia patients in Nigeria.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Nishimune, T; Watanabe, Y; Okazaki, H; Akai, H

    2000-06-01

    A fairly high activity of a relatively heat-resistant thiaminase was detected and characterized from the pupae of an African silkworm Anaphe spp. which had been the putative cause of a seasonal ataxia and impaired consciousness in Nigerians. The thiaminase in the buffer extract of Anaphe pupae was type I (thiamin: base 2-methyl-4-aminopyrimidine methyl transferase EC 2.5.1.2), and the optimal temperature and pH were 70 degrees C and 8.0-8.5, respectively. Based on gel filtration chromatography, the molecules were estimated to be 200 kDa. Second substrates which could be utilized by the thiaminase were pyridoxine, amino acids, glutathione, taurine and 4-aminopyridine. Thiamin phosphate esters were inactive as substrates. This is the first report describing an insect thiaminase. Our results indicate the necessity of thorough heat treatment for the detoxification of the African silkworm, making the worm a safe source of high-quality protein.

  15. The role of the neuro-astro-vascular unit in the etiology of Ataxia Telangiectasia

    Directory of Open Access Journals (Sweden)

    Leenoy eMeshulam

    2012-09-01

    Full Text Available The growing recognition that brain pathologies do not affect neurons only but rather are, to a large extent, pathologies of glial cells as well as of the vasculature opens to new perspectives in our understanding of genetic disorders of the CNS. To validate the role of the neuron-glial-vascular unit in the etiology of genome instability disorders, we report about cell death and morphological aspects of neuro-glia networks and the associated vasculature in a mouse model of Ataxia Telangiectasia (A-T, a human genetic disorder that induces severe motor impairment. We found that AT-mutated protein deficiency was consistent with aberrant astrocytic morphology and alterations of the vasculature, often accompanied by reactive gliosis. Interestingly similar findings could also be reported in the case of other genetic disorders. These observations bolster the notion that astrocyte-specific pathologies, hampered vascularization and astrocyte-endothelium interactions in the CNS could play a crucial role in the etiology of genome instability brain disorders and could underlie neurodegeneration.

  16. Juvenile Leigh syndrome, optic atrophy, ataxia, dystonia, and epilepsy due to T14487C mutation in the mtDNA-ND6 gene: a mitochondrial syndrome presenting from birth to adolescence.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Leshinsky-Silver, Esther; Shuvalov, Ruslan; Inbar, Shani; Cohen, Sarit; Lev, Dorit; Lerman-Sagie, Tally

    2011-04-01

    An increasing number of reports describe mutations in mitochondrial DNA coding regions, especially in mitochondrial DNA- encoded nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide dehydrogenase subunit genes of the respiratory chain complex I, as causing early-onset Leigh syndrome. The authors report the molecular findings in a 24-year-old patient with juvenile-onset Leigh syndrome presenting with optic atrophy, ataxia dystonia, and epilepsy. A brain magnetic resonance imaging revealed bilateral basal ganglia and thalamic hypointensities, and a magnetic resonance spectroscopy revealed an increased lactate peak. The authors identified a T14487C change causing M63V substitution in the mitochondrial ND6 gene. The mutation was heteroplasmic in muscle and blood samples, with different mutation loads, and was absent in the patient's mother's urine and blood samples. They suggest that the T14487C mtDNA mutation should be analyzed in Leigh syndrome, presenting with optic atrophy, ataxia, dystonia, and epilepsy, regardless of age.

  17. Rejoining of DNA double-strand breaks in human fibroblasts and its impairment in one ataxia telangiectasia and two Fanconi strains

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Coquerelle, T.M.; Weibezahn, K.F.

    1981-01-01

    Using the technique of neutral elution through polycarbonate filters as a measure of DNA length, and hence of the number of double-strand breaks incurred as a result of radiation damage, we found that normal human fibroblasts rejoin 50% of all breaks within only 3 min (37 degrees C). This fast rejoining was impaired in fibroblasts from one patient with Ataxia telangiectasia and in fibroblasts from two patients with Fanconi's anemia. Also the number of residual breaks after several hours of repair was higher than in control cells. Other cases with the same diseases were normal in their rejoining of double-strand breaks

  18. Gamma-ray induced inhibition of DNA synthesis in ataxia telangiectasia fibroblasts is a function of excision repair capacity

    International Nuclear Information System (INIS)

    Smith, P.J.; Paterson, M.C.

    1980-01-01

    The extent of the deficiency in γ-ray induced DNA repair synthesis in an ataxia telangiectasia (AT) human fibroblast strain was found to show no oxygen enhancement, consistent with a defect in the repair of base damage. Repair deficiency, but not repair proficiency, in AT cells was accompanied by a lack of inhibition of DNA synthesis by either γ-rays or the radiomimetic drug bleomycin. Experiments with 4-nitroquinoline 1-oxide indicated that lack of inhibition was specific for radiogenic-type damage. Thus excision repair, perhaps by DNA strand incision or chromatin modification, appears to halt replicon initiation in irradiated repair proficient cells whereas in repair defective AT strains this putatively important biological function is inoperative

  19. Cell and Molecular Biology of Ataxia Telangiectasia Heterozygous Human Mammary Epithelial Cells Irradiated in Culture

    Science.gov (United States)

    Richmond, Robert C.

    2001-01-01

    Autologous isolates of cell types from obligate heterozygotes with the autosomal disorder ataxia-telangiectasia (A-T)were used to begin a tissue culture model for assessing pathways of radiation-induced cancer formation in this target tissue. This was done by establishing cultures of stromal fibroblasts and long-term growth human mammary epithelial cells (HMEC) in standard 2-dimensional tissue culture in order to establish expression of markers detailing early steps of carcinogenesis. The presumptive breast cancer susceptibility of A-T heterozygotes as a sequel to damage caused by ionizing radiation provided reason to study expression of markers in irradiated HMEC. Findings from our study with HMEC have included determination of differences in specific protein expression amongst growth phase (e.g., log vs stationary) and growth progression (e.g., pass 7 vs pass 9), as well as differences in morphologic markers within populations of irradiated HMEC (e.g., development of multinucleated cells).

  20. Cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy, vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS) with chronic cough and preserved muscle stretch reflexes: evidence for selective sparing of afferent Ia fibres.

    Science.gov (United States)

    Infante, Jon; García, Antonio; Serrano-Cárdenas, Karla M; González-Aguado, Rocío; Gazulla, José; de Lucas, Enrique M; Berciano, José

    2018-04-25

    The aim of this study was to describe five patients with cerebellar ataxia, neuropathy and vestibular areflexia syndrome (CANVAS) with chronic cough and preserved limb muscle stretch reflexes. All five patients were in the seventh decade of age, their gait imbalance having been initiated in the fifth decade. In four patients cough antedated gait imbalance between 15 and 29 years; cough was spasmodic and triggered by variable factors. Established clinical picture included severe hypopallesthesia predominating in the lower limbs with postural imbalance, and variable degree of cerebellar axial and appendicular ataxia, dysarthria and horizontal gaze-evoked nystagmus. Upper- and lower-limb tendon jerks were preserved, whereas jaw jerk was absent. Vestibular function testing showed bilateral impairment of the vestibulo-ocular reflex. Nerve conduction studies demonstrated normal motor conduction parameters and absence or severe attenuation of sensory nerve action potentials. Somatosensory evoked potentials were absent or severely attenuated. Biceps and femoral T-reflex recordings were normal, while masseter reflex was absent or attenuated. Sympathetic skin responses were normal. Cranial MRI showed vermian and hemispheric cerebellar atrophy predominating in lobules VI, VII and VIIa. We conclude that spasmodic cough may be an integral part of the clinical picture in CANVAS, antedating the appearance of imbalance in several decades and that sparing of muscle spindle afferents (Ia fibres) is probably the pathophysiological basis of normoreflexia.