PIGO mutations in intractable epilepsy and severe developmental delay with mild elevation of alkaline phosphatase levels

Aberrations in the glycosylphosphatidylinositol (GPI)–anchor biosynthesis pathway constitute a subclass of congenital disorders of glycosylation, and mutations in seven genes involved in this pathway have been identified. Among them, mutations in PIGV and PIGO, which are involved in the late stages of GPI‐anchor synthesis, and PGAP2, which is involved in fatty‐acid GPI‐anchor remodeling, are all causative for hyperphosphatasia with mental retardation syndrome (HPMRS). Using whole exome sequencing, we identified novel compound heterozygous PIGO mutations (c.389C>A [p.Thr130Asn] and c.1288C>T [p.Gln430*]) in two siblings, one of them having epileptic encephalopathy. GPI‐anchored proteins (CD16 and CD24) on blood granulocytes were slightly decreased compared with a control and his mother. Our patients lacked the characteristic features of HPMRS, such as facial dysmorphology (showing only a tented mouth) and hypoplasia of distal phalanges, and had only a mild elevation of serum alkaline phosphatase (ALP). Our findings therefore expand the clinical spectrum of GPI‐anchor deficiencies involving PIGO mutations to include epileptic encephalopathy with mild elevation of ALP.     

Cognitive and psychiatric symptoms in genetically determined Parkinson’s disease: a systematic review

The aim was to review the existing reports on cognitive and behavioural symptoms in monogenic forms of Parkinson’s disease (PD) and to identify recurring patterns of clinical manifestations in those with specific mutations. A systematic literature search was conducted to retrieve observational studies of monogenic PD. Data pertaining to cognitive and psychiatric manifestations were extracted using standardized templates. The PRISMA guidelines were followed. Of the 1889 citations retrieved, 95 studies on PD‐related gene mutations were included: 35 in SNCA, 35 in LRRK2, four in VPS35, 10 in Parkin, three in DJ1 and eight in PINK1. Nineteen studies (20%) provided adequate data from comprehensive cognitive assessment and 31 studies (32.6%) outlined psychiatric manifestations through the use of neuropsychiatric scales. Cognitive impairment was reported in all monogenic PD forms with variable rates (58.8% PINK1, 53.9% SNCA, 50% DJ1, 29.2% VPS35, 15.7% LRRK2 and 7.4% Parkin). In this regard, executive functions and attention were the domains most affected. With respect to psychiatric symptoms, depression was the most frequent symptom, occurring in 37.5% of PINK1 cases and 41.7% of VPS35 and LRRK2 cases. Co‐occurrence of cognitive decline with visual hallucinations was evidenced. Widespread accumulation of Lewy bodies, distinctive of SNCA, PINK1 and DJ1 mutations, results in higher rates of cognitive impairment. Similarly, a higher degree of visual hallucinations is observed in SNCA mutations, probably owing to the more widespread accumulation. The lower rates of α‐synuclein pathology in LRRK2 and Parkin may underpin the more benign disease course in these patients.     

Recent progress in migraine pathophysiology: role of cortical spreading depression and magnetic resonance imaging

Migraine is characterised by debilitating pain, which affects the quality of life in affected patients in both the western and the eastern worlds. The purpose of this article is to give a detailed outline of the pathophysiology of migraine pain, which is one of the most confounding pathologies among pain disorders in clinical conditions. We critically evaluate the scientific basis of various theories concerning migraine pathophysiology, and draw insights from brain imaging approaches that have unraveled the prevalence of cortical spreading depression (CSD) in migraine. The findings supporting the role of CSD as a physiological substrate in clinical pain are discussed. We also give an exhaustive overview of brain imaging approaches that have been employed to solve the genesis of migraine pain, and its possible links to the brainstem, the neocortex, genetic endophenotypes, and pathogenetic factors (such as dopaminergic hypersensitivity). Furthermore, a roadmap is proposed to provide a better understanding of pain pathophysiology in migraine, to enable the development of strategies using leads from brain imaging studies for the identification of early biomarkers, efficient prognosis, and treatment planning, which eventually may help in alleviating some of the devastating impact of pain morbidity in patients afflicted with migraine.     

Changes in orexinergic immunoreactivity of the piglet hypothalamus and pons after exposure to chronic postnatal nicotine and intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia

We recently showed that orexin expression in sudden infant death syndrome (SIDS) infants was reduced by 21% in the hypothalamus and by 40–50% in the pons as compared with controls. Orexin maintains wakefulness/sleeping states, arousal, and rapid eye movement sleep, abnormalities of which have been reported in SIDS. This study examined the effects of two prominent risk factors for SIDS, intermittent hypercapnic hypoxia (IHH) (prone‐sleeping) and chronic nicotine exposure (cigarette‐smoking), on orexin A (OxA) and orexin B (OxB) expression in piglets. Piglets were randomly assigned to five groups: saline control (n = 7), air control (n = 7), nicotine [2 mg/kg per day (14 days)] (n = 7), IHH (6 min of 7% O₂/8% CO₂ alternating with 6‐min periods of breathing air, for four cycles) (n = 7), and the combination of nicotine and IHH (N + IHH) (n = 7). OxA/OxB expression was quantified in the central tuberal hypothalamus [dorsal medial hypothalamus (DMH), perifornical area (PeF), and lateral hypothalamus], and the dorsal raphe, locus coeruleus of the pons. Nicotine and N + IHH exposures significantly increased: (i) orexin expression in the hypothalamus and pons; and (ii) the total number of neurons in the DMH and PeF. IHH decreased orexin expression in the hypothalamus and pons without changing neuronal numbers. Linear relationships existed between the percentage of orexin‐positive neurons and the area of pontine orexin immunoreactivity of control and exposure piglets. These results demonstrate that postnatal nicotine exposure increases the proportion of orexin‐positive neurons in the hypothalamus and fibre expression in the pons, and that IHH exposure does not prevent the nicotine‐induced increase. Thus, although both nicotine and IHH are risk factors for SIDS, it appears they have opposing effects on OxA and OxB expression, with the IHH exposure closely mimicking what we recently found in SIDS.