Cognitive abilities in children with congenital muscular dystrophy: correlation with brain MRI and merosin status.

The aim of the study was to evaluate whether children with merosin-positive or merosin-deficient congenital muscular dystrophy (CMD) show any cognitive impairment and whether this is related to brain abnormalities on magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). Twenty-two patients (age range: 5.8-15.3 years) were assessed by the Wechsler Intelligence Scales. Twelve were merosin-positive and ten merosin-deficient. One child had severe mental retardation and could not be tested. The full scale IQ in the remaining 21 ranged from 51 to 134, the verbal IQ ranged from 78 to 136 and the performance from 51 to 136. Of the twelve children with normal merosin one had a mild delay (IQ < 75) and two were borderline (IQ 75-95). Of the ten children with merosin-deficiency, one showed severe mental retardation and could not be tested, one showed a mild delay and two had borderline results. While the children with merosin deficiency with the typical diffuse white matter changes on MRI had normal scores, the children who in addition had cerebellar hypoplasia had lower performance IQ. The child with cortical dysplasia had severe mental retardation. Our results suggest that the spectrum of cognitive abilities in CMD is very wide even within genetically homogeneous conditions.     

Cerebral amyloid angiopathy and motor neurone disease presenting with a progressive supranuclear palsy-like syndrome.

We describe a 68-year-old woman who presented with falls, mild limb bradykinesia, axial rigidity, and a severe supranuclear gaze palsy, which failed to benefit from levodopa. She subsequently developed severe apraxia, progressive dysarthria, dysphagia, and a frontal cognitive impairment. Pyramidal weakness with fasciculations and widespread chronic partial denervation appeared shortly before her death from bronchopneumonia, 6 months after disease onset. A severe cerebral amyloid angiopathy diffusely involving the cerebral hemispheres and cerebellum was present at autopsy as well as a second pathological condition indicative of motor neurone disease. Cerebral amyloid angiopathy may rarely present with a progressive supranuclear palsy-like phenotype.     

Non-persistent "doll phenomenon" in a patient with right thalamic infarction]

An 81-year-old right-handed woman was admitted because of acute dysarthria and left hemiparesis. She had lived herself without aids until the admission. On neurological examination she was confused and disoriented. She was ambulant, but had mild dysarthria and mild left hemiparesis. Neuropsychological tests showed severe impairment of memory, mild impairment of visual cognition, decreased fluency of word recall and mild paramnesia, but no acalculia, agraphia, aphasia or apraxia. MRI of the brain showed small infarction in the right anterior thalamus. 123I-IMP SPECT demonstrated a decrease in CBF of the thalamus, basal ganglia and frontal lobe on the right. During admission, she always played with a doll as if she took it as a real baby. This peculiar symptom. "doll phenomenon" continued for approximately three months later. The "doll phenomenon" usually appears in demented patients with diffuse mental deterioration or dysfunction of the frontal lobe. The present patient had not been demented until the onset of the thalamic infarction, and disturbance of cognition caused by the right thalamic infarction probably produced the "doll phenomenon".     

Brain MRI abnormalities in muscular dystrophy due to FKRP mutations

INTRODUCTION: FKRP mutations cause a muscular dystrophy which may present in the neonatal period (MDC1C) or later in life (LGMD2I). Intelligence and brain imaging have been previously reported as being normal in FKRP-associated muscular dystrophy, except in rare cases presenting with mental retardation associated with structural brain abnormalities. PATIENTS AND METHODS: We studied cerebral MRIs in twelve patients with FKRP-associated muscular dystrophy presenting in infancy or early childhood, at ages between 14 months and 43 years. Two patients had severe cognitive deficits, four had mild-moderate mental retardation and the rest were considered to have normal intelligence. All, but one were wheelchair-bound and 7 were mechanically ventilated. RESULTS: Brain MRI was abnormal in 9 of 12 patients. Brain atrophy was seen in 8 patients. One child had isolated ventricular enlargement at 4 years. Cortical atrophy involved predominantly temporal and frontal lobes and was most important at later ages. In two cases with serial images this atrophy seemed progressive. Three patients, two with severe and one with moderate mental retardation, showed structural abnormalities of the posterior fossa with hypoplasia of the vermis and pons, and cerebellar hemispheric cysts. These abnormalities were stable with time. Two of these three patients also showed diffuse white matter abnormalities in early childhood, which regressed with time. CONCLUSIONS: MRI abnormalities are common in patients with FKRP-associated muscular dystrophy presenting at birth or in early childhood. Progressive brain atrophy is the most frequent finding. Posterior fossa malformations and transient white matter changes may be seen in patients with associated mental retardation.     

Diffuse cerebral hypomyelination with cerebellar atrophy and hypoplasia of the corpus callosum

Three unrelated Japanese patients who presented with ataxia and mild mental retardation were examined in this study. Early development was normal in two patients and slightly delayed in one. All could walk independently, but were unstable due to cerebellar ataxia. They had mild intellectual retardation and displayed slow, progressive, and mild clinical courses. Two patients lost the ability to walk at 12 and 25 years of age. Brain MRI of the three patients revealed diffuse cerebral hypomyelination, moderate cerebellar cortical atrophy, and hypoplasia of the corpus callosum, which were seen in other diffuse hypomyelination syndrome. No known abnormalities were found in biochemical and genetic studies. Auditory brainstem responses and nerve conduction studies were normal. A definite diagnosis could not be made because of the lack of hypodontia, hypogonadism, cataracts, or basal ganglia atrophy. Based on common MRI findings and the relatively mild clinical courses, we believe that these patients may have another subset form of diffuse hypomyelination syndrome involving the cerebral white matter and cerebellum.     

Linking Essential Tremor to the Cerebellum: Clinical Evidence

Essential tremor (ET) might be a family of diseases unified by the presence of kinetic tremor, but also showing etiological, pathological, and clinical heterogeneity. In this review, we will describe the most significant clinical evidence, which suggests that ET is linked to the cerebellum. Data for this review were identified by searching PUBMED (January 1966 to May 2015) crossing the terms “essential tremor” (ET) and “cerebellum,” which yielded 201 entries, 11 of which included the term “cerebellum” in the article title. This was supplemented by articles in the author’s files that pertained to this topic. The wide spectrum of clinical features of ET that suggest that it originates as a cerebellar or cerebellar outflow problem include the presence of intentional tremor, gait and balance abnormalities, subtle features of dysarthria, and oculomotor abnormalities, as well as deficits in eye-hand coordination, motor learning deficits, incoordination during spiral drawing task, abnormalities in motor timing and visual reaction time, impairment of social abilities, improvement in tremor after cerebellar stroke, efficacy of deep brain stimulation (which blocks cerebellar outflow), and cognitive dysfunction. It is unlikely, however, that cerebellar dysfunction, per se, fully explains ET-associated dementia, because the cognitive deficits that have been described in patients with cerebellar lesions are generally mild. Overall, a variety of clinical findings suggest that in at least a sizable proportion of patients with ET, there is an underlying abnormality of the cerebellum and/or its pathways.     

Cognitive and behavioral profile in females with epilepsy with PDCH19 mutation: two novel mutations and review of the literature

Mutation in the protocadherin 19 (PCDH19) gene is an increasingly recognized cause of epilepsy in females. This disorder is frequently associated with mental retardation and psychiatric features. We describe two unrelated females with novel PCDH19 missense mutations. One was de novo, and the other was inherited from her unaffected father. Both had mild mental impairment but had remarkable behavioral problems. We reviewed the cognitive and behavioral profiles of previously reported PCDH19-positive cases. Intellectual disability appeared in 75% of patients, ranging from borderline to severe. More than half of the individuals presented behavioral disturbances, which could be divided into two different groups: autistic and non-autistic. The majority of patients with autism already had some degree of cognitive impairment. It appears that seizures tend to diminish or even stop in adolescence, so non-epileptic problems can become the most important and disabling issue in adult patients with PCDH19 mutation.     

Neurologic aspects of 49,XXXXY syndrome

49,XXXXY syndrome is a rare sex chromosome aneuploidy syndrome characterized by mental retardation, severe speech impairment, craniofacial abnormalities, multiple skeletal defects, and genital abnormalities. We describe a 13-year-old boy with 49,XXXXY syndrome, language impairment, seizures, and left-hemisphere magnetic resonance imaging abnormalities and review the distinctive neurologic, cognitive, and behavioral phenotypes associated with this disorder. Finally, we discuss testosterone supplementation in the treatment of this syndrome.     

Characterization of the pattern of cognitive impairment in myotonic dystrophy type 1

BACKGROUND: Central nervous system involvement occurs in most patients with myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1): mental retardation characterizes congenital forms, while a mild cognitive impairment has been described in adult patients with classic DM1. Neuropathological studies documented neurofibrillary tangles and an aberrant tau-protein expression in brain tissues of patients and animal models of DM1. OBJECTIVES: To characterize the pattern of cognitive dysfunction occurring in DM1 and to analyze genotype-phenotype correlations in patients with DM1. METHODS: We assessed the results of a detailed neuropsychological study, including Mini-Mental State Examination, memory, linguistic level, praxis, attentional and frontal-executive tasks, in a group of 70 patients with DM1, including 10 congenital and 60 classic forms. Statistical analysis of data was performed using analysis of variance for multiple tests. RESULTS: Our study documented 2 distinct patterns of cognitive impairment in DM1: in particular, we confirmed the presence of a cognitive pattern characteristic of mental retardation in congenital cases, whereas in adult forms we documented an aging-related decline of frontal and temporal cognitive functions. No correlations were found between cognitive impairment and (CTG)(n) in leukocytes or severity of muscle involvement. CONCLUSIONS: Adult patients with DM1 frequently develop, with aging, a focal dementia: such findings agree with recent studies documenting an abnormal tau-protein expression in the brain tissues of patients with DM1. Cognitive decline may represent the only relevant clinical manifestation of DM1 in patients carrying very small (CTG)(n) expansions in leukocytes.     

A new autosomal recessive non-progressive congenital cerebellar ataxia associated with mental retardation,optic atrophy,and skin abnormalities (CAMOS) maps to chromosome 15q24-q26 in a large consanguineous Lebanese Druze Family

Congenital cerebellar ataxias are a heterogeneous group of non-progressive disorders characterized by hypotonia and developmental delay followed by the appearance of ataxia, and often associated with dysarthria, mental retardation, and atrophy of the cerebellum. We report the mapping of a disease gene in a large inbred Lebanese Druze family, with five cases of a new form of non-progressive autosomal recessive congenital ataxia associated with optic atrophy, severe mental retardation, and structural skin abnormalities, to a 3.6-cM interval on chromosome 15q24–15q26. Electronic Publication     

Visual Inattention in West Syndrome: A Neuropsychological and Neurofunctional Imaging Study

Summary: Visual behavior is frequently impaired at onset of West syndrome (WS). We studied the neuropsy- chological outcome of eight children who had cryptogenic WS and moderate to severe visual impairment at the onset of epilepsy. At the last examination, a regional cerebral blood flow study using SPECT (single photon emission computed tomography) was performed. The behavior abnormalities observed initially evolved to various defects of cognitive function. Three patients had severe mental retardation with autistic features. Two had marked speech disorders but one had global cognitive impairment. Three patients had specific visual-spatial deficits. SPECT showed perfusion defects involving the parieto-occipital areas in 6 of 8 patients. These abnormalities were restricted to parieto-occipital regions in the three patients with selective visual-spatial deficits, whereas they were associated with other perfusion defects in the three remaining patients. This study demonstrates that the visual inattention observed at the onset of WS is frequently associated with long-term cognitive and/ or perfusion defects involving the parieto-occipital regions.     

Fragile X syndrome: associated neurological abnormalities and developmental disabilities

The fragile X syndrome is a frequent cause of developmental disabilities. It is associated primarily with nonprogressive X-linked mental retardation. The neurodevelopmental abnormalities of 25 males and 3 females are described. Mental retardation was mild in 4, moderate in 11, severe in 6, and profound in 2 patients, while 4 patients had only learning disabilities. The presence or absence of a developmental disability could not be determined in the youngest (8 months). Seven patients had had infantile autism and 7 had epilepsy. Generally no major focal neurological abnormalities were observed but most of the patients exhibited minor signs. The severity of developmental disabilities in our patients varied between and within families and between genders. All adult males had macroorchidism. Unusual facial features were present in 13 males but none were seen in the females. Familial occurrences were found in 18 cases (64%); 10 cases (36%) were sporadic. Overall, males were more severely affected than females. Diagnostic tests including computed tomographic scans, electroencephalograms, and evoked potentials did not disclose any specific abnormalities.     

Autosomal recessive microcephaly with severe psychomotor retardation.

Autosomal recessive microcephaly has long been recognized in association with normal early motor development and mild to severe mental retardation. We report three sibling pairs with microcephaly and severe neurological impairment. These cases and other sibling pairs reported in the literature illustrate that microcephaly with spasticity and severe mental retardation may also have autosomal recessive inheritance. Furthermore this severely affected group of patients forms a significant proportion of cases of genetic microcephaly. We looked for specific morphological features to identify these forms of genetic microcephaly for genetic counselling, but failed to find characteristic abnormalities among our group of patients.     

SPECT and MRI findings in a case of extensive neuronal migration disorder

We report a 20-year-old male with epilepsy, mild mental retardation, growth asymmetry, and MRI and SPECT features of unilateral subcortical ectopic cortex. The neurological examination showed mild growth asymmetry, hemiparesis and hemihypoesthesia and pyramidal signs on the left side. EEG showed focal abnormality in the right frontotemporal region. MRI revealed pachygyria and severe heterotopia associated with some abnormalities of ventricles and cerebellum on the right. Cortical responses were absent on stimulation of the left median and tibial nerves. Central motor conduction time from cortex to left upper extremity was prolonged in magnetic stimulation test. SPECT using 99 mTc-HMPAO revealed increased perfusion of the right subcortical region as compared with those of overlying cortical mantle and opposite hemisphere. To our knowledge, there has been no report documenting such a large and extensive subcortical ectopic cortex which appears as a mass distorting and shifting the middle structure in an adult, such as in our case.     

先天性双侧外侧裂综合征(附4例报告)

先天性双侧外侧裂综合征是一种少见的以假性球麻痹、癫痫、智力低下和双侧外侧裂区皮质发育异常为特征的神经发育障碍。本文4例根据临床表现和影像学检查诊断为该综合征的患者,其中男3人,女1人,年龄范围12～26岁。4例患者均因癫痫发作就诊,影像学检查均显示双侧外侧裂皮质发育异常。临床表现为轻至中度的智力障碍、言语发育迟缓、构音障碍,咽反射消失和轻度锥体束征等。对于临床上表现为癫痫、假性球麻痹、智力低下、影像学提示双侧外侧裂萎缩的患者应想到先天性双侧外侧裂综合征的可能性。     

A case of HTLV-1 associated myelopathy progressed in course over 30 years

A 66-year-old female suffering from HTLV-1 associated myelopathy (HAM) for more than 30 years was hospitalized because of memorial impairment, deafness, dysarthria, dysphagia, and complete paraplegia. She first noticed stiffness and weakness of the right leg at 35 years of age. Gait disturbance was slowly progressed and complete paraplegia developed 18 years later. Neurological examinations on admission revealed that she was bedridden with decubitus, mental deterioration (pre-dementia of subcortical type), bilateral optic nerve atrophy, severe sensory-neural deafness, dysarthria, complete paraplegia, and marked neurogenic bladder. Laboratory data showed mild normocytic anemia and moderate diabetes mellitus. Anti-HTLV-1 antibody titers in serum and CSF were 78,192X and 1,024X, respectively (PA method). Serum levels of soluble IL-2 receptor was markedly elevated (2,200 U/ml). Peripheral blood lymphocytes showed spontaneous proliferation when cultured for 5 days (3H-thymidine uptake; 45,285 cpm/5 X 10(4) cells). MRI examinations of the spinal cord disclosed a predominant atrophy of lower thoracic cord without any compressive lesions. Brain MRI showed diffuse high intensity lesions of the periventricular area on T2 weighted images. Such abnormalities were predominantly found in fronto-parietal region and were quite similar to those of leuko-ariosis. Single photon emission CT using 123I-iodoamphetamine showed hypoperfusion of cerebral white matter on delayed image. It has been reported that intellectual impairment and brain atrophy are not usually seen in HAM patients. The present case, however, shows that such abnormalities of the central nervous system could occur in HAM patients with a long duration of illness.     

Rhombencephalosynapsis: clinical findings and neuroimaging in 9 children

Rhombencephalosynapsis is a rare congenital abnormality characterised by dorsal fusion of the cerebellar hemispheres, agenesis or hypogenesis of the vermis, fusion of dentate nuclei and superior cerebellar peduncles. We describe 9 children, aged 1.5 to 6 years, with rhombencephalosynapsis. Isolated rhombencephalosynapsis was found in 2 patients, hydrocephalus in 3 children and another 3 children had ventriculomegaly. Additional supratentorial abnormalities were documented in 5 patients. Clinical findings ranged from mild truncal ataxia and normal cognitive abilities to severe cerebral palsy and mental retardation. No correlation between clinical findings and magnetic resonance imaging could be established so far.     

Carbamazepine Therapy and LongTerm Prognosis in Epilepsy of Childhood

Sixty-seven of 90 patients (74% who had been treated with carbamazepine (CBZ) alone were seizure-free for greater than 3 years. The EEG of the patients given CBZ monotherapy was more often normal in those without neurologic abnormalities other than mental retardation or a genetic predisposition. The prognosis of patients with partial seizures secondarily generalized was poorer than that of the other patients. Patients without mental retardation more often had monotherapy CBZ. The lowest blood level of CBZ for maintenance was considered to be 4 micrograms/ml, although the therapeutic blood level was between 6 and 12 micrograms/ml. Most of the side effects were mild.     

少年型、成年型齿状核红核苍白球路易体萎缩症临床特征分析

目的探讨少年型、成年型齿状核红核苍白球路易体萎缩症(DRPLA)患者临床特征的异同。方法收集3例少年型、1例成年型DRPLA患者的临床资料,对比分析他们的临床表现、影像学特征、脑电图结果、DRPLA基因CAG重复次数。结果 3例少年型起病年龄平均13岁,均有肌阵挛及癫痫史、智力低下、小脑性共济失调明显、伴有全身不自主运动和精神症状;1例成年型起病年龄22岁,有肌阵挛及癫痫史、记忆力下降、轻度小脑性共济失调、双手震颤,无精神症状。磁共振显示少年型有明显脑干、小脑、大脑皮质萎缩,对称性脑白质变性,成年型仅有轻度脑干、小脑萎缩。少年型的脑电图显示脑电背景弥漫性慢化,成年型的脑电背景正常。DRPLA基因检测CAG重复数少年型分别为15/64次、17/65次和15/68次。成年型为12/62次。结论 DRPLA的临床异质性明显,CAG重复数与起病年龄、临床表现相关。对有肌阵挛、癫痫、伴共济失调、智力低下的青少年患者进行特异性基因检测能提高少年型DRPLA检出率,避免漏诊。     

Cerebral glucose metabolism in neurofibromatosis type 1 assessed with [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose and PET.

Cerebral PET with [18F]-2-fluoro-2-deoxy-D-glucose has been performed in four patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) to assess the relation between cerebral metabolic activity, MRI, and the presence of neurological symptoms, including seizures, as well as mental and language retardation. Widespread hypometabolism occurred in three of the patients. The lesions on MRI, which were localised in the subcortical white matter and grey structures, had normal rates of glucose metabolism. This finding suggests that the abnormalities seen on MRI are not due to defective blood supply, localised oedema, or grey matter heterotopic foci as previously hypothesised. The presence of the hypometabolic areas seems to be inconsistently related to the occurrence of seizures and is not proportional to the degree of mental impairment. This study provides evidence of a widespread cerebral hypometabolism that is not related to the presence of MRI abnormalities; conversely normal metabolism was present in the areas with an abnormal MRI signal.