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[Werdnig-Hoffmann disease type I with progressive ophthalmoplegia and ptosis].

Although pathological changes are observed in both the oculomotor nucleus and abducens nucleus in autopsied cases of infantile progressive spinal muscular atrophy, external and internal ocular palsy and ptosis have not been previously reported clinically. We presented here two long-surviving cases on respirators which gradually developed ophthalmoplegia and ptosis were presented. From our observation of these cases, it was suggested that there are certain periods of latencies between the occurrence of pathological changes and their clinical manifestation and that the lack of clinical signs of upper cranial nerve involvement in cases with Werdnig-Hoffmann type I is due to their short survival length.

Blepharoptosis↗

Neonatal spinal muscular atrophy presenting as respiratory distress: a clinical variant.

Respiratory distress from diaphragmatic and intercostal muscular weakness was the presenting feature of two neonates with progressive spinal muscular atrophy, leading to death in the first 2 months of life. This atypical feature provides evidence of heterogeneity within the commonly used clarification of type 1 spinal muscular atrophy.

Diagnosis, Differential↗

[Progressive motor disability in spinal muscular atrophy. Psychosocial aspects and rehabilitation in adolescents and adults].

After a description of the principal clinical patterns of spinal muscular atrophies, the Authors discuss the aetiopathogenesis, diagnosis, articular, muscular, respiratory, whole functional and psychological evaluation, premises and aims of rehabilitation of patients with progressive motor disability. Rehabilitation techniques (postural education, prescription of braces, passive and active movements, respiratory physiotherapy) are described. The Authors assume that the role and effects of treatment vary a great deal, depending on the individual case and the moments of psychological crises. Rehabilitation may delay deterioration and achieve the prevention of evolutional complications: successful results are obtained if the patients and family are given detailed instructions for treatment at home and if a relationship and a close cooperation between the patient and the physiotherapist are established. Specific information and psychological support should be provided, which will cover not only the technical aspects of rehabilitation, but also the concrete problems of daily life and of adjustment in family and society.

Adolescent↗

Force impairment in calpain 3-deficient mice is not correlated with mechanical disruption.

Defects in human calpain 3 are responsible for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2A, an autosomal-recessive disorder characterized mainly by late-onset proximal muscular atrophy. A corresponding murine model has previously been generated by gene targeting. In this report, muscular activity of calpain 3-deficient (capn3(-/-)) mice was evaluated at different ages. Growth curves showed a progressive global muscular atrophy. Histological examination throughout the lifespan of mice confirmed the dystrophic lesions. Whole animal tests showed only a mild significant impairment of the forelimbs. Studies of the mechanical properties of selected isolated fast- and slow-twitch muscles demonstrated that slow-twitch muscles were significantly weaker in capn3(-/-) mice than in wild-type mice. Three different tests showed that there was no membrane disruption, suggesting a nonmechanical etiology of capn3(-/-) mice dystrophy. These findings are consistent with a mechanism involving signaling systems.

Animals↗

Molecular analysis of the androgen receptor gene in Kennedy's disease. Report of two families and review of the literature.

We have performed a molecular analysis of the androgen receptor gene in two families with suspected Kennedy's disease (spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, SBMA) with the aim of making a firm diagnosis of the disease. The 2 patients studied were sporadic cases. Both presented clinical signs compatible with the diagnosis of SBMA: limb and facial muscular weakness of adult onset progressing toward muscular atrophy. Clinical signs of partial androgen insensitivity syndrome usually observed in SBMA were present only in patient 2. Enzymatic amplification of the CAG repeat region of exon 1 of the androgen receptor gene was performed on genomic DNA. PCR products were submitted to agarose or acrylamide electrophoresis for size evaluation. Precise determination of the CAG number was performed by direct sequencing of purified amplification products. Androgen receptor gene analysis was also performed in 2 sisters of patient 1 and in the mother, sisters and daughter of patient 2. Androgen receptor-binding activity was also determined on cultured genital skin fibroblasts of patient 1. Analysis of PCR products showed in both patients a single band that was much larger in size than the control. The expansion of the CAG repeat number was confirmed by direct sequencing: the exact number of CAG was 47 in patient 1 and 42 in patient 2 (n = 12-32). The 2 studied sisters of patient 1 did not present the abnormal fragment, demonstrating they are not carriers for the disease. Conversely, the mother, sisters and daughter of patient 2 presented both normal and mutated alleles. The migration of the labelled PCR products on a sequencing gel revealed a meiotic instability of expanded CAG repeat in family 2. Moreover, patient 1 had a decreased androgen-binding capacity on cultured genital skin fibroblasts. In both families, analysis of the androgen receptor gene permitted us to diagnose SBMA in the patients and to establish the carrier status in siblings. These results correspond to the literature data and confirm the usefulness of CAG repeat evaluation in the diagnosis of Kennedy's disease. They highlight the relationship between the androgen receptor and motoneuron growth, development and regeneration.

Base Sequence↗

[Progressive supranuclear palsy: description of a case of early occurrence associated with muscular atrophies (author's transl)].

A case of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (P.S.P.) of early onset (38 years) is described, with somewhat atypical features: the patient was oligophrenic, had no pseudobulbar signs, but there was some muscular atrophy, particularly of the shoulders girdle. On examination there was a slight cortical and cerebellar atrophy on the air encephalogram. Electromyography showed signs of damage to the lower motor neurone which was confirmed by muscular biopsy. In the literature a muscular atrophy in association with P.S.P. is rarely reported clinically although in some cases studied histologically there was degeneration in the nuclei of the cranial and spinal motor nerves. The present case may be an example of such widespread degeneration.

Atrophy↗

[Chronic trichinosis and neuromuscular diseases. Morphologic and pathogenetic aspects].

Muscle biopsies were carried out on five patients affected by a chronic neuromuscular disorder, mostly in the form of a spinal muscle atrophy. All patients had suffered from acute trichinellosis many years before, the interval between acute parasitic infection and the appearance of the slowly progressive neuromuscular syndrome being of 21, 13, 35, 26 and 16 years respectively. In biopsy specimens, morphological and enzyme-histochemical changes typical of a progressive neurogenic muscular atrophy were present; in addition, encapsulated but still living, enzyme-positive parasites and signs of focal myositis were detected. The possible pathogenetic correlations between the "chronic" trichinellosis and the "degenerative" neuromuscular disorder are discussed.

Aged↗

Animal models for motor neuron disease.

Motor neuron disease is a general term applied to a broad class of neurodegenerative diseases that are characterized by fatally progressive muscular weakness, atrophy, and paralysis attributable to loss of motor neurons. At present, there is no cure for most motor neuron diseases, including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), the most common human motor neuron disease--the cause of which remains largely unknown. Animal models of motor neuron disease (MND) have significantly contributed to the remarkable recent progress in understanding the cause, genetic factors, and pathologic mechanisms proposed for this class of human neurodegenerative disorders. Largely driven by ALS research, animal models of MND have proven their usefulness in elucidating potential causes and specific pathogenic mechanisms, and have helped to advance promising new treatments from "benchside to bedside." This review summarizes important features of selected established animal models of MND: genetically engineered mice and inherited or spontaneously occurring MND in the murine, canine, and equine species.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis↗

Muscle atrophy after treatment with Halovest.

STUDY DESIGN: A prospective study was conducted on the sequential changes in the muscles around the cervical spine following external fixation for an extended period. OBJECTIVE: Muscular atrophy around the cervical spine following prolonged external fixation with a Halovest and subsequent recovery from the atrophy were examined. SUMMARY OF BACKGROUND DATA: There are a number of reports on the usefulness of the Halovest. However, there have been no descriptions about muscular atrophy following fixation by the Halovest. METHODS: The study participants were 10 patients who were conservatively treated by the Halovest. Imaging by CT was performed periodically following fixation by the Halovest. The cross sections of the sternocleidomastoid muscle and the nuchal muscle group at C5-C6 were computed by using NIH Image Software. The results were used to evaluate muscular atrophy following fixation by the Halovest and the subsequent recovery after removal of the fixation. RESULTS: Following fixation by the Halovest, atrophy of the muscles around cervical spine sequentially progressed. Three months after fixation, muscular atrophy was about 15% at the sternocleidomastoid muscle and 22% for the nuchal muscle group, but the patients recovered from the atrophic state following the removal of the device. CONCLUSION: Following fixation by the Halovest, muscular atrophy around the cervical spine sequentially progressed. After the device was removed, however, the muscles recovered from the atrophic state. Muscular atrophy caused by prolonged fixation by the Halovest was a reversible change.

Adolescent↗

Sporadic lower motor neuron disease with adult onset: classification of subtypes.

The discovery of the genetic basis of hereditary lower motor neuron disease (LMND) and the recognition of multifocal motor neuropathy as a distinct clinical entity necessitate a new classification of LMND. To this end, we studied the clinical and electrophysiological features of 49 patients with sporadic adult-onset LMND in a cross-sectional study. Disease duration was more than 4 years to exclude the majority of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Based on the pattern of weakness, we identified three groups: 13 patients with generalized weakness (group 1); eight patients with symmetrical, distal muscle weakness (group 2); and 28 patients with non-generalized asymmetrical weakness of the arms in most patients (group 3). Group 3 could be subdivided into patients with weakness in predominantly the distal (group 3a) or the proximal (group 3b) muscle groups, both with disease progression to adjacent spinal cord segments. Distinctive features of group 1 were an older age at onset, more severe weakness and muscle atrophy, lower reflexes, greater functional impairment, more widespread abnormalities on concentric needle EMG, respiratory insufficiency and serum M-protein. In groups 2 and 3, concentric needle EMG findings also suggested a more widespread disease process. Retrospectively, the prognosis of sporadic adult-onset LMND appears to be favourable, because clinical abnormalities were still confined to one limb in most patients after a median disease duration of 12 years. We propose to classify the patients in the different subgroups as slowly progressive spinal muscular atrophy (group 1), distal spinal muscular atrophy (group 2), segmental distal spinal muscular atrophy (group 3a) and segmental proximal spinal muscular atrophy (group 3b). The described clinical phenotypes may help to distinguish between different LMND forms.

Adult↗

Detection of cortical neuron loss in motor neuron disease by proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging in vivo.

We performed proton magnetic resonance spectroscopic imaging (1H-MRSI) in patients with motor neuron disease (MND) to evaluate the distribution and extent of cortical neuron damage or loss as reflected by decreased N-acetyl (NA) to creatine (Cr) resonance intensity ratios. We examined premotor (superior frontal gyrus), primary motor (precentral gyrus), primary sensory (postcentral gyrus), and parietal (superior parietal gyrus/precuneus) neocortical regions of 12 patients with MND and six normal control subjects. Patients with MND were representative of three syndromes: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) with definite lower motor neuron and upper motor neuron signs, MND with probable upper motor neuron signs (PUMNS), and progressive spinal muscular atrophy (PSMA) with lower motor neuron signs only. Compared with healthy controls, ALS patients had a significant decrease in NA/Cr resonance intensity ratios, most prominently in the primary motor cortex (p < 0.001) but also, to varying degrees, in primary sensory (p < 0.01), posterior premotor, and parietal (p < 0.05) regions. Patients classified as ALS-PUMNS showed less prominent reduction in NA/Cr ratios in the same regions; patients with PSMA had normal cortical NA/Cr ratios. Sequential studies in one patient suggested that 1H-MRSI could document progression of the NA/Cr abnormality. Decreased NA/Cr ratios on 1H-MRSI provide an index of cortical motor neuron loss and/or dysfunction in MND patients. Clinical applications of 1H-MRSI could include documenting the extent of upper motor neuron involvement, aiding diagnosis of syndromes presenting with an ALS-like picture, and monitoring disease progression.

Adult↗

A mutation in the vesicle-trafficking protein VAPB causes late-onset spinal muscular atrophy and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Motor neuron diseases (MNDs) are a group of neurodegenerative disorders with involvement of upper and/or lower motor neurons, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), spinal muscular atrophy (SMA), progressive bulbar palsy, and primary lateral sclerosis. Recently, we have mapped a new locus for an atypical form of ALS/MND (atypical amyotrophic lateral sclerosis [ALS8]) at 20q13.3 in a large white Brazilian family. Here, we report the finding of a novel missense mutation in the vesicle-associated membrane protein/synaptobrevin-associated membrane protein B (VAPB) gene in patients from this family. Subsequently, the same mutation was identified in patients from six additional kindreds but with different clinical courses, such as ALS8, late-onset SMA, and typical severe ALS with rapid progression. Although it was not possible to link all these families, haplotype analysis suggests a founder effect. Members of the vesicle-associated proteins are intracellular membrane proteins that can associate with microtubules and that have been shown to have a function in membrane transport. These data suggest that clinically variable MNDs may be caused by a dysfunction in intracellular membrane trafficking.

Adult↗

Protective effects of cardiotrophin-1 adenoviral gene transfer on neuromuscular degeneration in transgenic ALS mice.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is mainly a sporadic neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of cortical and spinal motoneurons. Some familial ALS cases (FALS) have been linked to dominant mutations in the gene encoding Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1). Transgenic mice overexpressing a mutated form of human SOD1 with a Gly93Ala substitution develop progressive muscle wasting and paralysis as a result of spinal motoneuron loss and die at 5 to 6 months. We investigated the effects of neurotrophic factor gene delivery in this FALS model. Intramuscular injection of an adenoviral vector encoding cardiotrophin-1 (CT-1) in SOD1G93A newborn mice resulted in systemic delivery of CT-1, supplying motoneurons with a continuous source of trophic factor. CT-1 delayed the onset of motor impairment as assessed in the rotarod test. Axonal degeneration was slowed and skeletal muscle atrophy was largely reduced by CT-1 treatment. By monitoring the amplitude of the evoked motor response, we showed that the time-course of motor impairment was significantly decreased by CT-1 treatment. Thus, adenovirus-mediated gene transfer of neurotrophic factors might delay neurogenic muscular atrophy and progressive neuromuscular deficiency in ALS patients.

Adenoviridae↗

[A case presenting manifestations of bulbospinal muscular atrophy with senile onset, rapid progression and marked asymmetry].

A 64-year-old man was admitted to our department because of muscle cramp, atrophy and weakness of the limbs together with difficulty in walking, which had gradually progressed from age 60. About 1 year prior to admission, he had noticed hand tremor and gynecomastia. On admission, neurological examination revealed diffuse muscle atrophy and weakness of the extremities, which were more obvious on the right side with preponderance in the right leg. Bilateral postural hand tremor was also more prominent on the right hand. Fasciculations were observed both in the extremities and tongue. The remaining cranial nerves and cerebellar functions were intact. Sensation was normal except for slightly decreased vibratory sense in the distal part of the legs. Deep tendon reflexes including jaw jerk were increased with the exception of hyporeflexia of the right leg. Babinski sign was negative bilaterally. Blood examination disclosed slight elevation of CK and fasting glucose level of 110 mg/dl. Glucose tolerance test showed a diabetic pattern. CSF examination showed total protein of 74 mg/dl and IgG of 12 mg/dl. On a series of endocrinological studies, there was no significant elevation of androgen and estrogen both in serum and urine except for slight elevation of serum E1 level. Serum LH and FSH, however, were markedly high, which responded far beyond the normal range following to 0.1 mg injection of LH-RH. These results suggested that gynecomastia might be caused by dysfunction of the hypothalamus-hypophysis system. Brain CT and spine MRI showed no abnormality. Muscle biopsy obtained from the right quadriceps femoris revealed neurogenic abnormalities.(ABSTRACT TRUNCATED AT 250 WORDS)

Age Factors↗

Brachial amyotrophic diplegia in a patient with human immunodeficiency virus infection: widening the spectrum of motor neuron diseases occurring with the human immunodeficiency virus.

Although amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and progressive spinal muscular atrophy have been recognized to occur in association with human immunodeficiency virus infection, to our knowledge, brachial amyotrophic diplegia, a form of segmental motor neuron disease, has not been previously reported. Brachial amyotrophic diplegia results in severe lower motor neuron weakness and atrophy of the upper extremities in the absence of bulbar or lower extremity involvement, pyramidal features, bowel and bladder incontinence, and sensory loss. We describe a human immunodeficiency virus-seropositive man without severe immunosuppression or prior AIDS-defining illnesses who had brachial amyotrophic diplegia. This disorder may represent one end of a spectrum of motor neuron diseases occurring with this retrovirus infection.

Acquired Immunodeficiency Syndrome↗

Sensory neuropathy with onion-bulb formation. Report of a case with onset in infancy.

A 27-month-old girl suffered from severe sensory neuropathy with minimal motor dysfunction. The CSF protein level was increased and nerve conduction was severely impaired. Sural nerve biopsy specimen showed increased endoneurial connective tissue. An onion-bulb pattern with concentric interdigitations of Schwann cell cytoplasmic processes and redunbant basal laminae were prominent features under electron microscopy. Degress of myelination in individual fiber was far less than expected. Although the clinical manifestations of onion-bulb neuropathy with onset in infancy have been reported to resemble infantile progressive spinal muscular atrophy, the present case demonstrates that the condition can also appear as severe sensory ataxia.

Ataxia↗

Conduction abnormalities induced by sera of patients with multifocal motor neuropathy and anti-GM1 antibodies.

Increased titers of anti-GM1 antibodies have been associated with motor neuron disease and motor neuropathy with or without conduction block. To investigate the pathogenetic role of anti-GM1 antibodies we injected into rat tibial nerves sera from patients with multifocal motor neuropathy and conduction block (MMN) or progressive spinal muscular atrophy (PMA), both presenting anti-GM1 antibodies. Sera of patients with MMN produced reduction of amplitude and dispersion of compound muscle action potential from proximal stimulation. Morphometry revealed demyelination in 6.2% of fibers. Sera of patients with PMA did not produce clear-cut electrophysiological or morphological changes. Differential effects of sera from patients presenting high-titer anti-GM1 antibodies, but with distinct clinical syndromes, might depend on differences in anti-GM1 antibody affinity, valency, or ability to fix complement. Alternatively, circulating factors other than, or in addition to, anti-GM1 antibodies present in sera of patients with MMN, but not of PMA patients, might be responsible for conduction abnormalities and reproduce them after passive transfer.

Animals↗