Epilepsy in adult patients with tuberous sclerosis complex

A quantitative cross-sectional study of the burden of caring for patients with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome, Dravet syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex-associated epilepsy in Japan

INTRODUCTION

Lennox-Gastaut syndrome (LGS), Dravet syndrome (DS), and tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC)-associated epilepsy are rare conditions associated with severe childhood-onset epilepsy. Caregivers play a critical role in the patients' care and may experience significant psychosocial and socioeconomic burden. This cross-sectional study determined the burden of caring for patients with these rare epilepsy conditions in Japan.

METHODS

A quantitative online survey was used to assess patients' and caregivers' characteristics and the caregivers' emotional state, among others. Several validated questionnaires were used: the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS; 0-21 score) assessed the caregivers' emotional wellbeing, the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Family Impact Module (PedsQL FIM; 0-100 score) assessed the health-related quality of life (HRQoL) of the caregivers and their families, and the Work Productivity and Activity Impairment General Health (WPAI:GH; 0-100 % score) questionnaire assessed work productivity.

RESULTS

A total of 36 caregivers responded (median [interquartile range (IQR)] age 43.5 [39.5, 48.3] years; 33/36 [92 %] female; 13/36 [36 %] working part-time and 13/36 [36 %] not working). Participants cared for 7/36 (19 %), 19/36 (53 %), and 10/36 (28 %) patients with LGS, DS, and TSC, respectively (median [IQR] age, 11.0 [6.8, 16.3] years; age at first seizure, 0 [0, 0] years). Patients received a median (IQR) of 4 (3, 5) treatment drug types. Patients experienced median (IQR) 3.0 (0, 21.0) epileptic seizures in the previous week; 28/36 (78 %) had severe intellectual disabilities, and 34/36 (94 %) had developmental delays. Caregivers reported stress (17/36 [47 %]), sleep problems (13/36 [36 %]), and anxiety (12/36 [33 %]). They spent a median (IQR) of 50.0 (17.5, 70.0) hours caregiving in the previous week, with 3.0 (1.0, 11.0) hours of seizure-specific care. Caregivers reported that their lives would be easier with a median (IQR) of 1.5 (0, 5.0) hours fewer per week caring for patients during/following seizures. Median HADS scores were 9.5 ('suspected anxiety diagnosis') and 7.5 ('no depression') for caregivers, and PedsQL FIM Total median score was 60.1, indicating HRQoL impairment for the caregiver and their family. WPAI:GH scores for paid workers indicated important work impairment. Higher caregiving hours (≥ 21 h vs. < 21 h in the previous week) resulted in higher caregiver burden as indicated by the HADS Total score (p = 0.0062) and PedsQL FIM Total score (p = 0.0007).

CONCLUSIONS

Caregivers of patients with LGS, DS, or TSC in Japan experience a significant time burden, reduced HRQoL, and high level of work/activity impairment. Caregivers provide round-the-clock care to patients and rely on family and specialized caring services to help manage the increased caregiving time, which tends to be associated with greater emotional burden and HRQoL impact.

Tuberous sclerosis complex in adulthood: focus on epilepsy prognosis

OBJECTIVE

Typically diagnosed in early childhood or adolescence, TSC is a chronic, multisystemic disorder with age-dependent manifestations posing a challenge for transition and for specific surveillance throughout the lifetime. Data on the clinical features and severity of TSC in adults and on the prognosis of epilepsy are scarce. We analyzed the clinical and genetic features of a cohort of adult patients with TSC, to identify the prognostic predictors of seizure remission after a long follow-up.

METHOD

We conducted a retrospective analysis of patients diagnosed with TSC according to the updated international diagnostic criteria. Pearson's chi-square or Fisher's exact test and Mann Whitney U test were used to compare variables among the Remission (R) and Non-Remission (NR) group. Univariate and multivariate logistic regression analyses were performed.

RESULTS

We selected 43 patients with TSC and neurological involvement in terms of epilepsy and/or brain lesions, attending the Epilepsy Center of our Institute: of them, 16 (37.2%) were transitioning from the pediatric care and 6 (13.9%) were referred by other specialists. Multiorgan involvement includes cutaneous (86.0%), nephrological (70.7%), hepatic (40.0%), ocular (34.3%), pneumological (28.6%) and cardiac (26.3%) manifestations. Thirty-nine patients (90.7 %) had epilepsy. The mean age at seizure onset was 4 ± 7.3 years: most patients (29, 76.3 %) presented with focal seizures or spasms by age 3 years; only 2 (5.3 %) had seizure onset in adulthood. Twenty-seven patients (69.2 %) experienced multiple seizure types overtime, 23 (59.0 %) had intellectual disability (ID). At last assessment, 14 (35.9 %) were seizure free (R group) and 25 (64.1 %) had drug-resistant seizures (NR group). At logistic regression univariate analysis, ID (OR 7.9, 95 % CI 1.8--34.7), multiple seizure types lifelong (OR 13.2, 95 % CI 2.6- 67.2), spasms/tonic seizures at presentation (OR 6.5, 95 % CI 1.2--35.2), a higher seizure frequency at onset (OR 5.4, 95 % CI 1.2--24.3), abnormal neurological examination (OR 9.8, 95 % CI 1.1--90.6) and pathogenic variants in TSC2 (OR 5.4, 95 % CI 1.2--24.5) were significantly associated with non-remission. In the multivariate analysis, both ID and multiple seizure types lifelong were confirmed as independent predictors of poor seizure outcome.

CONCLUSIONS

In our cohort of adult patients with TSC, epilepsy remains one of the main neurological challenges with only 5.3% of cases manifesting in adulthood. Approximately 64% of these patients failed to achieve seizure remission. ID and multiple seizure types were the main predictors of poor outcome. Nephrological manifestations require continuous specific follow-up in adults.

A single-center observational study on long-term neurodevelopmental outcomes in children with tuberous sclerosis complex

BACKGROUND

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare multisystem disorder caused by mutations in the TSC1 or TSC2 gene. More than 90% of patients with TSC develop neurological and/or neuropsychiatric manifestations. The aim of the present study was to determine the developmental and cognitive long-term outcomes of pediatric TSC patients.

METHODS

This cross-sectional, monocenter study included pediatric TSC patients who received multidisciplinary long-term care with a last visit between 2005 and 2019. Neurological manifestations and cognitive development (BSID, K-ABC) were analyzed in relation to age and type of mutation.

RESULTS

Thirty-five patients aged 13.5 ± 7.8 years were included in the study. Diagnosis was confirmed genetically in 65.7% of patients (TSC1, 26.1%; TSC2, 65.2%; NMI, 8.7%). Mean age at diagnosis was 1.3 ± 3.5 years; 74.3% of the patients had been diagnosed within the first year of life due to seizures (62.9%) or/and cardiac rhabdomyomas (28.6%). The most common TSC manifestations included structural brain lesions (cortical tubers, 91.4%; subependymal nodules, 82.9%), epilepsy (85.7%), and cardiac rhabdomyomas (62.9%). Mean age at seizure onset was 1.5 ± 2.3 years, with onset in 80.0% of patients within the first two years of life. Infantile spasms, which were the first seizure type in 23.3% of the patients, developed earlier (0.6 ± 0.4 years) than focal seizures (1.8 ± 2.5 years). Refractory epilepsy was present in 21 (70.0%) patients, mild or severe intellectual impairment in 66.6%, and autism spectrum disorders in 11.4%. Severe cognitive impairment (33.3%) was significantly associated with epilepsy type and age at seizure onset (p < 0.05).

CONCLUSIONS

The results emphasized the phenotypic variability of pediatric-onset TSC and the high rate of neurological and neuropsychiatric morbidity. Early-onset refractory epilepsy was associated with impaired cognitive development. Children of all ages with TSC require multidisciplinary long-term care and individual early-intervention programs.

Incidental finding of tuberous sclerosis complex in a woman with hematuria: A case report of renal angiomyolipoma and review of the literature

Tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC) is a rare genetic multisystem disorder that was first described by Von Recklinghausen. We describe a case of a female, who initially presented with hematuria and was later found to have multiple manifestations of the disease. The report emphasizes the value of investigations on suspected cases.

Multidisciplinary neurocutaneous syndrome clinics: a systematic review and institutional experience

OBJECTIVE

Neurocutaneous syndromes have variable multisystem involvement. The multiorgan involvement, potential pathologies, and various treatment options necessitate collaboration and open discussion to ensure optimal treatment in any given patient. These disorders provide quintessential examples of chronic medical conditions that require a lifelong, multidisciplinary approach. The objectives of this study were to 1) perform a systematic review, thoroughly assessing different multidisciplinary clinic layouts utilized in centers worldwide; and 2) characterize an institutional experience with the management of these conditions, focusing on the patient demographics, clinical presentation, complications, and therapeutic strategies seen in a patient population.

METHODS

A systematic review of studies involving multidisciplinary clinics and their reported structure was performed according to PRISMA guidelines using the PubMed database. Then a retrospective chart review of patients enrolled in the Oklahoma Children’s Hospital Neurocutaneous Syndromes Clinic was conducted.

RESULTS

A search of the PubMed database yielded 251 unique results. Of these, 15 papers were included in the analysis, which identified 16 clinics that treated more than 2000 patients worldwide. The majority of these clinics treated patients with neurofibromatosis (13/16). The remaining clinics treated patients with von Hippel–Lindau syndrome (n = 1), tuberous sclerosis complex (n = 1), and multiple neurocutaneous syndromes (n = 1). The most commonly represented subspecialties in these clinics were genetics (15/16) and neurology (13/16). Five clinics (31%) solely saw pediatric patients, 10 clinics saw a combination of children and adults, and the final clinic had separate pediatric and adult clinics. The retrospective chart review of the Neurocutaneous Syndromes Clinic demonstrated that 164 patients were enrolled and seen in the clinic from April 2013 to December 2021. Diagnoses were made based on clinical findings or results of genetic testing; 115 (70%) had neurofibromatosis type 1, 9 (5.5%) had neurofibromatosis type 2, 35 (21%) had tuberous sclerosis complex, 2 (1%) had von Hippel–Lindau syndrome, 2 (1%) had Gorlin syndrome, and the remaining patient (0.6%) had Aarskog-Scott syndrome. Patient demographics, clinical presentation, complications, and therapeutic strategies are also discussed.

CONCLUSIONS

To the best of the authors’ knowledge, this is the first detailed description of a comprehensive pediatric neurocutaneous clinic in the US that serves patients with multiple syndromes. There is currently heterogeneity between described multidisciplinary clinic structures and practices. More detailed accounts of clinic compositions and practices along with patient data and outcomes are needed in order to establish the most comprehensive and efficient multidisciplinary approach for neurocutaneous syndromes.

Risk Factors Associated with Refractory Epilepsy in Patients with Tuberous Sclerosis Complex: A Systematic Review

BACKGROUND

Epilepsy affects 70-90% of patients with tuberous sclerosis complex (TSC). In one-third of them, the seizures become refractory to treatment. Drug-resistant epilepsy (DRE) carries a significant educational, social, cognitive, and economic burden. Therefore, determining risk factors that increase the odds of refractory seizures is needed. We reviewed current data on risk factors associated with DRE in patients with tuberous sclerosis.

METHODS

The review was performed according to the PRISMA guidelines. Embase, Cochrane Library, MEDLINE, and ClinicalTrial.gov databases were searched. Only full-text journal articles on patients with TSC which defined risk factors related to DRE were included.

RESULTS

Twenty articles were identified, with a cohort size between 6 and 1546. Seven studies were prospective. Three factors appear to significantly increase DRE risk: TSC2 mutation, infantile spasms, and a high number of cortical tubers.

CONCLUSIONS

A proper MRI and EEG monitoring, along with genetic testing, and close observation of individuals with early onset of seizures, allow identification of the patients at risk of DRE.

Targeted Therapies in Rare Brain Tumours

Rare central nervous system (CNS) tumours represent a unique challenge. Given the difficulty of conducting dedicated clinical trials, there is a lack of therapies for these tumours supported by high quality evidence, and knowledge regarding the impact of standard treatments (i.e., surgery, radiotherapy or chemotherapy) is commonly based on retrospective studies. Recently, new molecular techniques have led to the discovery of actionable molecular alterations. The aim of this article is to review recent progress in the molecular understanding of and therapeutic options for rare brain tumours, both in children and adults. We will discuss options such as targeting the mechanistic target of rapamycin (mTOR) pathway in subependymal giant cells astrocytomas (SEGAs) of tuberous sclerosis and BRAF V600E mutation in rare glial (pleomorphic xanthoastrocytomas) or glioneuronal (gangliogliomas) tumours, which are a model of how specific molecular treatments can also favourably impact neurological symptoms (such as seizures) and quality of life. Moreover, we will discuss initial experiences in targeting new molecular alterations in gliomas, such as isocitrate dehydrogenase (IDH) mutations and neurotrophic tyrosine receptor kinase (NTRK) fusions, and in medulloblastomas such as the sonic hedgehog (SHH) pathway.