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Chen YS, Hong ZX, Lin YT, Tsao EC, Chen PY, Liu CA, Harn HJ, Chiou TW, Lin SZ. Efficiency of PGK1 proteins delivered to the brain via a liposomal system through intranasal route administration for the treatment of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. Drug Deliv Transl Res 2024; 14:1940-1953. [PMID: 38161195 DOI: 10.1007/s13346-023-01498-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/11/2023] [Indexed: 01/03/2024]
Abstract
A patient-friendly and efficient treatment method for patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) was provided through a nose-to-brain liposomal system. Initially, PGK1 was overexpressed in HEK 293-84Q-GFP diseased cells (HEK 293-84Q-GFP-PGK1 cells) to confirm its effect on the diseased protein polyQ. A decrease in polyQ expression was demonstrated in HEK 293-84Q-GFP-PGK1 cells compared to HEK 293-84Q-GFP parental cells. Subsequently, PGK1 was encapsulated in a liposomal system to evaluate its therapeutic efficiency in SCA3. The optimized liposomes exhibited a significantly enhanced positive charge, facilitating efficient intracellular protein delivery to the cells. The proteins were encapsulated within the liposomes using an optimized method involving a combination of heat shock and sonication. The liposomal system was further demonstrated to be deliverable to the brain via intranasal administration. PGK1/liposomes were intranasally delivered to SCA3 mice, which subsequently exhibited an amelioration of motor impairment, as assessed via the accelerated rotarod test. Additionally, fewer shrunken morphology Purkinje cells and a reduction in polyQ expression were observed in SCA3 mice that received PGK1/liposomes but not in the untreated, liposome-only, or PGK1-only groups. This study provides a non-invasive route for protein delivery and greater delivery efficiency via the liposomal system for treating neurodegenerative diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Shuan Chen
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, 707, Sec.3, Chung-Yang Rd., 970, R.O.C, Hualien, Taiwan.
- Department of Medical Research, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.
- Tzu Chi University of Science and Technology, Hualien, Taiwan.
| | - Zhen-Xiang Hong
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, 707, Sec.3, Chung-Yang Rd., 970, R.O.C, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Yi-Tung Lin
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, 707, Sec.3, Chung-Yang Rd., 970, R.O.C, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - En-Ci Tsao
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, 707, Sec.3, Chung-Yang Rd., 970, R.O.C, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Pei-Yu Chen
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, 707, Sec.3, Chung-Yang Rd., 970, R.O.C, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Ching-Ann Liu
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, 707, Sec.3, Chung-Yang Rd., 970, R.O.C, Hualien, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Horng-Jyh Harn
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, 707, Sec.3, Chung-Yang Rd., 970, R.O.C, Hualien, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Tzu Chi University, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Tzyy-Wen Chiou
- Department of Life Science, National Dong Hwa University, Hualien, Taiwan
| | - Shinn-Zong Lin
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien, Taiwan.
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Chandrasekaran J, Petit E, Park YW, Tezenas du Montcel S, Joers JM, Deelchand DK, Považan M, Banan G, Valabregue R, Ehses P, Faber J, Coupé P, Onyike CU, Barker PB, Schmahmann JD, Ratai EM, Subramony SH, Mareci TH, Bushara KO, Paulson H, Durr A, Klockgether T, Ashizawa T, Lenglet C, Öz G. Clinically Meaningful Magnetic Resonance Endpoints Sensitive to Preataxic Spinocerebellar Ataxia Types 1 and 3. Ann Neurol 2023; 93:686-701. [PMID: 36511514 PMCID: PMC10261544 DOI: 10.1002/ana.26573] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 11.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/03/2022] [Revised: 11/18/2022] [Accepted: 12/06/2022] [Indexed: 12/15/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE This study was undertaken to identify magnetic resonance (MR) metrics that are most sensitive to early changes in the brain in spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1) and type 3 (SCA3) using an advanced multimodal MR imaging (MRI) protocol in the multisite trial setting. METHODS SCA1 or SCA3 mutation carriers and controls (n = 107) underwent MR scanning in the US-European READISCA study to obtain structural, diffusion MRI, and MR spectroscopy data using an advanced protocol at 3T. Morphometric, microstructural, and neurochemical metrics were analyzed blinded to diagnosis and compared between preataxic SCA (n = 11 SCA1, n = 28 SCA3), ataxic SCA (n = 14 SCA1, n = 37 SCA3), and control (n = 17) groups using nonparametric testing accounting for multiple comparisons. MR metrics that were most sensitive to preataxic abnormalities were identified using receiver operating characteristic (ROC) analyses. RESULTS Atrophy and microstructural damage in the brainstem and cerebellar peduncles and neurochemical abnormalities in the pons were prominent in both preataxic groups, when patients did not differ from controls clinically. MR metrics were strongly associated with ataxia symptoms, activities of daily living, and estimated ataxia duration. A neurochemical measure was the most sensitive metric to preataxic changes in SCA1 (ROC area under the curve [AUC] = 0.95), and a microstructural metric was the most sensitive metric to preataxic changes in SCA3 (AUC = 0.92). INTERPRETATION Changes in cerebellar afferent and efferent pathways underlie the earliest symptoms of both SCAs. MR metrics collected with a harmonized advanced protocol in the multisite trial setting allow detection of disease effects in individuals before ataxia onset with potential clinical trial utility for subject stratification. ANN NEUROL 2023;93:686-701.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jayashree Chandrasekaran
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Emilien Petit
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, INRIA, CNRS, APHP, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Young-Woo Park
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | | | - James M. Joers
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Dinesh K. Deelchand
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Michal Považan
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Guita Banan
- Norman Fixel Center for Neurological Disorders, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Romain Valabregue
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, INRIA, CNRS, APHP, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Philipp Ehses
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Jennifer Faber
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Pierrick Coupé
- Laboratoire Bordelais de Recherche en Informatique, Université de Bordeaux, 33405 France
| | - Chiadi U. Onyike
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Peter B. Barker
- Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD 21205, USA
| | - Jeremy D. Schmahmann
- Ataxia Center, Laboratory for Neuroanatomy and Cerebellar Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA 02114, USA
| | - Eva-Maria Ratai
- Athinoula A. Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, MA 02114, USA
| | - S. H. Subramony
- Norman Fixel Center for Neurological Disorders, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Thomas H. Mareci
- Norman Fixel Center for Neurological Disorders, College of Medicine, University of Florida, Gainesville, FL 32611, USA
| | - Khalaf O. Bushara
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Henry Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Alexandra Durr
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute, Inserm, INRIA, CNRS, APHP, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Thomas Klockgether
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Tetsuo Ashizawa
- The Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
| | - Christophe Lenglet
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
| | - Gülin Öz
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN 55455, USA
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3
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Brooker SM, Edamakanti CR, Akasha SM, Kuo SH, Opal P. Spinocerebellar ataxia clinical trials: opportunities and challenges. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2021; 8:1543-1556. [PMID: 34019331 PMCID: PMC8283160 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/19/2021] [Revised: 04/02/2021] [Accepted: 04/05/2021] [Indexed: 12/14/2022] Open
Abstract
The spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of dominantly inherited diseases that share the defining feature of progressive cerebellar ataxia. The disease process, however, is not confined to the cerebellum; other areas of the brain, in particular, the brainstem, are also affected, resulting in a high burden of morbidity and mortality. Currently, there are no disease‐modifying treatments for the SCAs, but preclinical research has led to the development of therapeutic agents ripe for testing in patients. Unfortunately, due to the rarity of these diseases and their slow and variable progression, there are substantial hurdles to overcome in conducting clinical trials. While the epidemiological features of the SCAs are immutable, the feasibility of conducting clinical trials is being addressed through a combination of strategies. These include improvements in clinical outcome measures, the identification of imaging and fluid biomarkers, and innovations in clinical trial design. In this review, we highlight current challenges in initiating clinical trials for the SCAs and also discuss pathways for researchers and clinicians to mitigate these challenges and harness opportunities for clinical trial development.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sarah M Brooker
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | - Sara M Akasha
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | - Sheng-Han Kuo
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA.,Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor, Columbia University, New York, New York, USA
| | - Puneet Opal
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Chen ML, Lin CC, Rosenthal LS, Opal P, Kuo SH. Rating scales and biomarkers for CAG-repeat spinocerebellar ataxias: Implications for therapy development. J Neurol Sci 2021; 424:117417. [PMID: 33836316 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2021.117417] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/02/2020] [Revised: 02/26/2021] [Accepted: 03/23/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a group of dominantly-inherited cerebellar ataxias, among which CAG expansion-related SCAs are most common. These diseases have very high penetrance with defined disease progression, and emerging therapies are being developed to provide either symptomatic or disease-modifying benefits. In clinical trial design, it is crucial to incorporate biomarkers to test target engagement or track disease progression in response to therapies, especially in rare diseases such as SCAs. In this article, we review the available rating scales and recent advances of biomarkers in CAG-repeat SCAs. We divided biomarkers into neuroimaging, body fluid, and physiological studies. Understanding the utility of each biomarker will facilitate the design of robust clinical trials to advance therapies for SCAs.
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Affiliation(s)
- Meng-Ling Chen
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Chih-Chun Lin
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Liana S Rosenthal
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Puneet Opal
- Davee Department of Neurology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA; Department of Cellular and Molecular Biology, Feinberg School of Medicine, Northwestern University, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Sheng-Han Kuo
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA; Initiative for Columbia Ataxia and Tremor, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA.
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Wan N, Chen Z, Wan L, Tang B, Jiang H. MR Imaging of SCA3/MJD. Front Neurosci 2020; 14:749. [PMID: 32848545 PMCID: PMC7417615 DOI: 10.3389/fnins.2020.00749] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 5.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/30/2020] [Accepted: 06/25/2020] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is a progressive autosomal dominantly inherited cerebellar ataxia characterized by the aggregation of polyglutamine-expanded protein within neuronal nuclei in the brain, which can lead to brain damage that precedes the onset of clinical manifestations. Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) techniques such as morphometric MRI, diffusion tensor imaging (DTI), functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI), and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) have gained increasing attention as non-invasive and quantitative methods for the assessment of structural and functional alterations in clinical SCA3/MJD patients as well as preclinical carriers. Morphometric MRI has demonstrated typical patterns of atrophy or volume loss in the cerebellum and brainstem with extensive lesions in some supratentorial areas. DTI has detected widespread microstructural alterations in brain white matter, which indicate disrupted brain anatomical connectivity. Task-related fMRI has presented unusual brain activation patterns within the cerebellum and some extracerebellar tissue, reflecting the decreased functional connectivity of these brain regions in SCA3/MJD subjects. MRS has revealed abnormal neurochemical profiles, such as the levels or ratios of N-acetyl aspartate, choline, and creatine, in both clinical cases and preclinical cases before the alterations in brain anatomical structure. Moreover, a number of studies have reported correlations of MR imaging alterations with clinical and genetic features. The utility of these MR imaging techniques can help to identify preclinical SCA3/MJD carriers, monitor disease progression, evaluate response to therapeutic interventions, and illustrate the pathophysiological mechanisms underlying the occurrence, development, and prognosis of SCA3/MJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Na Wan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhao Chen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Linlin Wan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disorders, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
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6
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Scott SSDO, Pedroso JL, Barsottini OGP, França-Junior MC, Braga-Neto P. Natural history and epidemiology of the spinocerebellar ataxias: Insights from the first description to nowadays. J Neurol Sci 2020; 417:117082. [PMID: 32791425 DOI: 10.1016/j.jns.2020.117082] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/24/2020] [Revised: 07/29/2020] [Accepted: 08/03/2020] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are a heterogeneous group of autosomal dominant inherited diseases that share the degeneration of the cerebellum and its connections as their main feature. We performed a detailed description of the natural history of the main SCAs, focusing on epidemiology, progression, haplotype analysis and its correlation with founder effect, and perspective of future treatments. References for this review were identified by an in-depth literature search on PubMed and selected on the basis of relevance to the topic and on the authors' judgment. More than 40 SCAs have been described so far. SCA3 is the most common subtype worldwide, followed by SCA2 and 6. To evaluate the natural history and to estimate the progression of the main SCAs, consortiums were created all over the globe. Clinical rating scales have been developed to provide an accurate estimation of cerebellar clinical deficits, evaluating cerebellar and non-cerebellar signs. Natural history studies revealed that SCA1 patients' functional status worsened significantly faster than in other SCA subtypes, followed by SCA3, SCA2, SCA6, and SCA10. Number of CAG repeats, age of onset, and ataxia severity at baseline are strong contributors to the risk of death in most SCAs. Understanding the natural history of SCAs is extremely important. Although these are rare diseases, the impact they have on the affected individual are enormous. The advances in the field of genetics are helping understand neuronal functions and dysfunctions and allowing the study and development of possible therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
| | - José Luiz Pedroso
- Department of Neurology, Ataxia Unit, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, R. Sena Madureira1500, São Paulo/SP, Brazil
| | | | | | - Pedro Braga-Neto
- Division of Neurology, Department of Clinical Medicine, Universidade Federal do Ceará, R. Alexandre Baraúna 949, Fortaleza/CE, Brazil; Center of Health Sciences, Universidade Estadual do Ceará, Av. Dr. Silas Manguba 1700, Fortaleza/CE, Brazil.
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Chen YS, Hong ZX, Lin SZ, Harn HJ. Identifying Therapeutic Targets for Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3/Machado-Joseph Disease through Integration of Pathological Biomarkers and Therapeutic Strategies. Int J Mol Sci 2020; 21:ijms21093063. [PMID: 32357546 PMCID: PMC7246822 DOI: 10.3390/ijms21093063] [Citation(s) in RCA: 25] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/03/2020] [Revised: 04/21/2020] [Accepted: 04/24/2020] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is a progressive motor disease with no broadly effective treatment. However, most current therapies are based on symptoms rather than the underlying disease mechanisms. In this review, we describe potential therapeutic strategies based on known pathological biomarkers and related pathogenic processes. The three major conclusions from the current studies are summarized as follows: (i) for the drugs currently being tested in clinical trials; a weak connection was observed between drugs and SCA3/MJD biomarkers. The only two exceptions are the drugs suppressing glutamate-induced calcium influx and chemical chaperon. (ii) For most of the drugs that have been tested in animal studies, there is a direct association with pathological biomarkers. We further found that many drugs are associated with inducing autophagy, which is supported by the evidence of deficient autophagy biomarkers in SCA3/MJD, and that there may be more promising therapeutics. (iii) Some reported biomarkers lack relatively targeted drugs. Low glucose utilization, altered amino acid metabolism, and deficient insulin signaling are all implicated in SCA3/MJD, but there have been few studies on treatment strategies targeting these abnormalities. Therapeutic strategies targeting multiple pathological SCA3/MJD biomarkers may effectively block disease progression and preserve neurological function.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu-Shuan Chen
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Department of Medical Research, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (Y.-S.C.); (H.-J.H.); Tel.: +886-3-856-1825 (Y.-S.C. & H.-J.H.); Fax: +886-3-856-0977 (H.-J.H.)
| | - Zhen-Xiang Hong
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
| | - Shinn-Zong Lin
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Department of Neurosurgery, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
| | - Horng-Jyh Harn
- Bioinnovation Center, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Department of Pathology, Hualien Tzu Chi Hospital, Tzu Chi University, Buddhist Tzu Chi Medical Foundation, Hualien 97002, Taiwan
- Correspondence: (Y.-S.C.); (H.-J.H.); Tel.: +886-3-856-1825 (Y.-S.C. & H.-J.H.); Fax: +886-3-856-0977 (H.-J.H.)
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8
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Wang PS, Wu YT, Wang TY, Wu HM, Soong BW, Jao CW. Supratentorial and Infratentorial Lesions in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3. Front Neurol 2020; 11:124. [PMID: 32194495 PMCID: PMC7062793 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2020.00124] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2019] [Accepted: 02/04/2020] [Indexed: 12/22/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA) is a cerebellum-dominant degenerative disorder that is characterized primarily by infratentorial damage, although less severe supratentorial involvement may contribute to the clinical manifestation. These impairments may result from the efferent loss of the cerebellar cortex and degeneration of the cerebral cortex. Method: We used the three-dimensional fractal dimension (3D-FD) method to quantify the morphological changes in the supratentorial regions and assessed atrophy in the relatively focal regions in patients with SCA3. A total of 48 patients with SCA3 and 50 sex- and age-matched healthy individuals, as the control group, participated in this study. The 3D-FD method was proposed to distinguish 97 automatic anatomical label regions of gray matter (left cerebrum: 45, right cerebrum: 45, cerebellum: 7) between healthy individuals and patients with SCA3. Results: Patients with SCA3 exhibited reduced brain complexity within both the traditional olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) pattern and specific supratentorial regions. The study results confirmed the extensive involvement of extracerebellar regions in SCA3. The atrophied regions of SCA3 in infratentorial and supratentorial cortex showed a wide range of overlapped areas as in two functional cortexes, namely cerebellum-related cortex and basal ganglia-related cortex. Conclusions: Our results found that the atrophy of the SCA3 are not only limited in the infratentorial regions. Both cerebellar related cortex and basal ganglia related cortex were affected in the disease process of SCA3. Our findings might correlate to the common symptoms of SCA3, such as ataxia, Parkinsonism, dysarthria, and dysmetria. SCA3 should no longer be considered a disease limited to the cerebellum and its connections; rather, it should be considered a pathology affecting the whole brain.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Shan Wang
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Yu-Te Wu
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Tzu-Yun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Hsiu-Mei Wu
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Bing-Wen Soong
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Taipei Neuroscience Institute, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Taipei Medical University-Shuang Ho Hospital, New Taipei City, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
| | - Chi-Wen Jao
- Brain Research Center, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Department of Neurology, Shin-Kong Wu Ho Su Memorial Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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9
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Peng H, Liang X, Long Z, Chen Z, Shi Y, Xia K, Meng L, Tang B, Qiu R, Jiang H. Gene-Related Cerebellar Neurodegeneration in SCA3/MJD: A Case-Controlled Imaging-Genetic Study. Front Neurol 2019; 10:1025. [PMID: 31616370 PMCID: PMC6768953 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2019.01025] [Citation(s) in RCA: 16] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2019] [Accepted: 09/09/2019] [Indexed: 11/30/2022] Open
Abstract
Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3/Machado-Joseph disease (SCA3/MJD) is one of the nine polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases and is caused by a CAG repeat expansion within the coding sequence of the ATXN3 gene. Few multimodal imaging analyses of the macro- and micro-structural changes have been performed. Methods: In the present study, we recruited 31 genetically-confirmed symptomatic SCA3/MJD patients and 31 healthy subjects as controls for a multimodal neuroimaging study using structural magnetic resonance imaging (sMRI), proton magnetic resonance spectroscopy (1H-MRS) and diffusion tensor imaging (DTI). Results: The SCA3/MJD patients displayed a significantly reduced of gray matter volume in the cerebellum, pons, midbrain and medulla, as well as inferior frontal gyrus and insula, and left superior frontal gyrus. The total International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) score was inversely correlated with the gray matter volume in the cerebellar culmen, pons and midbrain. The numbers of CAG repeats in the expanded alleles were inversely correlated with the gray matter in the cerebellar culmen. NAA/Cr and NAA/Cho ratio in the middle cerebellar peduncles, dentate nucleus, cerebellar vermis, and thalamus in the SCA3/MJD patients were significantly reduced when compared to that in the normal controls, suggesting neurochemical alterations in cerebellum in the SCA3/MJD patients. Tract-Based Spatial Statistics (TBSS) analysis revealed significant lower volume and mean FA values of the cerebellar peduncles, which inversely correlated with the total scores of ICARS in our patients. Conclusions: In this study, we demonstrated cerebellar degeneration in SCA3/MJD based on tissue volume, neurochemistry, and tissue microstructure. Moreover, the associations between the clinical measures, cerebellar degeneration and genetic variation support a distinct genotype-phenotype relationship in SCA3/MJD.
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Affiliation(s)
- Huirong Peng
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xiaochun Liang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhe Long
- Department of Neurology, Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhao Chen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yuting Shi
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Kun Xia
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Li Meng
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Parkinson's Disease Center, Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai, China.,Collaborative Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Shanghai, China
| | - Rong Qiu
- School of Information Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Department of Neurology, Xinjiang Medical University, Urumchi, China
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10
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Mascalchi M, Vella A. Neuroimaging Applications in Chronic Ataxias. INTERNATIONAL REVIEW OF NEUROBIOLOGY 2018; 143:109-162. [PMID: 30473193 DOI: 10.1016/bs.irn.2018.09.011] [Citation(s) in RCA: 15] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) are the main instruments for neuroimaging investigation of patients with chronic ataxia. MRI has a predominant diagnostic role in the single patient, based on the visual detection of three patterns of atrophy, namely, spinal atrophy, cortical cerebellar atrophy and olivopontocerebellar atrophy, which correlate with the aetiologies of inherited or sporadic ataxia. In fact spinal atrophy is observed in Friedreich ataxia, cortical cerebellar atrophy in Ataxia Telangectasia, gluten ataxia and Sporadic Adult Onset Ataxia and olivopontocerebellar atrophy in Multiple System Atrophy cerebellar type. The 39 types of dominantly inherited spinocerebellar ataxias show either cortical cerebellar atrophy or olivopontocerebellar atrophy. T2 or T2* weighted MR images can contribute to the diagnosis by revealing abnormally increased or decreased signal with a characteristic distribution. These include symmetric T2 hyperintensity of the posterior and lateral columns of the cervical spinal cord in Friedreich ataxia, diffuse and symmetric hyperintensity of the cerebellar cortex in Infantile Neuro-Axonal Dystrophy, symmetric hyperintensity of the peridentate white matter in Cerebrotendineous Xanthomatosis, and symmetric hyperintensity of the middle cerebellar peduncles and peridentate white matter, cerebral white matter and corpus callosum in Fragile X Tremor Ataxia Syndrome. Abnormally decreased T2 or T2* signal can be observed with a multifocal distribution in Ataxia Telangectasia and with a symmetric distribution in the basal ganglia in Multiple System Atrophy. T2 signal hypointensity lining diffusely the outer surfaces of the brainstem, cerebellum and cerebrum enables diagnosis of superficial siderosis of the central nervous system. The diagnostic role of nuclear medicine techniques is smaller. SPECT and PET show decreased uptake of radiotracers investigating the nigrostriatal system in Multiple System Atrophy and in patients with Fragile X Tremor Ataxia Syndrome. Semiquantitative or quantitative MRI, SPECT and PET data describing structural, microstructural and functional changes of the cerebellum, brainstem, and spinal cord have been widely applied to investigate physiopathological changes in patients with chronic ataxias. Moreover they can track diseases progression with a greater sensitivity than clinical scales. So far, a few small-size and single center studies employed neuroimaging techniques as surrogate markers of treatment effects in chronic ataxias.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Mascalchi
- Meyer Children Hospital, Florence, Italy; Department of Experimental and Clinical Biomedical Sciences "Mario Serio", University of Florence, Florence, Italy.
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11
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Katsuno M, Sahashi K, Iguchi Y, Hashizume A. Preclinical progression of neurodegenerative diseases. NAGOYA JOURNAL OF MEDICAL SCIENCE 2018; 80:289-298. [PMID: 30214078 PMCID: PMC6125655 DOI: 10.18999/nagjms.80.3.289] [Citation(s) in RCA: 17] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/30/2017] [Accepted: 02/08/2018] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Neurodegenerative diseases are disorders that are characterized by a progressive decline of the motor and/or cognitive function caused by a selective loss of neurons within the central nervous system. Recent advancements in the translational research have facilitated extensive insights into the molecular pathophysiology of neurodegenerative diseases. Nonetheless, a myriad of compounds that suppressed the disease progression in cellular and animal models did not exhibit efficacy in clinical trials. Perhaps, various biological, medical, and methodological factors could be attributed to unfavorable results of clinical trials of such disease-modifying therapies. Primarily, the fact that pathological changes at molecular and cellular levels precede the clinical onset by several years underscores a pressing need for the initiation of interventions before the emergence of neurological symptoms. Using exquisite biomarkers, recent studies revealed the preclinical and prodromal progression of pathophysiology, as well as compensatory brain responses in several neurodegenerative diseases. This review aims to discuss the recent advancement of biomarker studies on presymptomatic subjects and the perspective on a preventive trial of disease-modifying therapies for devastating neurological disorders.
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Affiliation(s)
- Masahisa Katsuno
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Kentaro Sahashi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Yohei Iguchi
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
| | - Atsushi Hashizume
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya University Graduate School of Medicine, Nagoya, Japan
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12
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Meles SK, Kok JG, De Jong BM, Renken RJ, de Vries JJ, Spikman JM, Ziengs AL, Willemsen ATM, van der Horn HJ, Leenders KL, Kremer HPH. The cerebral metabolic topography of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2018; 19:90-97. [PMID: 30035006 PMCID: PMC6051313 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2018.03.038] [Citation(s) in RCA: 23] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/27/2017] [Revised: 02/23/2018] [Accepted: 03/28/2018] [Indexed: 12/11/2022]
Abstract
Introduction We aimed to uncover the pattern of network-level changes in neuronal function in Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). Methods 17 genetically-confirmed SCA3 patients and 16 controls underwent structural MRI and static resting-state [18F]‑Fluoro‑deoxyglucose Positron Emission Tomography (FDG-PET) imaging. A SCA3-related pattern (SCA3-RP) was identified using a multivariate method (scaled subprofile model and principal component analysis (SSM PCA)). Participants were evaluated with the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and with neuropsychological examination including tests for language, executive dysfunction, memory, and information processing speed. The relationships between SCA3-RP expression and clinical scores were explored. Voxel based morphology (VBM) was applied on MRI-T1 images to assess possible correlations between FDG reduction and grey matter atrophy. Results The SCA3-RP disclosed relative hypometabolism of the cerebellum, caudate nucleus and posterior parietal cortex, and relatively increased metabolism in somatosensory areas and the limbic system. This topography, which was not explained by regional atrophy, correlated significantly with ataxia (SARA) scores (ρ = 0.72; P = 0.001). SCA3 patients showed significant deficits in executive function and information processing speed, but only letter fluency correlated with SCA3-RP expression (ρ = 0.51; P = 0.04, uncorrected for multiple comparisons). Conclusion The SCA3 metabolic profile reflects network-level alterations which are primarily associated with the motor features of the disease. Striatum decreases additional to cerebellar hypometabolism underscores an intrinsic extrapyramidal involvement in SCA3. Cerebellar-posterior parietal hypometabolism together with anterior parietal (sensory) cortex hypermetabolism may reflect a shift from impaired feedforward to compensatory feedback processing in higher-order motor control. The demonstrated SCA3-RP provides basic insight in cerebral network changes in this disease. A metabolic cerebral pattern could be identified in FDG-PET data of SCA3 patients, which was not explained by regional atrophy. Striatum decreases in the SCA3-pattern reflect extrapyramidal involvement. The SCA3-pattern reflects changes in higher-order motor control.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sanne K Meles
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands.
| | - Jelmer G Kok
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Bauke M De Jong
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Remco J Renken
- Neuroimaging Center, Department of Neuroscience, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jeroen J de Vries
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Jacoba M Spikman
- Department of Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Aaltje L Ziengs
- Department of Neuropsychology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Antoon T M Willemsen
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Harm J van der Horn
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Klaus L Leenders
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
| | - Hubertus P H Kremer
- Department of Neurology, University of Groningen, University Medical Center Groningen, The Netherlands
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Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) also known as Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3, is a hereditary neurodegenerative disease associated with severe clinical manifestations and premature death. Although rare, it is the most common autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia worldwide and has a distinct geographic distribution, reaching peak prevalence in certain regions of Brazil, Portugal and China. Due to its clinical heterogeneity, it was initially described as several different entities and as had many designations over the last decades. An accurate diagnosis become possible in 1994, after the identification of the MJD1 gene. Among its wide clinical spectrum, progressive cerebellar ataxia is normally present. Other symptoms include pyramidal syndrome, peripheral neuropathy, oculomotor abnormalities, extrapyramidal signs and sleep disorders. On the basis of the presence/absence of important extra-pyramidal signs, and the presence/absence of peripheral signs, five clinical types have been defined. Neuroimaging studies like MRI, DTI and MRS, can be useful as they can characterize structural and functional differences in specific subgroups of patients with MJD. There is no effective treatment for MJD. Symptomatic therapies are used to relieve some of the clinical symptoms and physiotherapy is also helpful in improving quality of live. Several clinical trials have been carried out using different molecules like sulfamethoxazole-trimethoprim, varenicline and lithium carbonate, but the results of these trials were negative or showed little benefit. Future studies sufficiently powered and adequately designed are warranted.
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14
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Abstract
Single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) and positron emission tomography (PET) with different radiotracers enable regional evaluation of blood flow and glucose metabolism, of receptors and transporters of several molecules, and of abnormal deposition of peptides and proteins in the brain. The cerebellum has been used as a reference region for different radiotracers in several disease conditions. Whole-brain voxel-wise analysis is not affected by a priori knowledge bias and should be preferred. SPECT and PET have contributed to establishing the cerebellum role in motion, cognition, and emotion control in physiologic and pathophysiologic conditions. The basic abnormal imaging findings include decreased or increased uptake of flow or metabolism tracers in the cerebellum alone or as part of a network. Decreased uptake is generally observed in primary structural damage of the cerebellum, but can also represent a distant effect of cerebral damage (crossed diaschisis). Increased uptake can be observed in Freidreich ataxia, inflammatory or immune-mediated diseases of the cerebellum, and in status epilepticus. The possibility is also recognized that primary structural damage of the cerebellum might determine distance effects on other brain structures (reversed diaschisis). So far, SPECT and PET have been predominantly used in clinical studies to investigate cerebellar changes in neurologic and psychiatric diseases and in connection with pharmacologic, transcranial magnetic stimulation, deep-brain stimulation, or surgical treatments.
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15
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Wu X, Liao X, Zhan Y, Cheng C, Shen W, Huang M, Zhou Z, Wang Z, Qiu Z, Xing W, Liao W, Tang B, Shen L. Microstructural Alterations in Asymptomatic and Symptomatic Patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3: A Tract-Based Spatial Statistics Study. Front Neurol 2017; 8:714. [PMID: 29312133 PMCID: PMC5744430 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2017.00714] [Citation(s) in RCA: 27] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/17/2017] [Accepted: 12/11/2017] [Indexed: 12/18/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective Spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) is the most commonly occurring type of autosomal dominant spinocerebellar ataxia. The present study aims to investigate progressive changes in white matter (WM) fiber in asymptomatic and symptomatic patients with SCA3. Methods A total of 62 participants were included in this study. Among them, 16 were asymptomatic mutation carriers (pre-SCA3), 22 were SCA3 patients with clinical symptoms, and 24 were normal controls (NC). Group comparison of tract-based spatial statistics was performed to identify microstructural abnormalities at different SCA3 disease stages. Results Decreased fractional anisotropy (FA) and increased mean diffusivity (MD) were found in the left inferior cerebellar peduncle and superior cerebellar peduncle (SCP) in the pre-SCA3 group compared with NC. The symptomatic SCA3 group showed brain-wide WM tracts impairment in both supratentorial and infratentorial networks, and the mean FA value of the WM skeleton showed a significantly negative correlation with the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) scores. Specifically, FA of the bilateral posterior limb of the internal capsule negatively correlated with SCA3 disease duration. We also found that FA values in the right medial lemniscus and SCP negatively correlated with ICARS scores, whereas FA in the right posterior thalamic radiation positively correlated with Montreal Cognitive Assessment scores. In addition, MD in the middle cerebellar peduncle, left anterior limb of internal capsule, external capsule, and superior corona radiate positively correlated with ICARS scores in SCA3 patients. Conclusion WM microstructural changes are present even in the asymptomatic stages of SCA3. In individuals in which the disease has progressed to the symptomatic stage, the integrity of WM fibers across the whole brain is affected. Furthermore, abnormalities in WM tracts are closely related to SCA3 disease severity, including movement disorder and cognitive dysfunction. These findings can deepen our understanding of the neural basis of SCA3 dysfunction.
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Affiliation(s)
- Xinwei Wu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xinxin Liao
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yafeng Zhan
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Cheng Cheng
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wei Shen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Mufang Huang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhifan Zhou
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zheng Wang
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Zilong Qiu
- Institute of Neuroscience, CAS Center for Excellence in Brain Science and Intelligence Technology, Chinese Academy of Sciences, Shanghai, China
| | - Wu Xing
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Weihua Liao
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Changsha, China.,Parkinson's Disease Center of Beijing Institute for Brain Disorders, Beijing, China.,Collaboration Innovation Center for Brain Science, Shanghai, China.,Collaboration Innovation Center for Genetics and Development, Changsha, China
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China.,Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China.,State Key Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Changsha, China.,National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Disease, Changsha, China
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16
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Different subregional metabolism patterns in patients with cerebellar ataxia by 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography. PLoS One 2017; 12:e0173275. [PMID: 28319124 PMCID: PMC5358749 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0173275] [Citation(s) in RCA: 11] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.6] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/06/2016] [Accepted: 02/17/2017] [Indexed: 11/19/2022] Open
Abstract
We evaluated cerebellar subregional metabolic alterations in patients with cerebellar ataxia, a representative disease involving the spinocerebellum. We retrospectively analyzed 18F-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography (18F-FDG PET) images in 44 patients with multiple system atrophy of the cerebellar type (MSA-C), 9 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) type 2, and 14 patients with SCA type 6 and compared with 15 patients with crossed cerebellar diaschisis (CCD) and 89 normal controls. Cerebellar subregional metabolism was assessed using 13 cerebellar subregions (bilateral anterior lobes [ANT], superior/mid/inferior posterior lobes [SUPP/MIDP/INFP], dentate nucleus [DN], anterior vermis [ANTV], and superior/inferior posterior vermis [SUPV/INFV]) to determine FDG uptake ratios. MSA-C and SCA type 2 showed severely decreased metabolic ratios in all cerebellar subregions compared to normal controls (ANT, 0.58 ± 0.08 and 0.50 ± 0.06 vs. 0.82 ± 0.07, respectively, p < 0.001). SCA type 6 showed lower metabolic ratios in almost all cerebellar subregions (ANT, 0.57 ± 0.06, p < 0.001) except INFV. Anterior-posterior lobe ratio measurements revealed that SCA type 2 (Right, 0.81 ± 0.05 vs. 0.88 ± 0.04, p < 0.001; Left, 0.83 ± 0.05 vs. 0.88 ± 0.04, p = 0.003) and SCA type 6 (Right, 0.72 ± 0.05 vs. 0.88 ± 0.04, p < 0.001; Left, 0.72 ± 0.05 vs. 0.88 ± 0.04, p < 0.001) showed preferential hypometabolism in the anterior lobe compared to normal controls, which was not observed in CCD and MSA-C. Asymmetric indices were higher in CCD and MSA-C than in normal controls (p < 0.001), whereas such differences were not found in SCA types 2 and 6. In summary, quantitative analysis of cerebellar subregional metabolism ratios revealed preferential involvement of the anterior lobe, corresponding to the spinocerebellum, in patients with cerebellar ataxia, whereas patients with CCD and MSA-C exhibited more asymmetric hypometabolism in the posterior lobe.
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17
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Aguiar P, Pardo J, Arias M, Quintáns B, Fernández-Prieto M, Martínez-Regueiro R, Pumar JM, Silva-Rodríguez J, Ruibal Á, Sobrido MJ, Cortés J. PET and MRI detection of early and progressive neurodegeneration in spinocerebellar ataxia type 36. Mov Disord 2016; 32:264-273. [DOI: 10.1002/mds.26854] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/01/2016] [Revised: 09/24/2016] [Accepted: 09/28/2016] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Pablo Aguiar
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Group; University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), IDIS Health Research Institute; Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Radiology and Public Health; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC); Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Julio Pardo
- Department of Psychiatry, Radiology and Public Health; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC); Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Department of Neurology; University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS); Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Neurogenetics research group; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Santiago (IDIS); Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Manuel Arias
- Department of Psychiatry, Radiology and Public Health; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC); Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Department of Neurology; University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS); Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Neurogenetics research group; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Santiago (IDIS); Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Beatriz Quintáns
- Neurogenetics research group; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Santiago (IDIS); Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Genomic Medicine Group (U711), Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER); Institute of Health Carlos III; Madrid Spain
| | - Montse Fernández-Prieto
- Neurogenetics research group; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Santiago (IDIS); Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Genomic Medicine Group (U711), Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER); Institute of Health Carlos III; Madrid Spain
| | - Rocío Martínez-Regueiro
- Neurogenetics research group; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Santiago (IDIS); Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Department of Clinical Psychology and Psychobiology; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC); Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - José-Manuel Pumar
- Department of Psychiatry, Radiology and Public Health; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC); Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Department of Radiology; University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS); Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Jesús Silva-Rodríguez
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Group; University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), IDIS Health Research Institute; Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - Álvaro Ruibal
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Group; University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), IDIS Health Research Institute; Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Radiology and Public Health; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC); Santiago de Compostela Spain
| | - María-Jesús Sobrido
- Neurogenetics research group; Instituto de Investigaciones Sanitarias de Santiago (IDIS); Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Genomic Medicine Group (U711), Centre for Biomedical Network Research on Rare Diseases (CIBERER); Institute of Health Carlos III; Madrid Spain
| | - Julia Cortés
- Department of Nuclear Medicine and Molecular Imaging Group; University Hospital of Santiago de Compostela (CHUS), IDIS Health Research Institute; Santiago de Compostela Spain
- Department of Psychiatry, Radiology and Public Health; Universidade de Santiago de Compostela (USC); Santiago de Compostela Spain
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18
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Baldarçara L, Currie S, Hadjivassiliou M, Hoggard N, Jack A, Jackowski AP, Mascalchi M, Parazzini C, Reetz K, Righini A, Schulz JB, Vella A, Webb SJ, Habas C. Consensus paper: radiological biomarkers of cerebellar diseases. THE CEREBELLUM 2015; 14:175-96. [PMID: 25382714 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-014-0610-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 35] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 02/06/2023]
Abstract
Hereditary and sporadic cerebellar ataxias represent a vast and still growing group of diseases whose diagnosis and differentiation cannot only rely on clinical evaluation. Brain imaging including magnetic resonance (MR) and nuclear medicine techniques allows for characterization of structural and functional abnormalities underlying symptomatic ataxias. These methods thus constitute a potential source of radiological biomarkers, which could be used to identify these diseases and differentiate subgroups of them, and to assess their severity and their evolution. Such biomarkers mainly comprise qualitative and quantitative data obtained from MR including proton spectroscopy, diffusion imaging, tractography, voxel-based morphometry, functional imaging during task execution or in a resting state, and from SPETC and PET with several radiotracers. In the current article, we aim to illustrate briefly some applications of these neuroimaging tools to evaluation of cerebellar disorders such as inherited cerebellar ataxia, fetal developmental malformations, and immune-mediated cerebellar diseases and of neurodegenerative or early-developing diseases, such as dementia and autism in which cerebellar involvement is an emerging feature. Although these radiological biomarkers appear promising and helpful to better understand ataxia-related anatomical and physiological impairments, to date, very few of them have turned out to be specific for a given ataxia with atrophy of the cerebellar system being the main and the most usual alteration being observed. Consequently, much remains to be done to establish sensitivity, specificity, and reproducibility of available MR and nuclear medicine features as diagnostic, progression and surrogate biomarkers in clinical routine.
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19
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Maas RP, van Gaalen J, Klockgether T, van de Warrenburg BP. The preclinical stage of spinocerebellar ataxias. Neurology 2015; 85:96-103. [DOI: 10.1212/wnl.0000000000001711] [Citation(s) in RCA: 67] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 11/06/2014] [Accepted: 03/09/2015] [Indexed: 02/01/2023] Open
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20
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Wang TY, Jao CW, Soong BW, Wu HM, Shyu KK, Wang PS, Wu YT. Change in the cortical complexity of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 appears earlier than clinical symptoms. PLoS One 2015; 10:e0118828. [PMID: 25897782 PMCID: PMC4405264 DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0118828] [Citation(s) in RCA: 10] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.1] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/17/2014] [Accepted: 11/24/2014] [Indexed: 12/13/2022] Open
Abstract
Patients with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) have exhibited cerebral cortical involvement and various mental deficits in previous studies. Clinically, conventional measurements, such as the Mini-Mental State Examination (MMSE) and electroencephalography (EEG), are insensitive to cerebral cortical involvement and mental deficits associated with SCA3, particularly at the early stage of the disease. We applied a three-dimensional fractal dimension (3D-FD) method, which can be used to quantify the shape complexity of cortical folding, in assessing cortical degeneration. We evaluated 48 genetically confirmed SCA3 patients by employing clinical scales and magnetic resonance imaging and using 50 healthy participants as a control group. According to the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), the SCA3 patients were diagnosed with cortical dysfunction in the cerebellar cortex; however, no significant difference in the cerebral cortex was observed according to the patients’ MMSE ratings. Using the 3D-FD method, we determined that cortical involvement was more extensive than involvement of traditional olivopontocerebellar regions and the corticocerebellar system. Moreover, the significant correlation between decreased 3D-FD values and disease duration may indicate atrophy of the cerebellar cortex and cerebral cortex in SCA3 patients. The change of the cerebral complexity in the SCA3 patients can be detected throughout the disease duration, especially it becomes substantial at the late stage of the disease. Furthermore, we determined that atrophy of the cerebral cortex may occur earlier than changes in MMSE scores and EEG signals.
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Affiliation(s)
- Tzu-Yun Wang
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Chii-Wen Jao
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Recreation Sports and Health Promotion, Asia-Pacific Institute of Creativity, Tao-Fen, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Bing-Wen Soong
- The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Hsiu-Mei Wu
- Department of Radiology, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Kuo-Kai Shyu
- Department of Electrical Engineering, National Central University, Chung-Li, Taiwan, ROC
| | - Po-Shan Wang
- The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Department of Neurology, National Yang-Ming University School of Medicine, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- The Neurological Institute, Taipei Municipal Gan-Dau Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- * E-mail: (YTW); (PSW)
| | - Yu-Te Wu
- Department of Biomedical Imaging and Radiological Sciences, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- Institute of Biophotonics, National Yang-Ming University, Taipei, Taiwan, ROC
- * E-mail: (YTW); (PSW)
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Fan HC, Ho LI, Chi CS, Chen SJ, Peng GS, Chan TM, Lin SZ, Harn HJ. Polyglutamine (PolyQ) diseases: genetics to treatments. Cell Transplant 2015; 23:441-58. [PMID: 24816443 DOI: 10.3727/096368914x678454] [Citation(s) in RCA: 123] [Impact Index Per Article: 13.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
The polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases are a group of neurodegenerative disorders caused by expanded cytosine-adenine-guanine (CAG) repeats encoding a long polyQ tract in the respective proteins. To date, a total of nine polyQ disorders have been described: six spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) types 1, 2, 6, 7, 17; Machado-Joseph disease (MJD/SCA3); Huntington's disease (HD); dentatorubral pallidoluysian atrophy (DRPLA); and spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, X-linked 1 (SMAX1/SBMA). PolyQ diseases are characterized by the pathological expansion of CAG trinucleotide repeat in the translated region of unrelated genes. The translated polyQ is aggregated in the degenerated neurons leading to the dysfunction and degeneration of specific neuronal subpopulations. Although animal models of polyQ disease for understanding human pathology and accessing disease-modifying therapies in neurodegenerative diseases are available, there is neither a cure nor prevention for these diseases, and only symptomatic treatments for polyQ diseases currently exist. Long-term pharmacological treatment is so far disappointing, probably due to unwanted complications and decreasing drug efficacy. Cellular transplantation of stem cells may provide promising therapeutic avenues for restoration of the functions of degenerative and/or damaged neurons in polyQ diseases.
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Affiliation(s)
- Hueng-Chuen Fan
- Department of Pediatrics, Tri-Service General Hospital, National Defense Medical Center, Taipei, Taiwan
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Niemiec S, Ballantyne A, Trauner DA. Cognition in nephropathic cystinosis: pattern of expression in heterozygous carriers. Am J Med Genet A 2012; 158A:1902-8. [PMID: 22786804 PMCID: PMC3402617 DOI: 10.1002/ajmg.a.35467] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/01/2012] [Accepted: 04/16/2012] [Indexed: 12/17/2022]
Abstract
Individuals with cystinosis exhibit specific cognitive deficits in visual spatial function. The purpose of the current study was to examine if obligate heterozygotes of the CTNS mutation have the same pattern of cognitive functioning seen in homozygotes, namely aberrant visual-spatial functioning against a background of relatively intact visual-perceptual functioning and overall cognitive ability. Study participants were 254 adults (100 heterozygotes and 154 controls), ages 17 years 10 months through 74 years 9 months. Tests of intelligence, visual perceptual, and visual spatial functioning were administered. Our results showed that cystinosis heterozygotes demonstrated intelligence within the normal range, and performed similarly to controls on tests of visual-perceptual ability. In contrast, the heterozygotes performed significantly more poorly on each of the visual-spatial tests when compared to controls. Obligate heterozygotes for the CTNS mutation display a similar pattern of visual processing decrements as do individuals with cystinosis. Namely, carriers demonstrate relative weaknesses in visual-spatial processing, while maintaining normal visual perceptual ability and intelligence in the normal range. The visual spatial decrements in heterozygotes were not as marked as those found in individuals with cystinosis, suggesting a gene dosing effect. This study provides an impetus for other studies of gene-behavior relationships in recessive disorders, and may stimulate further interest in the role of aberrant genes on "individual differences" in behavior.
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Affiliation(s)
- Stephen Niemiec
- Johns Hopkins University, Department of Neurosciences, University of California San Diego School of Medicine, La Jolla, California 92093-0935, USA
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23
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Mascalchi M, Vella A. Magnetic resonance and nuclear medicine imaging in ataxias. HANDBOOK OF CLINICAL NEUROLOGY 2012; 103:85-110. [PMID: 21827882 DOI: 10.1016/b978-0-444-51892-7.00004-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 34] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 12/12/2022]
Abstract
Imaging techniques including computed tomography (CT), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), single photon emission computed tomography (SPECT), and positron emission tomography (PET) have been widely applied to the investigation of patients with acute or chronic ataxias. Fundamentally, CT has a role in the emergency evaluation of the patient with acute ataxia to ascertain brainstem or cerebellar hemorrhage and to exclude a mass lesion in the posterior cranial fossa. Conventional MRI is the most frequently performed imaging investigation in patients with ataxia. It can support the diagnosis of acute cerebellitis and Wernicke encephalopathy by revealing T2 signal changes with a typical distribution. In patients with inherited or sporadic chronic ataxia it reveals three fundamental patterns of atrophy of the brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord which match the gross neuropathological descriptions. These are represented by olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA), cortical cerebellar atrophy (CCA), and spinal atrophy (SA). A substantial correspondence exists among these patterns of atrophy shown by MRI and the etiological classification of inherited or acquired chronic ataxias. This, along with demonstration of T2 signal changes characteristic of some diseases, makes conventional MRI potentially useful for the diagnostic work-up of the single patient, especially in the case of a sporadic disease. Non-conventional MR techniques including diffusion MR, spectroscopy, and functional MR have been used in patients with acute or chronic ataxia, but their exact role in the evaluation of the single patient is not established yet. They are currently investigated as potential tools to monitor progression of neurodegeneration in chronic ataxia and to serve as "surrogate markers" in clinical trials. Several radiotracers have been utilized in combination with SPECT and PET in patients with ataxia. Perfusion SPECT can reveal cerebellar blood flow abnormalities early in the course of cerebellitis. It has also been utilized to investigate perfusion of the brain in several inherited or sporadic chronic ataxic diseases, contributing to improved understanding of the pathophysiology of these conditions. Recently, perfusion SPECT has been tested as a "surrogate marker" to verify the effects of newly developed therapies in patients with a variety of chronic ataxias. Whole-body FDG-PET is recommended in patients with suspected paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration to detect the primary malignancy. Brain FDG-PET has provided important information on the pathophysiology of several acquired and inherited conditions. PET and SPECT with radiotracers able to assess the nigrostriatal system or the density of D2 dopamine receptors in the striatum are increasingly used in patients with adult-onset sporadic ataxia for the differential diagnosis between multiple system atrophy in which overt striatal abnormalities are found and idiopathic late-onset cerebellar ataxia in which no abnormality is detected.
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Affiliation(s)
- Mario Mascalchi
- Radiodiagnostic Section, Department of Clinical Physiopathology, University of Florence, Italy.
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24
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Costa MDC, Paulson HL. Toward understanding Machado-Joseph disease. Prog Neurobiol 2011; 97:239-57. [PMID: 22133674 DOI: 10.1016/j.pneurobio.2011.11.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 198] [Impact Index Per Article: 15.2] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/17/2011] [Revised: 11/10/2011] [Accepted: 11/14/2011] [Indexed: 12/16/2022]
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease (MJD), also known as spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3), is the most common inherited spinocerebellar ataxia and one of many polyglutamine neurodegenerative diseases. In MJD, a CAG repeat expansion encodes an abnormally long polyglutamine (polyQ) tract in the disease protein, ATXN3. Here we review MJD, focusing primarily on the function and dysfunction of ATXN3 and on advances toward potential therapies. ATXN3 is a deubiquitinating enzyme (DUB) whose highly specialized properties suggest that it participates in ubiquitin-dependent proteostasis. By virtue of its interactions with VCP, various ubiquitin ligases and other ubiquitin-linked proteins, ATXN3 may help regulate the stability or activity of many proteins in diverse cellular pathways implicated in proteotoxic stress response, aging, and cell differentiation. Expansion of the polyQ tract in ATXN3 is thought to promote an altered conformation in the protein, leading to changes in interactions with native partners and to the formation of insoluble aggregates. The development of a wide range of cellular and animal models of MJD has been crucial to the emerging understanding of ATXN3 dysfunction upon polyQ expansion. Despite many advances, however, the principal molecular mechanisms by which mutant ATXN3 elicits neurotoxicity remain elusive. In a chronic degenerative disease like MJD, it is conceivable that mutant ATXN3 triggers multiple, interconnected pathogenic cascades that precipitate cellular dysfunction and eventual cell death. A better understanding of these complex molecular mechanisms will be important as scientists and clinicians begin to focus on developing effective therapies for this incurable, fatal disorder.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maria do Carmo Costa
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, A. Alfred Taubman Biomedical Sciences Research Building-BSRB, 109 Zina Pitcher Place, Ann Arbor, MI 48109-2200, USA.
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D'Abreu A, França MC, Paulson HL, Lopes-Cendes I. Caring for Machado-Joseph disease: current understanding and how to help patients. Parkinsonism Relat Disord 2009; 16:2-7. [PMID: 19811945 DOI: 10.1016/j.parkreldis.2009.08.012] [Citation(s) in RCA: 55] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/15/2009] [Revised: 07/27/2009] [Accepted: 08/04/2009] [Indexed: 11/17/2022]
Abstract
Machado-Joseph disease or spinocerebellar ataxia 3 (MJD/SCA3) is a clinically heterogeneous, neurodegenerative disorder characterized by varying degrees of ataxia, ophthalmoplegia, peripheral neuropathy, pyramidal dysfunction and movement disorder. MJD/SCA3 is caused by a CAG repeat expansion mutation in the protein coding region of the ATXN3 gene located at chromosome 14q32.1. Current hypotheses regarding pathogenesis favor the view that mutated ataxin-3, with its polyglutamine expansion, is prone to adopt an abnormal conformation, engage in altered protein-protein interactions and aggregate. Expanded CAG repeat length correlates with the range and severity of the clinical manifestations and inversely correlates with age of disease onset. Though MJD/SCA3 is classically described as affecting the cerebellum, brainstem and basal ganglia, recent neuropathology and neuroimaging series demonstrate involvement of other areas such as the thalamus and cerebral cortex. Clinically, much emphasis has been placed in the description and recognition of the non-motor symptoms observed in these patients, such as pain, cramps, fatigue and depression. Currently, no disease modifying treatment exists for MJD/SCA3. Standard of care includes genetic counseling, exercise/physical therapy programs, and speech and swallow evaluation. Symptomatic treatment for clinical findings such as depression, sleep disorders, parkinsonism, dystonia, cramps, and pain is important to improve the quality of life for those with MJD/SCA3.
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Affiliation(s)
- Anelyssa D'Abreu
- Department of Neurology, University of Campinas (UNICAMP), Campinas, São Paulo, Brazil
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26
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27
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Sáfrány E, Balikó L, Guseo A, Faragó B, Melegh B. The autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias are hereditary neurodegenerative diseases. Orv Hetil 2007; 148:2125-32. [DOI: 10.1556/oh.2007.28205] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/19/2022]
Abstract
Az autoszomális domináns cerebellaris ataxiák örökletes neurodegeneratív betegségek. Az ataxiák még néhány évtizeddel ezelőtt is a legkevésbé megértett idegi rendellenességek közé tartoztak, de molekuláris hátterük tisztázása mára lehetőséget teremtett a pontos diagnózis megállapítására, és segítséget nyújtott számos olyan különös jelenség értelmezésében is, mint például a családon belül változatosan megjelenő fenotípus. A spinocerebellaris ataxiák patogenezisének megismerése esélyt kínálhat sikeres terápiák kifejlesztésére, a jelenlegi, pusztán tüneti kezelések helyett. A gyors egymásutánban felfedezett gének és génlocusok, valamint a kialakított ataxiaaltípusok azonban zavart is okozhatnak a betegség pontos meghatározásában. Célunk rövid betekintést nyújtani e neurodegeneratív kórképek genetikai hátterébe, és a fontosabb ataxiaaltípusok jellemzésével megkönnyíteni az egyértelmű diagnózis felállítását.
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Affiliation(s)
- Enikő Sáfrány
- 1 Pécsi Tudományegyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar Orvosi Genetikai és Gyermekfejlődéstani Intézet Pécs Szigeti út 12. 7624
| | - László Balikó
- 2 Veszprém Megyei Csolnoky Ferenc Kórház Neurológiai és Stroke Osztály Veszprém
| | - András Guseo
- 3 Fejér Megyei Szent György Kórház Neurológiai Osztály Székesfehérvár
| | - Bernadett Faragó
- 1 Pécsi Tudományegyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar Orvosi Genetikai és Gyermekfejlődéstani Intézet Pécs Szigeti út 12. 7624
| | - Béla Melegh
- 1 Pécsi Tudományegyetem, Általános Orvostudományi Kar Orvosi Genetikai és Gyermekfejlődéstani Intézet Pécs Szigeti út 12. 7624
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Wang PS, Liu RS, Yang BH, Soong BW. Regional patterns of cerebral glucose metabolism in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2, 3 and 6 : a voxel-based FDG-positron emission tomography analysis. J Neurol 2007; 254:838-45. [PMID: 17468965 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-006-0383-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 33] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.9] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 01/08/2006] [Revised: 06/05/2006] [Accepted: 06/12/2006] [Indexed: 01/21/2023]
Abstract
The purpose of this study was to investigate the regional patterns of cerebral metabolic deficits by voxel-based FDGPET analysis in patients with distinct spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) genotypes, including SCA type 2 (SCA2), SCA3, and SCA6. Nine patients with SCA2, 12 with SCA3, seven with SCA6, and 23 healthy control subjects were recruited. The clinical severity of the patients' cerebellar ataxia was evaluated according to the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale. The brain glucose metabolism was evaluated with 2- [fluorine 18]-fluoro-2-deoxy-D: -glucose (FDG) positron emission tomography. Group data were analyzed and compared by voxelbased analysis. In SCA2, FDG utilization was significantly reduced in the cerebellum, pons, parahippocampal gyrus and frontal cortex. In SCA3, FDG metabolism in the cerebellum, parahippocampal gyrus of the limbic system, and lentiform nucleus was decreased. In SCA6, FDG metabolism was diminished in the cerebellum and the frontal and prefrontal cortices. On group comparisons, while all SCAs have impaired cerebellar functions, the cerebellar FDG metabolism was most severely compromised in SCA2. Instead, the FDG metabolism in the lentiform nucleus and medulla was characteristically worst in SCA3. There was no brainstem involvement in SCA6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Shan Wang
- The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital , Taiwan
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29
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Wang PS, Liu RS, Yang BH, Soong BW. Topographic brain mapping of the international cooperative ataxia rating scale. J Neurol 2007; 254:722-8. [PMID: 17450320 DOI: 10.1007/s00415-006-0310-0] [Citation(s) in RCA: 6] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/26/2005] [Revised: 03/08/2006] [Accepted: 04/07/2006] [Indexed: 10/23/2022]
Abstract
The International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS) is a 100-point semiquantitative scale designed primarily to assess cerebellar dysfunction. However, little is known of the metric properties of this scale. We assessed the ICARS by rating the severity of cerebellar dysfunction in 27 patients with spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA), three patients with sporadic olivopontocerebellar ataxia and 24 healthy control subjects. [(18)F]-fluorodeoxyglucose (FDG) positron emission tomography (PET) study was also performed on each subject. The statistical parametric mapping analyses revealed a significant correlation between the ICARS scores and functional impairment of the frontal regions within SCA patients. The glucose metabolism in the cerebellum, thalamus and caudate nucleus had significant differences between SCA patients and healthy control subjects. The results suggested that the clinical severity of SCA patients correlated with the functional impairment in the frontal regions, the targets of cerebellar efferent projections.
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Affiliation(s)
- Po-Shan Wang
- The Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, #201, Sec.2, Shipai Road, Taipei, Taiwan 11217
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30
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Inagaki A, Iida A, Matsubara M, Inagaki H. Positron emission tomography and magnetic resonance imaging in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2: a study of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. Eur J Neurol 2006; 12:725-8. [PMID: 16128876 DOI: 10.1111/j.1468-1331.2005.01011.x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 32] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.8] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/29/2022]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized as an expanded CAG trinucleotide repeats in SCA2 gene resulting in abnormal polyglutamine sequence. We used positron emission tomography (PET) and magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) to clarify metabolic and atrophic changes of the brain in two symptomatic and three asymptomatic individuals who were genetically confirmed for SCA2. PET revealed decreased glucose metabolism in both patients and two of the three asymptomatic carriers in the cerebellum, pons, or both. No PET abnormality was found in the remaining one carrier who had only a very mildly expanded CAG repeat. MRI showed cerebellar and/or pontine atrophic changes in both patients and one of three carriers. The present study suggest that hypometabolism and atrophy of the cerebellum and pons may occur years before the clinical onset of SCA2. PET and MRI may be useful in the early detection of subclinical brain changes associated with SCA2.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Inagaki
- Department of Neurology, Nagoya City Johsai Hospital, Nagoya, Japan
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31
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Schöls L, Bauer P, Schmidt T, Schulte T, Riess O. Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias: clinical features, genetics, and pathogenesis. Lancet Neurol 2004; 3:291-304. [PMID: 15099544 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(04)00737-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 666] [Impact Index Per Article: 33.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 01/19/2023]
Abstract
Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias are hereditary neurodegenerative disorders that are known as spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA) in genetic nomenclature. In the pregenomic era, ataxias were some of the most poorly understood neurological disorders; the unravelling of their molecular basis enabled precise diagnosis in vivo and explained many clinical phenomena such as anticipation and variable phenotypes even within one family. However, the discovery of many ataxia genes and loci in the past decade threatens to cause more confusion than optimism among clinicians. Therefore, the provision of guidance for genetic testing according to clinical findings and frequencies of SCA subtypes in different ethnic groups is a major challenge. The identification of ataxia genes raises hope that essential pathogenetic mechanisms causing SCA will become more and more apparent. Elucidation of the pathogenesis of SCA hopefully will enable the development of rational therapies for this group of disorders, which currently can only be treated symptomatically.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ludger Schöls
- Department of Neurology, University of Tuebingen, Germany
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32
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Chen JT, Lin YY, Lee YC, Soong BW, Wu ZA, Liao KK. Prolonged central motor conduction time of lower limb muscle in spinocerebellar ataxia 6. J Clin Neurosci 2004; 11:381-3. [PMID: 15080952 DOI: 10.1016/j.jocn.2003.08.006] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.4] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/10/2003] [Accepted: 08/11/2003] [Indexed: 10/26/2022]
Abstract
We investigated the function of corticospinal tract in spinocerebellar ataxia 6 (SCA6) by measuring the central motor conduction time (CMCT). Motor evoked potentials (MEP) of tibialis anterior (TA) muscle were elicited by magnetic stimulation to motor cortex and spinal cord in 9 SCA6 patients and 10 normal height- and age-matched subjects. CMCT in lower limb of SCA6 patients (18.1+/-1.9 ms) was significantly prolonged than that of the normal subjects (15.0+/-1.0 ms) ((p < 0.001). The prolonged CMCT was well correlated with the duration of disease (p = 0.005), but MEP amplitudes and stimulation intensities were not significantly different. These results indicate that the corticospinal tract function is also impaired and correlate with the disease duration in SCA6.
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Affiliation(s)
- Jen-Tse Chen
- Department of Neurology, Neurological Institute, Taipei Veterans General Hospital, Taipei, Taiwan
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Abstract
The etiology of parkinsonism is varied. Symptomatic parkinsonism is seen in the setting of genetic disorders, infectious processes, structural lesions, and as a result of concomitant medications. A thorough history and good examination will differentiate PD from the diverse group of conditions that can mimic it.
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Affiliation(s)
- A Colcher
- Department of Neurology, University of Pennsylvania, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
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Abstract
There are many causes of hereditary ataxia. These can be grouped into categories of autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, and X-linked. Molecularly, many of them are due to trinucleotide repeat expansions. In Friedreich ataxia, the trinucleotide repeat expansions lead to a "loss of function." In the dominant ataxias, the expanded repeats lead to a "gain of function," most likely through accumulation of intranuclear (and less commonly cytoplasmic) polyglutamine inclusions. Channelopathies can also lead to ataxia, especially episodic ataxia. Although phenotypic characteristics are an aid to the clinician, a definitive diagnosis is usually made only through genotypic or molecular studies. Genetic counseling is necessary for the testing of symptomatic and asymptomatic individuals. No effective treatment is yet available for most ataxic syndromes, except for ataxia with isolated vitamin E deficiency and the episodic ataxias.
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Affiliation(s)
- V G Evidente
- Department of Neurology, Mayo Clinic Scottsdale, Ariz., USA
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35
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Abstracts of the inherited ataxias: A focus group meeting under the auspices of the Movement Disorder Society, Seattle, Washington, U.S.A., October 13-14, 1999. Mov Disord 2000. [DOI: 10.1002/1531-8257(200001)15:1<186::aid-mds1038>3.0.co;2-5] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/06/2022] Open
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