Xeroderma pigmentosum is a definite cause of Huntington's disease-like syndrome.

Xeroderma pigmentosum is characterized by cutaneous, ophthalmological, and neurological features. Although it is typical of childhood, late presentations can mimic different neurodegenerative conditions. We report two families presenting as Huntington's disease-like syndromes.

Cognitive changes predict functional decline in ALS: a population-based longitudinal study.

Objective: To determine whether cognitive status in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a useful predictor of attrition and motor and cognitive decline.

Methods: Cognitive testing was undertaken in a large population-based cohort of incident ALS patients using a longitudinal, case-control study design. Normative data for neuropsychological tests were generated using age-, sex-, and education-matched healthy controls who also underwent repeated assessments.

Cognitive and clinical characteristics of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis carrying a C9orf72 repeat expansion: a population-based cohort study.

Background: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease of upper and lower motor neurons, associated with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) in about 14% of incident cases. We assessed the frequency of the recently identified C9orf72 repeat expansion in familial and apparently sporadic cases of ALS and characterised the cognitive and clinical phenotype of patients with this expansion.

Methods: A population-based register of patients with ALS has been in operation in Ireland since 1995, and an associated DNA bank has been in place since 1999.

Primary dystonia and dystonia-plus syndromes: clinical characteristics, diagnosis, and pathogenesis.

The dystonias are a heterogeneous group of hyperkinetic movement disorders characterised by involuntary sustained muscle contractions that lead to abnormal postures and repetitive movements. Dystonia syndromes represent common movement disorders and yet are often misdiagnosed or unrecognised. In recent years, there have been substantial advances in the understanding of the spectrum of clinical features that encompass dystonia syndromes, from severe generalised childhood dystonia that is often genetic in origin, to adult-onset focal dystonias and rarer forms of secondary dystonias, to dystonia as a feature of other types of CNS dysfunction.

The syndrome of cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a population-based study.

Background: Despite considerable interest, the population-based frequency, clinical characteristics and natural history of cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are not known.

Methodology: The authors undertook a prospective population-based study of cognitive function in 160 incident Irish ALS patients and 110 matched controls. Home-based visits were conducted to collect demographic and neuropsychological data.

Angiogenin levels and ANG genotypes: dysregulation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Objective: To determine whether 5 single nucleotide polymorphisms (SNPs) associate with ALS in 3 different populations. We also assessed the contribution of genotype to angiogenin levels in plasma and CSF.

Methods: Allelic association statistics were calculated for polymorphisms in the ANG gene in 859 patients and 1047 controls from Sweden, Ireland and Poland.

Huntington's disease presenting as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

We present the clinical, electrophysiological and molecular genetic findings of a 58-year-old male with genetically confirmed Huntington's disease (HD) and concurrent clinically definite ALS by El Escorial criteria. The patient presented with asymmetric upper limb amyotrophy and weakness, and subsequently developed chorea and cognitive change. Genetic testing confirmed the presence of expanded trinucleotide repeats in huntingtin, consistent with a diagnosis of Huntington's disease.

The management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

The terms amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or motor neuron disease (MND) refer to a condition characterized by motor system degeneration with relative preservation of other pathways. Although there have been advances in symptomatic treatment, ALS remains an incurable condition. Advances in ALS management prolong survival but simultaneously raise challenging ethical dilemmas for physicians, patients and their families.

Cognitive impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a motor neuron disease that has sporadic and inherited forms. ALS is the most common neurodegenerative disorder of young and middle-aged adults, and few treatments are available. Although the degeneration predominantly affects the motor system, cognitive and behavioural symptoms have been described for over a century, and there is evidence that ALS and frontotemporal dementia overlap clinically, radiologically, pathologically, and genetically.