Objective: To define the risks and consequences of cardiac abnormalities in -related syndromes.
Methods: Patients meeting clinical diagnostic criteria for rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism (RDP), alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), and cerebellar ataxia, areflexia, pes cavus, optic atrophy, and sensorineural hearing loss (CAPOS) with genetic analysis and at least 1 cardiac assessment were included. We evaluated the cardiac phenotype in an knock-in mouse (Mashl) to determine the sequence of events in seizure-related cardiac death.
Background: Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC) is caused by mutations of the ATP1A3 gene which is expressed in brain areas that include structures controling autonomic, gastrointestinal, gut motility and GABAergic functions. We aimed to investigate, in a cohort of 44 consecutive AHC patients, two hypotheses: 1) AHC patients frequently manifest gastrointestinal, particularly motility, problems. 2) These problems are often severe and their severity correlates with neurological impairments.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To describe a phenotype caused by mutations, which manifests as dystonia, dysmorphism of the face, encephalopathy with developmental delay, brain MRI abnormalities always including cerebellar hypoplasia, no hemiplegia (Ø) (D-DEMØ), and neonatal onset.
Methods: Review and analysis of clinical and genetic data.
Results: Patients shared the above traits and had whole-exome sequencing that showed de novo variants of the gene, predicted to be disease causing and occurring in regions of the protein critical for pump function.
Quantitative MRI is increasingly being used as a biomarker in neurological disorders. Cerebellar atrophy occurs in some Alternating Hemiplegia of Childhood (AHC) patients. However, it is not known if cerebellar atrophy can be a potential biomarker in AHC or if quantitative MRI is a reliable method to address this question.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFObjective: To report our experience and investigate 5 original hypotheses: (1) multiple types of epileptic seizures occur in alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC), and these can be the initial presentation; (2) epileptiform abnormalities often appear well after clinical seizures; (3) nonepileptic reduced awareness spells (RAS) occur frequently; (4) epilepsy is commonly drug resistant but may respond to vagal nerve stimulation (VNS); and (5) status epilepticus (SE) is common and is usually refractory and recurrent.
Methods: We analyzed a cohort of 51 consecutive patients with AHC.
Results: Thirty-two of 51 patients had epilepsy: 18 focal seizures, frontal more frequently than temporal, and then posterior.
Study Objectives: Patients with alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) experience bouts of hemiplegia and other paroxysmal spells that resolve during sleep. Patients often have multiple comorbidities that could negatively affect sleep, yet sleep quality and sleep pathology in AHC are not well characterized. This study aimed to report sleep data from both polysomnography (PSG) and clinical evaluations in children with AHC.
View Article and Find Full Text PDFAim: To determine the neuropsychological abnormalities that occur in alternating hemiplegia of childhood (AHC) and report on our experience in managing them.
Method: Patients underwent evaluations according to our standardized AHC pathway. Data were entered into our prospective AHC database and then analyzed.
Aim: To characterize motor function profiles in alternating hemiplegia of childhood, and to investigate interrelationships between these domains and with age.
Method: We studied a cohort of 23 patients (9 males, 14 females; mean age 9y 4mo, range 4mo-43y) who underwent standardized tests to assess gross motor, upper extremity motor control, motor speech, and dysphagia functions.
Results: Gross Motor Function Classification System (GMFCS), Gross Motor Function Measure-88 (GMFM-88), Manual Ability Classification System (MACS), and Revised Melbourne Assessment (MA2) scales manifested predominantly mild impairments; motor speech, moderate to severe; Modified Dysphagia Outcome and Severity Scale (M-DOSS), mild-to moderate deficits.