Publications by authors named "Pia Zacher"

Article Synopsis
  • - Microtubule affinity-regulating kinase 2 (MARK2) is crucial for neurons to develop properly, and variants in MARK2 have been linked to autism spectrum disorder (ASD) and other neurodevelopmental issues, with most being loss-of-function mutations.
  • - A study analyzed 31 individuals with MARK2 variants showing ASD along with unique facial features, finding that the loss of MARK2 disrupts early neuron development and leads to abnormal growth patterns in neural cells.
  • - Research using iPSC models and MARK2-deficient mice highlighted the link between MARK2 loss and issues in neuronal function, connecting it to the reduction of the WNT/β-catenin signaling pathway, while suggesting lithium as a potential treatment
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Background And Objectives: Heterozygous variants in RAR-related orphan receptor B () have recently been associated with susceptibility to idiopathic generalized epilepsy. However, few reports have been published so far describing pathogenic variants of this gene in patients with epilepsy and intellectual disability (ID). In this study, we aimed to delineate the epilepsy phenotype associated with pathogenic variants and to provide arguments in favor of the pathogenicity of variants.

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Objective: The postsynaptic density protein of excitatory neurons PSD-95 is encoded by discs large MAGUK scaffold protein 4 (DLG4), de novo pathogenic variants of which lead to DLG4-related synaptopathy. The major clinical features are developmental delay, intellectual disability (ID), hypotonia, sleep disturbances, movement disorders, and epilepsy. Even though epilepsy is present in 50% of the individuals, it has not been investigated in detail.

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Heterozygous, pathogenic CUX1 variants are associated with global developmental delay or intellectual disability. This study delineates the clinical presentation in an extended cohort and investigates the molecular mechanism underlying the disorder in a Cux1 mouse model. Through international collaboration, we assembled the phenotypic and molecular information for 34 individuals (23 unpublished individuals).

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Purpose: Coffin-Siris and Nicolaides-Baraitser syndromes are recognizable neurodevelopmental disorders caused by germline variants in BAF complex subunits. The SMARCC2 BAFopathy was recently reported. Herein, we present clinical and molecular data on a large cohort.

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Article Synopsis
  • The study investigates neurodevelopmental disorders caused by pathogenic variants, focusing on individuals without epilepsy, as little is known about their development and potential treatment endpoints beyond seizure control.
  • Researchers conducted a retrospective study collecting data from 71 individuals, including 44 new cases, assessing their medical histories and developmental outcomes using standardized measures.
  • Findings revealed that 25% of the participants did not have epilepsy, and those without it generally had better motor function and developmental outcomes, suggesting distinct clinical features between individuals with and without a history of seizures.
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The TRIO gene encodes a rho guanine exchange factor, the function of which is to exchange GDP to GTP, and hence to activate Rho GTPases, and has been described to impact neurodevelopment. Specific genotype-to-phenotype correlations have been established previously describing striking differentiating features seen in variants located in specific domains of the TRIO gene that are associated with opposite effects on RAC1 activity. Currently, 32 cases with a TRIO gene alteration have been published in the medical literature.

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The 15q13.3 microdeletion has pleiotropic effects ranging from apparently healthy to severely affected individuals. The underlying basis of the variable phenotype remains elusive.

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Introduction: Genetic testing in people with epilepsy may support presurgical decision-making. It is currently unclear to what extent epilepsy centres use genetic testing in presurgical evaluation.

Methods: We performed an exploratory survey among members of the German Society for Epileptology to study the current practice of genetic testing in presurgical evaluation at the respective sites.

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We report detailed functional analyses and genotype-phenotype correlations in 392 individuals carrying disease-causing variants in SCN8A, encoding the voltage-gated Na+ channel Nav1.6, with the aim of describing clinical phenotypes related to functional effects. Six different clinical subgroups were identified: Group 1, benign familial infantile epilepsy (n = 15, normal cognition, treatable seizures); Group 2, intermediate epilepsy (n = 33, mild intellectual disability, partially pharmaco-responsive); Group 3, developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (n = 177, severe intellectual disability, majority pharmaco-resistant); Group 4, generalized epilepsy (n = 20, mild to moderate intellectual disability, frequently with absence seizures); Group 5, unclassifiable epilepsy (n = 127); and Group 6, neurodevelopmental disorder without epilepsy (n = 20, mild to moderate intellectual disability).

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  • CACNA1C is a gene that encodes a crucial part of a calcium channel found in the heart and brain, and variants in it have been linked to Timothy syndrome and long QT syndrome, but this study focuses on its neurological effects.
  • The study examined 25 individuals from 22 families with heterozygous variants in CACNA1C, showing a range of neurological issues like developmental delays, autism, hypotonia, ataxia, and epilepsy.
  • Results indicate that these variants can lead to different functional changes in the calcium channel, expanding the understanding of CACNA1C's role in neurodevelopmental disorders beyond previously known syndromes.
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The two aims of this study were (i) to describe and expand the phenotypic spectrum of deficiency in affected individuals harboring the c.1582G>A; p.Val528Met or the c.

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Purpose: Genetic diagnostics of neurodevelopmental disorders with epilepsy (NDDE) are predominantly applied in children, thus limited information is available regarding adults or elderly.

Methods: We investigated 150 adult/elderly individuals with NDDE by conventional karyotyping, FMR1 testing, chromosomal microarray, panel sequencing, and for unresolved cases, also by exome sequencing (n= 71, n= 24).

Results: We identified (likely) pathogenic variants in 71 cases (47.

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Background: An identical homozygous missense variant in EIF3F, identified through a large-scale genome-wide sequencing approach, was reported as causative in nine individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder, characterized by variable intellectual disability, epilepsy, behavioral problems and sensorineural hearing-loss. To refine the phenotypic and molecular spectrum of EIF3F-related neurodevelopmental disorder, we examined independent patients.

Results: 21 patients were homozygous and one compound heterozygous for c.

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Objective: Asparagine-linked glycosylation 13 (ALG13) deficiencies have been repeatedly described in the literature with the clinical phenotype of a developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (DEE). Most cases were females carrying the recurrent ALG13 de novo variant, p.(Asn107Ser), with normal transferrin electrophoresis.

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Article Synopsis
  • * Researchers found a gene called KDM5A by studying mice that had trouble making sounds, and when they turned off this gene in mice, the mice stopped vocalizing and showed other problems like being less social and having trouble thinking.
  • * They also looked at the genes of humans with ASD who can't speak and found some changes in the KDM5A gene, which shows how important this gene is for how the brain develops and works.
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Purpose: This study aims to provide a comprehensive description of the phenotypic and genotypic spectrum of SNAP25 developmental and epileptic encephalopathy (SNAP25-DEE) by reviewing newly identified and previously reported individuals.

Methods: Individuals harboring heterozygous missense or loss-of-function variants in SNAP25 were assembled through collaboration with international colleagues, matchmaking platforms, and literature review. For each individual, detailed phenotyping, classification, and structural modeling of the identified variant were performed.

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Introduction: Pigmentary mosaicism (PM) manifests by pigmentation anomalies along Blaschko's lines and represents a clue toward the molecular diagnosis of syndromic intellectual disability (ID). Together with new insights on the role for lysosomal signalling in embryonic stem cell differentiation, mutations in the X-linked transcription factor 3 () have recently been reported in five patients. Functional analysis suggested these mutations to result in ectopic nuclear gain of functions.

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Severe early onset epilepsies are often caused by de novo pathogenic variants. Few studies have reported the frequency of somatic mosaicism in parents of children with severe epileptic encephalopathies. Here we aim to investigate the frequency of mosaicism in the parents of children with epilepsy caused by alleged de novo variants.

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Article Synopsis
  • The article initially spelled the author's name incorrectly as Erik Niks instead of Erik H. Niks.
  • This error has been corrected in the PDF and HTML versions of the article.
  • The correction ensures that the author's name is accurately represented moving forward.
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  • The original article had a mistake in the author list, showing Stéphanie Baulac as the corresponding author twice.
  • This error has been fixed in the online HTML version of the article.
  • The PDF version was correct when the article was originally published.
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Article Synopsis
  • * Analysis of data from 73 individuals showed that GATOR1-related seizures are primarily focal, often resistant to treatment, with a mean onset age of 4.4 years and links to conditions like focal cortical dysplasia.
  • * The classification of 140 GATOR1 variants revealed that a majority (68%) are pathogenic, indicating GATOR1 genes play a significant role in the development of focal epilepsies and related complications, including a risk for sudden unexpected death in epilepsy (SUDEP).
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Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is a clinically and genetically heterogeneous, neurodegenerative movement disorder. A total of eight KIAA0196/strumpellin variants have thus far been associated with SPG8, a rare dominant HSP. We present a novel strumpellin alteration in a small family with clinically pure HSP.

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