Publications by authors named "Randi Hagerman"

Background: Premutation alleles of the FMR1 X-linked gene containing CGG repeat expansions ranging from 55 to 200 are associated with diverse late-onset neurological involvements, including most severe disorder termed Fragile X-associated Tremor/Ataxia Syndrome (FXTAS). It is intriguing that at least one-third of male, and a much lower than predicted from the X-linkage proportion of female carriers are free of this syndrome. This suggests the existence of secondary genetic factors modifying the risk of neurological involvements in these carriers.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Fragile X syndrome, with an approximate incidence rate of 1 in 4000 males to 1 in 8000 females, is the most prevalent genetic cause of heritable intellectual disability and the most common monogenic cause of autism spectrum disorder. The full mutation of the Fragile X Messenger Ribonucleoprotein-1 gene, characterized by an expansion of CGG trinucleotide repeats (>200 CGG repeats), leads to fragile X syndrome. Currently, there are no targeted treatments available for fragile X syndrome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a significant cause of intellectual disability and autism, while Fragile X Premutation -Associated Conditions (FXPAC) are a significant cause of morbidity and mortality globally. This study assessed the level of knowledge and perceptions about FXS and FXPAC among doctors in Nigeria. It was a web-based, cross-sectional study conducted among a cohort of doctors in Nigeria.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Fragile X syndrome (FXS) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) are neurodevelopmental conditions that often have a substantial impact on daily functioning and quality of life. FXS is the most common cause of inherited intellectual disability (ID) and the most common monogenetic cause of ASD. Previous literature has shown that electrophysiological activity measured by electroencephalogram (EEG) during resting state is perturbated in FXS and ASD.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is an age-related neurodegenerative disorder caused by a premutation of the FMR1 gene on the X chromosome. Despite the pervasive physical and cognitive effects of FXTAS, no studies have examined language in symptomatic males and females, limiting utility as an outcome measure in clinical trials of FXTAS. The goal of this work is to determine (a) the extent to which male and female FMR1 premutation carriers with FXTAS symptoms differ in their language use and (b) whether language production predicts FXTAS symptoms.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

In this study, the potential role and interaction of the and genes on the penetrance of fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) and on the IQ trajectory were investigated. FXTAS was diagnosed based on molecular, clinical and radiological criteria. Males with the premutation (PM) over 50 years, 165 with and 34 without an FXTAS diagnosis, were included in this study and were compared based on their () and variant () genotypes.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: The purpose of the present study was to assess the psychiatric manifestations of early to middle stages of fragile X-associated tremor-ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) and their relationship with executive function and cytosine-guanine-guanine (CGG) repeat numbers across genders.

Methods: Cross-sectional data from 100 participants (62 men, 38 women; mean±SD age=67.11±7.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Introduction: Metformin has been used as a targeted treatment to potentially improve cognition and slow the typical IQ decline that occurs during development among individuals with fragile X syndrome (FXS). In this follow-up study, we are following the trajectory of IQ and adaptive behavior changes over 1 to 3 years in individuals with FXS who are clinically treated with metformin in an open label trial.

Method: Individuals with FXS ages 6 to 25 years (mean 13.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a genetic disorder caused by a mutation in the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 () gene and known to be a leading cause of inherited intellectual disability globally. It results in a range of intellectual, developmental, and behavioral problems. Fragile X premutation-associated conditions (FXPAC), caused by a smaller CGG expansion (55 to 200 CGG repeats) in the gene, are linked to other conditions that increase morbidity and mortality for affected persons.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

FMR1 premutation carriers (55-200 CGG repeats) are at risk of developing fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS), a neurodegenerative disorder associated with motor and cognitive impairment. Bilateral hyperintensities of the middle cerebellar peduncles (MCP sign) are the major radiological hallmarks of FXTAS. In the general population, enlarged perivascular spaces (PVS) are biomarkers of small vessel disease and glymphatic dysfunction and are associated with cognitive decline.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • - The study investigates mitochondrial dysfunction in patients with Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) by comparing postmortem brain tissues and plasma neuron-derived extracellular vesicles (NDEVs) from living carriers of the FMR1 gene premutations.
  • - Results showed that FXTAS patients had lower activity and quantity of specific mitochondrial proteins (Complex IV and V) in the cerebellum compared to controls, while NDEVs from premutation carriers also exhibited abnormalities despite higher Complex V quantity.
  • - The findings suggest that mitochondrial impairments in FXTAS may be detectable in plasma NDEVs, offering potential for developing biomarkers for early symptom prediction and monitoring the disease's progression.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF
Article Synopsis
  • Behavioral interventions are the primary treatment for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), but new targeted treatments addressing its neurophysiology are emerging.
  • These treatments, influenced by genetic factors and the diverse causes of ASD, may include medications and even gene therapies in the future.
  • The article reviews current pharmacological options for ASD, including common medications for related issues and potential new treatments like metformin and cannabidiol.
View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The purpose of this paper was to examine the physical, emotional, social and school functioning domains of quality of life of individuals with Fragile X Syndrome, in relation to mental health and sleep patterns to gain a better understanding of how these aspects are affected by the disorder. This study included 119 individuals with Fragile X Syndrome who were given different cognitive examinations by a neuropsychologist or by parent-proxy questionnaires. This study focused on the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory (PedsQoL), the Anxiety, Depression and Mood Scale (ADAMS), the Children's Sleep Habits Questionnaire (CSHQ), but did include other cognitive tests (Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales, Nonverbal IQ, Autism Diagnostic Observation Schedule).

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common heritable cause of intellectual disability and autism spectrum disorder. The syndrome is often caused by greatly reduced or absent protein expression from the () gene due to expansion of a 5'-non-coding trinucleotide (CGG) element beyond 200 repeats (full mutation). To better understand the complex relationships among allelotype, methylation status, mRNA expression, and protein (FMRP) levels, FMRP was quantified in peripheral blood mononuclear cells for a large cohort of FXS ( = 154) and control ( = 139) individuals using time-resolved fluorescence resonance energy transfer.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the leading inherited cause of intellectual disability (ID) and single gene cause of autism. Although most patients with FXS and the full mutation (FM) have complete methylation of the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 () gene, some have mosaicism in methylation and/or CGG repeat size, and few have completely unmethylated FM alleles. Those with a complete lack of methylation are rare, with little literature about the cognitive and behavioral phenotypes of these individuals.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is the most common heritable form of intellectual disability and is caused by CGG repeat expansions exceeding 200 (full mutation). Such expansions lead to hypermethylation and transcriptional silencing of the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 (FMR1) gene. As a consequence, little or no FMR1 protein (FMRP) is produced; absence of the protein, which normally is responsible for neuronal development and maintenance, causes the syndrome.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fragile X syndrome (FXS) is a neurodevelopmental disorder caused by a full mutation (> 200 CGG repeats) in the FMR1 gene. FXS is the leading cause of inherited intellectual disabilities and the most commonly known genetic cause of autism spectrum disorder. Children with FXS experience behavioral and sleep problems, anxiety, inattention, learning difficulties, and speech and language delays.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a neurodegenerative disorder that affects older premutation carriers (55-200 CGG repeats) of the fragile X gene. Despite the high prevalence of the FXTAS disorder, neuropathology studies of individuals affected by FXTAS are limited. We performed hematoxylin and eosin (H&E) staining in the hippocampus of 26 FXTAS cases and analyzed the tissue microscopically.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Fragile X (FMR1) premutation is a common mutation that affects about 1 in 200 females and 1 in 450 males and can lead to the development of fragile-X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS). Although there is no targeted, proven treatment for FXTAS, research suggests that sulforaphane, an antioxidant present in cruciferous vegetables, can enhance mitochondrial function and maintain redox balance in the dermal fibroblasts of individuals with FXTAS, potentially leading to improved cognitive function. In a 24-week open-label trial involving 15 adults aged 60-88 with FXTAS, 11 participants successfully completed the study, demonstrating the safety and tolerability of sulforaphane.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Background: Men with fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) often develop executive dysfunction, characterized by disinhibition, frontal dyscontrol of movement, and working memory and attention changes. Although cross-sectional studies have suggested that earlier executive function changes may precede FXTAS, the lack of longitudinal studies has made it difficult to address this hypothesis.

Objective: To determine whether executive function deterioration experienced by premutation carriers (PC) in daily life precedes and predicts FXTAS.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

Objective: Fragile X-associated tremor/ataxia syndrome (FXTAS) is a late-onset progressive genetic neurodegenerative disorder that occurs in FMR1 premutation carriers. The temporal, spatial, and cell-type specific patterns of neurodegeneration in the FXTAS brain remain incompletely characterized. Intranuclear inclusion bodies are the neuropathological hallmark of FXTAS, which are largest and occur most frequently in astrocytes, glial cells that maintain brain homeostasis.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

This study reports on 14 individuals with Fragile X syndrome from 3 Congolese Families. The majority (8/14) were males, with an average age of 18.4 (±11.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF

The premutation of the fragile X messenger ribonucleoprotein 1 () gene is characterized by an expansion of the CGG trinucleotide repeats (55 to 200 CGGs) in the 5' untranslated region and increased levels of mRNA. Molecular mechanisms leading to fragile X-premutation-associated conditions (FXPAC) include cotranscriptional R-loop formations, mRNA toxicity through both RNA gelation into nuclear foci and sequestration of various CGG-repeat-binding proteins, and the repeat-associated non-AUG (RAN)-initiated translation of potentially toxic proteins. Such molecular mechanisms contribute to subsequent consequences, including mitochondrial dysfunction and neuronal death.

View Article and Find Full Text PDF