Theresa V. Strong, Jennifer L. Miller, Shawn E. McCandless, Evelien Gevers, Jack A. Yanovski, Lisa Matesevac, Jessica Bohonowych, Shaila Ballal, Kristen Yen, Patricia Hirano, Neil M. Cowen, Anish Bhatnagar
{"title":"Behavioral changes in patients with Prader-Willi syndrome receiving diazoxide choline extended-release tablets compared to the PATH for PWS natural history study","authors":"Theresa V. Strong, Jennifer L. Miller, Shawn E. McCandless, Evelien Gevers, Jack A. Yanovski, Lisa Matesevac, Jessica Bohonowych, Shaila Ballal, Kristen Yen, Patricia Hirano, Neil M. Cowen, Anish Bhatnagar","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09536-x","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09536-x","url":null,"abstract":"Prader-Willi syndrome (PWS) is a rare neurobehavioral-metabolic disease caused by the lack of paternally expressed genes in the chromosome 15q11-q13 region, characterized by hypotonia, neurocognitive problems, behavioral difficulties, endocrinopathies, and hyperphagia resulting in severe obesity if energy intake is not controlled. Diazoxide choline extended-release (DCCR) tablets have previously been evaluated for their effects on hyperphagia and other behavioral complications of people with PWS in a Phase 3 placebo-controlled study of participants with PWS, age 4 and older with hyperphagia (C601) and in an open label extension study, C602. To better understand the longer-term impact of DCCR, a cohort from PATH for PWS, a natural history study that enrolled participants with PWS age 5 and older, who met the C601 age, weight and baseline hyperphagia inclusion criteria and had 2 hyperphagia assessments ≥ 6 months apart, were compared to the C601/C602 cohort. Hyperphagia was measured using the Hyperphagia Questionnaire for Clinical Trials (HQ-CT, range 0–36). The primary analysis used observed values with no explicit imputation of missing data. A sensitivity analysis was conducted in which all missing HQ-CT assessments in the C601/C602 cohort were assigned the highest possible value (36), representing the worst-case scenario. Other behavioral changes were assessed using the Prader-Willi Syndrome Profile questionnaire (PWSP). Relative to the PATH for PWS natural history study cohort, the DCCR-treated C601/C602 cohort showed significant improvements in HQ-CT score at 26 weeks (LSmean [SE] -8.3 [0.75] vs. -2.5 [0.43], p < 0.001) and 52 weeks (LSmean [SE] -9.2 [0.77] vs. -3.4 [0.47], p < 0.001). The comparison between the cohorts remained significant in the worst-case imputation sensitivity analysis. There were also significant improvements in all domains of the PWSP at 26 weeks (all p < 0.001) and 52 weeks (all p ≤ 0.003) for C601/C602 participants compared to the PATH for PWS participants. Long-term administration of DCCR to people with PWS resulted in changes in hyperphagia and other behavioral complications of PWS that are distinct from the natural history of the syndrome as exemplified by the cohort from PATH for PWS. The combined effects of administration of DCCR should reduce the burden of the syndrome on the patient, caregivers and their families, and thereby may benefit people with PWS and their families. Clinical study C601 was originally registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on February 22, 2018 (NCT03440814). Clinical study C602 was originally registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on October 22, 2018 (NCT03714373). PATH for PWS was originally registered on ClinicalTrials.gov on October 24, 2018 (NCT03718416).","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"155 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-26","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140802059","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
{"title":"An overview of current advances in perinatal alcohol exposure and pathogenesis of fetal alcohol spectrum disorders","authors":"Xingdong Zeng, Yongle Cai, Mengyan Wu, Haonan Chen, Miao Sun, Hao Yang","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09537-w","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09537-w","url":null,"abstract":"The adverse use of alcohol is a serious global public health problem. Maternal alcohol consumption during pregnancy usually causes prenatal alcohol exposure (PAE) in the developing fetus, leading to a spectrum of disorders known as fetal alcohol spectrum disorders (FASD) and even fetal alcohol syndrome (FAS) throughout the lifelong sufferers. The prevalence of FASD is approximately 7.7 per 1,000 worldwide, and is even higher in developed regions. Generally, Ethanol in alcoholic beverages can impair embryonic neurological development through multiple pathways leading to FASD. Among them, the leading mechanism of FASDs is attributed to ethanol-induced neuroinflammatory damage to the central nervous system (CNS). Although the underlying molecular mechanisms remain unclear, the remaining multiple pathological mechanisms is likely due to the neurotoxic damage of ethanol and the resultant neuronal loss. Regardless of the molecular pathway, the ultimate outcome of the developing CNS exposed to ethanol is almost always the destruction and apoptosis of neurons, which leads to the reduction of neurons and further the development of FASD. In this review, we systematically summarize the current research progress on the pathogenesis of FASD, which hopefully provides new insights into differential early diagnosis, treatment and prevention for patents with FASD.","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"4 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140625177","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Sally M. Stoyell, Jed T. Elison, Emily Graupmann, Neely C. Miller, Jessica Emerick, Elizabeth Ramey, Kristen Sandness, Mark R. Schleiss, Erin A. Osterholm
{"title":"Neurobehavioral outcomes of neonatal asymptomatic congenital cytomegalovirus infection at 12-months","authors":"Sally M. Stoyell, Jed T. Elison, Emily Graupmann, Neely C. Miller, Jessica Emerick, Elizabeth Ramey, Kristen Sandness, Mark R. Schleiss, Erin A. Osterholm","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09533-0","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09533-0","url":null,"abstract":"Congenital cytomegalovirus (cCMV) is the most common congenital viral infection in the United States. Symptomatic infections can cause severe hearing loss and neurological disability, although ~ 90% of cCMV infections are asymptomatic at birth. Despite its prevalence, the long-term neurobehavioral risks of asymptomatic cCMV infections are not fully understood. The objective of this work was to evaluate for potential long-term neurobehavioral sequelae in infants with asymptomatic cCMV. Infants with cCMV were identified from a universal newborn cCMV screening study in a metropolitan area in the midwestern United States. Asymptomatic infants with cCMV were enrolled in a longitudinal neurodevelopmental study (N = 29). Age- and sex-matched healthy control infants (N = 193) were identified from the Baby Connectome Project (BCP), a longitudinal study of brain and behavioral development. The BCP sample supplemented an additional group of healthy control infants (N = 30), recruited from the same participant registry as the BCP specifically for comparison with infants with asymptomatic cCMV. Neurobehavioral assessments and parent questionnaires, including the Mullen Scales of Early Learning, the Repetitive Behavior Scales for Early Childhood (RBS-EC), and the Infant Toddler Social Emotional Assessment (ITSEA) were administered at 12 months of age. Neurobehavioral scores were compared between infants with asymptomatic cCMV and all identified healthy control infants. Infants with asymptomatic cCMV performed equivalently compared to healthy control infants on the neurobehavioral measures tested at 12 months of age. These results indicate that at 12 months of age, infants with asymptomatic cCMV are not statistically different from controls in a number of neurobehavioral domains. Although follow-up is ongoing, these observations provide reassurance about neurobehavioral outcomes for infants with asymptomatic cCMV and inform the ongoing discussion around universal screening. Additional follow-up will be necessary to understand the longer-term outcomes of these children.","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"16 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140612202","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Rory O’Sullivan, Stacey Bissell, Georgie Agar, Jayne Spiller, Andrew Surtees, Mary Heald, Emma Clarkson, Aamina Khan, Christopher Oliver, Andrew P. Bagshaw, Caroline Richards
{"title":"Exploring an objective measure of overactivity in children with rare genetic syndromes","authors":"Rory O’Sullivan, Stacey Bissell, Georgie Agar, Jayne Spiller, Andrew Surtees, Mary Heald, Emma Clarkson, Aamina Khan, Christopher Oliver, Andrew P. Bagshaw, Caroline Richards","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09535-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09535-y","url":null,"abstract":"Overactivity is prevalent in several rare genetic neurodevelopmental syndromes, including Smith-Magenis syndrome, Angelman syndrome, and tuberous sclerosis complex, although has been predominantly assessed using questionnaire techniques. Threats to the precision and validity of questionnaire data may undermine existing insights into this behaviour. Previous research indicates objective measures, namely actigraphy, can effectively differentiate non-overactive children from those with attention-deficit hyperactivity disorder. This study is the first to examine the sensitivity of actigraphy to overactivity across rare genetic syndromes associated with intellectual disability, through comparisons with typically-developing peers and questionnaire overactivity estimates. A secondary analysis of actigraphy data and overactivity estimates from The Activity Questionnaire (TAQ) was conducted for children aged 4-15 years with Smith-Magenis syndrome (N=20), Angelman syndrome (N=26), tuberous sclerosis complex (N=16), and typically-developing children (N=61). Actigraphy data were summarized using the M10 non-parametric circadian rhythm variable, and 24-hour activity profiles were modelled via functional linear modelling. Associations between actigraphy data and TAQ overactivity estimates were explored. Differences in actigraphy-defined activity were also examined between syndrome and typically-developing groups, and between children with high and low TAQ overactivity scores within syndromes. M10 and TAQ overactivity scores were strongly positively correlated for children with Angelman syndrome and Smith-Magenis syndrome. M10 did not substantially differ between the syndrome and typically-developing groups. Higher early morning activity and lower evening activity was observed across all syndrome groups relative to typically-developing peers. High and low TAQ group comparisons revealed syndrome-specific profiles of overactivity, persisting throughout the day in Angelman syndrome, occurring during the early morning and early afternoon in Smith-Magenis syndrome, and manifesting briefly in the evening in tuberous sclerosis complex. These findings provide some support for the sensitivity of actigraphy to overactivity in children with rare genetic syndromes, and offer syndrome-specific temporal descriptions of overactivity. The findings advance existing descriptions of overactivity, provided by questionnaire techniques, in children with rare genetic syndromes and have implications for the measurement of overactivity. Future studies should examine the impact of syndrome-related characteristics on actigraphy-defined activity and overactivity estimates from actigraphy and questionnaire techniques.","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"190 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140612198","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Dustin Baldridge, Levi Kaster, Catherine Sancimino, Siddharth Srivastava, Sophie Molholm, Aditi Gupta, Inez Oh, Virginia Lanzotti, Daleep Grewal, Erin Rooney Riggs, Juliann M. Savatt, Rachel Hauck, Abigail Sveden, John N. Constantino, Joseph Piven, Christina A. Gurnett, Maya Chopra, Heather Hazlett, Philip R. O. Payne
{"title":"The Brain Gene Registry: a data snapshot","authors":"Dustin Baldridge, Levi Kaster, Catherine Sancimino, Siddharth Srivastava, Sophie Molholm, Aditi Gupta, Inez Oh, Virginia Lanzotti, Daleep Grewal, Erin Rooney Riggs, Juliann M. Savatt, Rachel Hauck, Abigail Sveden, John N. Constantino, Joseph Piven, Christina A. Gurnett, Maya Chopra, Heather Hazlett, Philip R. O. Payne","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09530-3","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09530-3","url":null,"abstract":"Monogenic disorders account for a large proportion of population-attributable risk for neurodevelopmental disabilities. However, the data necessary to infer a causal relationship between a given genetic variant and a particular neurodevelopmental disorder is often lacking. Recognizing this scientific roadblock, 13 Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities Research Centers (IDDRCs) formed a consortium to create the Brain Gene Registry (BGR), a repository pairing clinical genetic data with phenotypic data from participants with variants in putative brain genes. Phenotypic profiles are assembled from the electronic health record (EHR) and a battery of remotely administered standardized assessments collectively referred to as the Rapid Neurobehavioral Assessment Protocol (RNAP), which include cognitive, neurologic, and neuropsychiatric assessments, as well as assessments for attention deficit hyperactivity disorder (ADHD) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD). Co-enrollment of BGR participants in the Clinical Genome Resource’s (ClinGen’s) GenomeConnect enables display of variant information in ClinVar. The BGR currently contains data on 479 participants who are 55% male, 6% Asian, 6% Black or African American, 76% white, and 12% Hispanic/Latine. Over 200 genes are represented in the BGR, with 12 or more participants harboring variants in each of these genes: CACNA1A, DNMT3A, SLC6A1, SETD5, and MYT1L. More than 30% of variants are de novo and 43% are classified as variants of uncertain significance (VUSs). Mean standard scores on cognitive or developmental screens are below average for the BGR cohort. EHR data reveal developmental delay as the earliest and most common diagnosis in this sample, followed by speech and language disorders, ASD, and ADHD. BGR data has already been used to accelerate gene-disease validity curation of 36 genes evaluated by ClinGen’s BGR Intellectual Disability (ID)-Autism (ASD) Gene Curation Expert Panel. In summary, the BGR is a resource for use by stakeholders interested in advancing translational research for brain genes and continues to recruit participants with clinically reported variants to establish a rich and well-characterized national resource to promote research on neurodevelopmental disorders.","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"34 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140612225","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Katherine B. McCullough, Amanda Titus, Kate Reardon, Sara Conyers, Joseph D. Dougherty, Xia Ge, Joel R. Garbow, Patricia Dickson, Carla M. Yuede, Susan E. Maloney
{"title":"Characterization of early markers of disease in the mouse model of mucopolysaccharidosis IIIB","authors":"Katherine B. McCullough, Amanda Titus, Kate Reardon, Sara Conyers, Joseph D. Dougherty, Xia Ge, Joel R. Garbow, Patricia Dickson, Carla M. Yuede, Susan E. Maloney","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09534-z","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09534-z","url":null,"abstract":"Mucopolysaccharidosis (MPS) IIIB, also known as Sanfilippo Syndrome B, is a devastating childhood disease. Unfortunately, there are currently no available treatments for MPS IIIB patients. Yet, animal models of lysosomal storage diseases have been valuable tools in identifying promising avenues of treatment. Enzyme replacement therapy, gene therapy, and bone marrow transplant have all shown efficacy in the MPS IIIB model systems. A ubiquitous finding across rodent models of lysosomal storage diseases is that the best treatment outcomes resulted from intervention prior to symptom onset. Therefore, the aim of the current study was to identify early markers of disease in the MPS IIIB mouse model as well as examine clinically-relevant behavioral domains not yet explored in this model. Using the MPS IIIB mouse model, we explored early developmental trajectories of communication and gait, and later social behavior, fear-related startle and conditioning, and visual capabilities. In addition, we examined brain structure and function via magnetic resonance imaging and diffusion tensor imaging. We observed reduced maternal isolation-induced ultrasonic vocalizations in MPS IIIB mice relative to controls, as well as disruption in a number of the spectrotemporal features. MPS IIIB also exhibited disrupted thermoregulation during the first two postnatal weeks without any differences in body weight. The developmental trajectories of gait were largely normal. In early adulthood, we observed intact visual acuity and sociability yet a more submissive phenotype, increased aggressive behavior, and decreased social sniffing relative to controls. MPS IIIB mice showed greater inhibition of startle in response to a pretone with a decrease in overall startle response and reduced cued fear memory. MPS IIIB also weighed significantly more than controls throughout adulthood and showed larger whole brain volumes and normalized regional volumes with intact tissue integrity as measured with magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging, respectively. Together, these results indicate disease markers are present as early as the first two weeks postnatal in this model. Further, this model recapitulates social, sensory and fear-related clinical features. Our study using a mouse model of MPS IIIB provides essential baseline information that will be useful in future evaluations of potential treatments.","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"26 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-17","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140612457","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Emily Neuhaus, Hannah Rea, Elizabeth Jones, Hannah Benavidez, Conor Miles, Alana Whiting, Margaret Johansson, Curtis Eayrs, Evangeline C. Kurtz-Nelson, Rachel Earl, Raphael A. Bernier, Evan E. Eichler
{"title":"Shared and divergent mental health characteristics of ADNP-, CHD8- and DYRK1A-related neurodevelopmental conditions","authors":"Emily Neuhaus, Hannah Rea, Elizabeth Jones, Hannah Benavidez, Conor Miles, Alana Whiting, Margaret Johansson, Curtis Eayrs, Evangeline C. Kurtz-Nelson, Rachel Earl, Raphael A. Bernier, Evan E. Eichler","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09532-1","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09532-1","url":null,"abstract":"Neurodevelopmental conditions such as intellectual disability (ID) and autism spectrum disorder (ASD) can stem from a broad array of inherited and de novo genetic differences, with marked physiological and behavioral impacts. We currently know little about the psychiatric phenotypes of rare genetic variants associated with ASD, despite heightened risk of psychiatric concerns in ASD more broadly. Understanding behavioral features of these variants can identify shared versus specific phenotypes across gene groups, facilitate mechanistic models, and provide prognostic insights to inform clinical practice. In this paper, we evaluate behavioral features within three gene groups associated with ID and ASD – ADNP, CHD8, and DYRK1A – with two aims: (1) characterize phenotypes across behavioral domains of anxiety, depression, ADHD, and challenging behavior; and (2) understand whether age and early developmental milestones are associated with later mental health outcomes. Phenotypic data were obtained for youth with disruptive variants in ADNP, CHD8, or DYRK1A (N = 65, mean age = 8.7 years, 40% female) within a long-running, genetics-first study. Standardized caregiver-report measures of mental health features (anxiety, depression, attention-deficit/hyperactivity, oppositional behavior) and developmental history were extracted and analyzed for effects of gene group, age, and early developmental milestones on mental health features. Patterns of mental health features varied by group, with anxiety most prominent for CHD8, oppositional features overrepresented among ADNP, and attentional and depressive features most prominent for DYRK1A. For the full sample, age was positively associated with anxiety features, such that elevations in anxiety relative to same-age and same-sex peers may worsen with increasing age. Predictive utility of early developmental milestones was limited, with evidence of early language delays predicting greater difficulties across behavioral domains only for the CHD8 group. Despite shared associations with autism and intellectual disability, disruptive variants in ADNP, CHD8, and DYRK1A may yield variable psychiatric phenotypes among children and adolescents. With replication in larger samples over time, efforts such as these may contribute to improved clinical care for affected children and adolescents, allow for earlier identification of emerging mental health difficulties, and promote early intervention to alleviate concerns and improve quality of life.","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"83 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-15","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140596512","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Daniela Jardim Pereira, Sofia Morais, Alexandre Sayal, João Pereira, Sofia Meneses, Graça Areias, Bruno Direito, António Macedo, Miguel Castelo-Branco
{"title":"Neurofeedback training of executive function in autism spectrum disorder: distinct effects on brain activity levels and compensatory connectivity changes","authors":"Daniela Jardim Pereira, Sofia Morais, Alexandre Sayal, João Pereira, Sofia Meneses, Graça Areias, Bruno Direito, António Macedo, Miguel Castelo-Branco","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09531-2","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09531-2","url":null,"abstract":"Deficits in executive function (EF) are consistently reported in autism spectrum disorders (ASD). Tailored cognitive training tools, such as neurofeedback, focused on executive function enhancement might have a significant impact on the daily life functioning of individuals with ASD. We report the first real-time fMRI neurofeedback (rt-fMRI NF) study targeting the left dorsolateral prefrontal cortex (DLPFC) in ASD. Thirteen individuals with autism without intellectual disability and seventeen neurotypical individuals completed a rt-fMRI working memory NF paradigm, consisting of subvocal backward recitation of self-generated numeric sequences. We performed a region-of-interest analysis of the DLPFC, whole-brain comparisons between groups and, DLPFC-based functional connectivity. The ASD and control groups were able to modulate DLPFC activity in 84% and 98% of the runs. Activity in the target region was persistently lower in the ASD group, particularly in runs without neurofeedback. Moreover, the ASD group showed lower activity in premotor/motor areas during pre-neurofeedback run than controls, but not in transfer runs, where it was seemingly balanced by higher connectivity between the DLPFC and the motor cortex. Group comparison in the transfer run also showed significant differences in DLPFC-based connectivity between groups, including higher connectivity with areas integrated into the multidemand network (MDN) and the visual cortex. Neurofeedback seems to induce a higher between-group similarity of the whole-brain activity levels (including the target ROI) which might be promoted by changes in connectivity between the DLPFC and both high and low-level areas, including motor, visual and MDN regions.","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"2022 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2024-04-11","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140596458","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Khrystyna Shchubelka, Liudmyla Turova, Walter Wolfsberger, Kelly Kalanquin, Krista Williston, Oleksii Kurutsa, Anastasiia Makovetska, Yaroslava Hasynets, Violeta Mirutenko, Mykhailo Vakerych, Taras K Oleksyk
{"title":"Genetic determinants of global developmental delay and intellectual disability in Ukrainian children.","authors":"Khrystyna Shchubelka, Liudmyla Turova, Walter Wolfsberger, Kelly Kalanquin, Krista Williston, Oleksii Kurutsa, Anastasiia Makovetska, Yaroslava Hasynets, Violeta Mirutenko, Mykhailo Vakerych, Taras K Oleksyk","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09528-x","DOIUrl":"10.1186/s11689-024-09528-x","url":null,"abstract":"<p><strong>Background: </strong>Global developmental delay or intellectual disability usually accompanies various genetic disorders as a part of the syndrome, which may include seizures, autism spectrum disorder and multiple congenital abnormalities. Next-generation sequencing (NGS) techniques have improved the identification of pathogenic variants and genes related to developmental delay. This study aimed to evaluate the yield of whole exome sequencing (WES) and neurodevelopmental disorder gene panel sequencing in a pediatric cohort from Ukraine. Additionally, the study computationally predicted the effect of variants of uncertain significance (VUS) based on recently published genetic data from the country's healthy population.</p><p><strong>Methods: </strong>The study retrospectively analyzed WES or gene panel sequencing findings of 417 children with global developmental delay, intellectual disability, and/or other symptoms. Variants of uncertain significance were annotated using CADD-Phred and SIFT prediction scores, and their frequency in the healthy population of Ukraine was estimated.</p><p><strong>Results: </strong>A definitive molecular diagnosis was established in 66 (15.8%) of the individuals. WES diagnosed 22 out of 37 cases (59.4%), while the neurodevelopmental gene panel identified 44 definitive diagnoses among the 380 tested patients (12.1%). Non-diagnostic findings (VUS and carrier) were reported in 350 (83.2%) individuals. The most frequently diagnosed conditions were developmental and epileptic encephalopathies associated with severe epilepsy and GDD/ID (associated genes ARX, CDKL5, STXBP1, KCNQ2, SCN2A, KCNT1, KCNA2). Additionally, we annotated 221 VUS classified as potentially damaging, AD or X-linked, potentially increasing the diagnostic yield by 30%, but 18 of these variants were present in the healthy population of Ukraine.</p><p><strong>Conclusions: </strong>This is the first comprehensive study on genetic causes of GDD/ID conducted in Ukraine. This study provides the first comprehensive investigation of the genetic causes of GDD/ID in Ukraine. It presents a substantial dataset of diagnosed genetic conditions associated with GDD/ID. The results support the utilization of NGS gene panels and WES as first-line diagnostic tools for GDD/ID cases, particularly in resource-limited settings. A comprehensive approach to resolving VUS, including computational effect prediction, population frequency analysis, and phenotype assessment, can aid in further reclassification of deleterious VUS and guide further testing in families.</p>","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"16 1","pages":"13"},"PeriodicalIF":4.1,"publicationDate":"2024-03-27","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"https://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pmc/articles/PMC10967201/pdf/","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140305956","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"OA","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Lindsay J. Mullin, Joshua Rutsohn, Julia L. Gross, Kelly E. Caravella, Rebecca L. Grzadzinski, Leigh Anne Weisenfeld, Lisa Flake, Kelly N. Botteron, Stephen R. Dager, Annette M. Estes, Juhi Pandey, Robert T. Schultz, Tanya St. John, Jason J. Wolff, Mark D. Shen, Joseph Piven, Heather C. Hazlett, Jessica B. Girault
{"title":"Differential cognitive and behavioral development from 6 to 24 months in autism and fragile X syndrome","authors":"Lindsay J. Mullin, Joshua Rutsohn, Julia L. Gross, Kelly E. Caravella, Rebecca L. Grzadzinski, Leigh Anne Weisenfeld, Lisa Flake, Kelly N. Botteron, Stephen R. Dager, Annette M. Estes, Juhi Pandey, Robert T. Schultz, Tanya St. John, Jason J. Wolff, Mark D. Shen, Joseph Piven, Heather C. Hazlett, Jessica B. Girault","doi":"10.1186/s11689-024-09519-y","DOIUrl":"https://doi.org/10.1186/s11689-024-09519-y","url":null,"abstract":"Specifying early developmental differences among neurodevelopmental disorders with distinct etiologies is critical to improving early identification and tailored intervention during the first years of life. Recent studies have uncovered important differences between infants with fragile X syndrome (FXS) and infants with familial history of autism spectrum disorder who go on to develop autism themselves (FH-ASD), including differences in brain development and behavior. Thus far, there have been no studies longitudinally investigating differential developmental skill profiles in FXS and FH-ASD infants. The current study contrasted longitudinal trajectories of verbal (expressive and receptive language) and nonverbal (gross and fine motor, visual reception) skills in FXS and FH-ASD infants, compared to FH infants who did not develop ASD (FH-nonASD) and typically developing controls. Infants with FXS showed delays on a nonverbal composite compared to FH-ASD (as well as FH-nonASD and control) infants as early as 6 months of age. By 12 months an ordinal pattern of scores was established between groups on all domains tested, such that controls > FH-nonASD > FH-ASD > FXS. This pattern persisted through 24 months. Cognitive level differentially influenced developmental trajectories for FXS and FH-ASD. Our results demonstrate detectable group differences by 6 months between FXS and FH-ASD as well as differential trajectories on each domain throughout infancy. This work further highlights an earlier onset of global cognitive delays in FXS and, conversely, a protracted period of more slowly emerging delays in FH-ASD. Divergent neural and cognitive development in infancy between FXS and FH-ASD contributes to our understanding of important distinctions in the development and behavioral phenotype of these two groups.","PeriodicalId":16530,"journal":{"name":"Journal of Neurodevelopmental Disorders","volume":"28 1","pages":""},"PeriodicalIF":4.9,"publicationDate":"2024-03-20","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"140168867","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":2,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}