👤 Samuel F Berkovic

Periventricular nodular heterotopia (PVNH) is a common malformation of cortical development. We describe a distinctive imaging phenotype characterized by bilateral small heterotopic nodules of grey matter in the frontal periventricular regions, with an overview of the clinical, imaging, and genetic features. Investigators reviewed available brain MRI studies, clinical records and genetic findings of 32 individuals with bilateral frontal PVNH, ascertained from multiple centres between 1996 and 2021. The imaging phenotype consists of multiple, small, bilateral nodules of PVNH maximal along the frontal horns of the lateral ventricles. Frontal PVNH was associated with heterogeneous, often subtle, additional brain malformations in 72 % (23/32) individuals. The clinical phenotype was variable and included mild focal epilepsy in 7/32 and mild-moderate cognitive impairment or developmental delay in 13/32. Microarray was normal in 13/16 and exome or genome sequencing normal in 8/13 where testing was performed. A genetic diagnosis was achieved in seven patients; pathogenic chromosome deletions of 7q11.23 and 7p22.1, pathogenic intragenic variants in KANSL1, STXBP1 and MAP1B (mother-daughter pair), and a combined 13q12.12 deletion (containing SACS) and an intragenic SACS variant. Bilateral frontal PVNH has a variable clinical phenotype, but generally milder sequelae than other forms of bilateral PVNH. A genetic diagnosis was made by chromosome microarray alone in 13 % or by exome or genome sequencing in 38 % where access to testing was available, with no recurrent genetic cause being found. Our PVNH cohort data suggest that PVNH could be classified in three main groups: FLNA-associated "classic" bilateral frontocentral PVNH, posterior/infrasylvian PVNH and this third pattern of bilateral frontal PVNH, accounting for ∼10 % of all cases of PVNH. Show less

This study was undertaken to analyze phenotypic features of a cohort of patients with protracted CLN3 disease to improve recognition of the disorder. We analyzed phenotypic data of 10 patients from six families with protracted CLN3 disease. Haplotype analysis was performed in three reportedly unrelated families. Visual impairment was the initial symptom, with onset at 5-9 years, similar to classic CLN3 disease. Mean time from onset of visual impairment to seizures was 12 years (range = 6-41 years). Various seizure types were reported, most commonly generalized tonic-clonic seizures; focal seizures were present in four patients. Progressive myoclonus epilepsy was not seen. Interictal electroencephalogram revealed mild background slowing and 2.5-3.5-Hz spontaneous generalized spike-wave discharges. Additional interictal focal epileptiform discharges were noted in some patients. Age at death for the three deceased patients was 31, 31, and 52 years. Molecular testing revealed five individuals were homozygous for c.461-280₆₇₇ + 382del966, the "common 1-kb" CLN3 deletion. The remaining individuals were compound heterozygous for various combinations of recurrent pathogenic CLN3 variants. Haplotype analysis demonstrated evidence of a common founder for the common 1-kb deletion. Dating analysis suggested the deletion arose approximately 1500 years ago and thus did not represent cryptic familial relationship in this Australian cohort. We highlight the protracted phenotype of a disease generally associated with death in adolescence, which is a combined focal and generalized epilepsy syndrome with progressive neurological deterioration. The disorder should be suspected in an adolescent or adult patient presenting with generalized or focal seizures preceded by progressive visual loss. The common 1-kb deletion has been typically associated with classic CLN3 disease, and the protracted phenotype has not previously been reported with this genotype. This suggests that modifying genetic factors may be important in determining this somewhat milder phenotype and identification of these factors should be the subject of future research. Show less

The MAST family of microtubule-associated serine-threonine kinases (STKs) have distinct expression patterns in the developing and mature human and mouse brain. To date, only MAST1 has been conclusively associated with neurological disease, with de novo variants in individuals with a neurodevelopmental disorder, including a mega corpus callosum. Using exome sequencing, we identify MAST3 missense variants in individuals with epilepsy. We also assess the effect of these variants on the ability of MAST3 to phosphorylate the target gene product ARPP-16 in HEK293T cells. We identify de novo missense variants in the STK domain in 11 individuals, including 2 recurrent variants p.G510S (n = 5) and p.G515S (n = 3). All 11 individuals had developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, with 8 having normal development prior to seizure onset at <2 years of age. All patients developed multiple seizure types, 9 of 11 patients had seizures triggered by fever and 9 of 11 patients had drug-resistant seizures. In vitro analysis of HEK293T cells transfected with MAST3 cDNA carrying a subset of these patient-specific missense variants demonstrated variable but generally lower expression, with concomitant increased phosphorylation of the MAST3 target, ARPP-16, compared to wild-type. These findings suggest the patient-specific variants may confer MAST3 gain-of-function. Moreover, single-nuclei RNA sequencing and immunohistochemistry shows that MAST3 expression is restricted to excitatory neurons in the cortex late in prenatal development and postnatally. In summary, we describe MAST3 as a novel epilepsy-associated gene with a potential gain-of-function pathogenic mechanism that may be primarily restricted to excitatory neurons in the cortex. ANN NEUROL 2021;90:274-284. Show less

KANSL1 haploinsufficiency causes Koolen-de Vries syndrome (KdVS), characterized by dysmorphic features and intellectual disability; amiable personality, congenital malformations and seizures also commonly occur. The epilepsy phenotypic spectrum in KdVS is broad, but most individuals have focal seizures with some having a phenotype resembling the self-limited focal epilepsies of childhood (SFEC). We hypothesized that variants in KANSL1 contribute to pathogenesis of SFEC. We screened KANSL1 for single nucleotide variants in 90 patients with SFEC. We then screened a cohort of 208 patients with two specific SFEC syndromes, childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (CECTS) and atypical childhood epilepsy with centrotemporal spikes (ACECTS) for KANSL1 variants. The second cohort was also used to evaluate minor allelic variants that appeared overrepresented in the initial cohort. One variant, p.Lys104Thr, was predicted damaging and appeared overrepresented in our 90-patient cohort compared to Genome Aggregation Database (gnomAD) allele frequency (0.217 to 0.116, with no homozygotes in gnomAD). However, there was no difference in p.Lys104Thr allele frequency in the follow-up CECTS/ACECTS cohort and controls. Four rare KANSL1 variants of uncertain significance were identified in the CECTS/ACECTS cohort. Our data do not support a major role for KANSL1 variants in pathogenesis of SFEC. Show less

Juvenile neuronal-ceroid-lipofuscinosis (JNCL) is a lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in CLN3. The most frequent mutation is a 1.02-kb deletion that, when homozygous, causes the classical clinical presentation. Patients harboring mutations different than the major deletion show a marked clinical heterogeneity, including protracted disease course with possible involvement of extraneuronal tissues. Cardiac involvement is relatively rare in JNCL and it is usually due to myocardial storage of ceroid-lipofuscinin. Only recently, histopathological findings of autophagic vacuolar myopathy (AVM) were detected in JNCL patients with severe cardiomyopathy. We describe a 35-year-old male showing a delayed-classic JNCL with visual loss in childhood and neurological manifestations only appearing in adult life. He had an unusual CLN3 genotype with an unreported deletion (p.Ala349_Leu350del) and the known p.His315Glnfs*67 mutation. Autophagic vacuolar myopathy was shown by muscle biopsy. At clinical follow-up, moderately increased CPK levels were detected whereas periodic cardiac assessments have been normal to date. Adult neurologists should be aware of protracted JNCL as cause of progressive neurological decline in adults. The occurrence of autophagic vacuolar myopathy necessitates periodic cardiac surveillance, which is not usually an issue in classic JNCL due to early neurological death. Show less