BACKGROUND Hereditary spastic paraplegia(HSP)is a group of neurogenetic diseases of the corticospinal tract,accompanied by distinct spasticity and weakness of the lower extremities.Mutations in the spastic paraplegia ...BACKGROUND Hereditary spastic paraplegia(HSP)is a group of neurogenetic diseases of the corticospinal tract,accompanied by distinct spasticity and weakness of the lower extremities.Mutations in the spastic paraplegia type 4(SPG4)gene,encoding the spastin protein,are the major cause of the disease.This study reported a Chinese family with HSP caused by a novel mutation of the SPG4 gene.CASE SUMMARY A 44-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for long-term right lower limb weakness,leg stiffness,and unstable walking.His symptoms gradually worsened,while no obvious muscle atrophy in the lower limbs was found.Neurological examinations revealed that the muscle strength of the lower limbs was normal,and knee reflex hyperreflexia and bilateral positive Babinski signs were detected.Members of his family also had the same symptoms.Using mutation analysis,a novel heterozygous duplication mutation,c.1053dupA,p.(Gln352Thrfs*15),was identified in the SPG4 gene in this family.CONCLUSION A Chinese family with HSP had a novel mutation of the SPG4 gene,which is autosomal dominant and inherited as pure HSP.The age of onset,sex distribution,and clinical manifestations of all existing living patients in this family were analyzed.The findings may extend the current knowledge on the existing mutations in the SPG4 gene.展开更多
The patient is 50-year-old man. He was admitted to our hospital with a strong back pain and diagnosed as an acute type B aortic dissection. On the second day of hospitalization, he developed symptoms of paraplegia, an...The patient is 50-year-old man. He was admitted to our hospital with a strong back pain and diagnosed as an acute type B aortic dissection. On the second day of hospitalization, he developed symptoms of paraplegia, and we considered TEVAR, but we were concerned that TEVAR intervention in the acute phase might worsen the dissection, so we first placed a cerebrospinal drainage (CSFD) device, which resulted in improvement of his symptoms. Thereafter, although his lower limb mobility was fine, he underwent thoracic stent graft aortic repair (TEVAR) in the subacute phase due to worsening ULP. The patient had a good postoperative course and was discharged home unassisted. The initial placement of CSFD was effective in reducing the incidence of paraplegia as a complication of TEVAR and in bringing the timing of TEVAR intervention from the acute phase to the subacute phase.展开更多
Developing effective and long-term treatment strategies for rare and complex neurodegenerative diseases is challenging. One of the major roadblocks is the extensive heterogeneity among patients. This hinders understan...Developing effective and long-term treatment strategies for rare and complex neurodegenerative diseases is challenging. One of the major roadblocks is the extensive heterogeneity among patients. This hinders understanding the underlying disease-causing mechanisms and building solutions that have implications for a broad spectrum of patients. One potential solution is to develop personalized medicine approaches based on strategies that target the most prevalent cellular events that are perturbed in patients. Especially in patients with a known genetic mutation, it may be possible to understand how these mutations contribute to problems that lead to neurodegeneration. Protein–protein interaction analyses offer great advantages for revealing how proteins interact, which cellular events are primarily involved in these interactions, and how they become affected when key genes are mutated in patients. This line of investigation also suggests novel druggable targets for patients with different mutations. Here, we focus on alsin and spastin, two proteins that are identified as “causative” for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and hereditary spastic paraplegia, respectively, when mutated. Our review analyzes the protein interactome for alsin and spastin, the canonical pathways that are primarily important for each protein domain, as well as compounds that are either Food and Drug Administration–approved or are in active clinical trials concerning the affected cellular pathways. This line of research begins to pave the way for personalized medicine approaches that are desperately needed for rare neurodegenerative diseases that are complex and heterogeneous.展开更多
Patients and physicians understand the importance of self-care following spinal cord injury (SCI), yet many individuals with SCI do not adhere to recommended self-care activities despite logistical supports. Neurobeha...Patients and physicians understand the importance of self-care following spinal cord injury (SCI), yet many individuals with SCI do not adhere to recommended self-care activities despite logistical supports. Neurobehavioral determinants of SCI self-care behavior, such as impulsivity, are not widely studied, yet understanding them could inform efforts to improve SCI self-care. We explored associations between impulsivity and self-care in an observational study of 35 US adults age 18 - 50 who had traumatic SCI with paraplegia at least six months before assessment. The primary outcome measure was self-reported self-care. In LASSO regression models that included all neurobehavioral measures and demographics as predictors of self-care, dispositional measures of greater impulsivity (negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance), and reduced mindfulness were associated with reduced self-care. Outcome (magnitude) sensitivity, a latent decision-making parameter derived from computationally modeling successive choices in a gambling task, was also associated with self-care behavior. These results are preliminary;more research is needed to demonstrate the utility of these findings in clinical settings. Information about associations between impulsivity and poor self-care in people with SCI could guide the development of interventions to improve SCI self-care and help patients with elevated risks related to self-care and secondary health conditions.展开更多
Impaired axonal development and degeneration underlie debilitating neurodegenerative diseases including hereditary spastic paraplegia, a large group of inherited diseases. Hereditary spastic paraplegia is caused by re...Impaired axonal development and degeneration underlie debilitating neurodegenerative diseases including hereditary spastic paraplegia, a large group of inherited diseases. Hereditary spastic paraplegia is caused by retrograde degeneration of the long corticospinal tract axons, leading to progressive spasticity and weakness of leg and hip muscles. There are over 70 subtypes with various underlying pathophysiological processes, such as defective vesicular trafficking, lipid metabolism, organelle shaping, axonal transport, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Although hereditary spastic paraplegia consists of various subtypes with different pathological characteristics, defects in mitochondrial morphology and function emerge as one of the common cellular themes in hereditary spastic paraplegia. Mitochondrial morphology and function are remodeled by mitochondrial dynamics regulated by several key fission and fusion mediators. However, the role of mitochondrial dynamics in axonal defects of hereditary spastic paraplegia remains largely unknown. Recently, studies reported perturbed mitochondrial morphology in hereditary spastic paraplegia neurons. Moreover, downregulation of mitochondrial fission regulator dynamin-related protein 1, both pharmacologically and genetically, could rescue axonal outgrowth defects in hereditary spastic paraplegia neurons, providing a potential therapeutic target for treating these hereditary spastic paraplegia. This mini-review will describe the regulation of mitochondrial fission/fusion, the link between mitochondrial dynamics and axonal defects, and the recent progress on the role of mitochondrial dynamics in axonal defects of hereditary spastic paraplegia.展开更多
PCR amplification and sequencing of whole blood DNA from an individual with hereditary spastic paraplegia, as well as family members, revealed a fragment of proteolipid protein 1 （PLP1） gene exon 1, which excluded t...PCR amplification and sequencing of whole blood DNA from an individual with hereditary spastic paraplegia, as well as family members, revealed a fragment of proteolipid protein 1 （PLP1） gene exon 1, which excluded the possibility of isomer 1 expression for this family. The fragment sequence of exon 3 and exon 5 was consistent with the proteolipid protein 1 sequence at NCBI. In the proband samples, a PLP1 point mutation in exon 4 was detected at the basic group of position 844, T→C, phenylalanine→leucine. In proband samples from a male cousin, the basic group at position 844 was C, but gene sequencing signals revealed mixed signals of T and C, indicating possible mutation at this locus. Results demonstrated that changes in PLP1 exon 4 amino acids were associated with onset of hereditary spastic paraplegia.展开更多
We report the case of a 51-year-old female with rapid neurological deterioration as an initial presentation of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Paraplegia occurred suddenly after a 4-day history of weakness and numbness of th...We report the case of a 51-year-old female with rapid neurological deterioration as an initial presentation of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Paraplegia occurred suddenly after a 4-day history of weakness and numbness of the lower extremity. MRI revealed a dorsal epidural mass from T10 to T11 that compressed the spinal cord. There was neither bone destruction nor a paravertebral mass. Emergency decompressive laminectomy and tumor resection were performed. Histological analysis of the surgical specimen indicated diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The clinical stage was IV on CT and complete remission was achieved by subsequent chemotherapy. Spinal cord compression occurs in the course of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 0.1% - 6.5% of cases, but this situation usually develops in the late phase with bone destruction and/or a paravertebral mass. Cord compression and especially the severe symptoms such as paraplegia are rare as the initial presentation of lymphoma.展开更多
62 patients with traumatic paraplegia were treated with acupuncture(GovernorVessel electro-stimulation),according to the theories of TCM such as dredging the meridians,regu-lating vital energy and blood,improving bloo...62 patients with traumatic paraplegia were treated with acupuncture(GovernorVessel electro-stimulation),according to the theories of TCM such as dredging the meridians,regu-lating vital energy and blood,improving blood circulation,reinforcing marrow and replenishing brain.The effect of acupuncture on urinary bladder disturbance was studied.The results indicated that totaleffect rate was 96.8%(Ⅰ—Ⅲ),marked effect rate was 66.1%(Ⅰ—Ⅱ).The marked effect rate incomplete paraplegia was significantly different from that in imcomplete paraplegia;it was 63.0% and87.5% respectively.Furthermore,the results suggested that the degree of spinal cord injury was veryimprotant factor that affected the effect of acupuncture therapy.展开更多
BACKGROUND Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) refer to a group of heterogeneous neurodegenerative diseases characterized by lower limbs spasticity and weakness. So far, over 72 genes have been found to cause HSP (S...BACKGROUND Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) refer to a group of heterogeneous neurodegenerative diseases characterized by lower limbs spasticity and weakness. So far, over 72 genes have been found to cause HSP (SPG1-SPG72). Among autosomal dominant HSP patients, spastic paraplegia 4 (SPG4/SPAST) gene is the most common pathogenic gene, and atlastin-1 (ATL1) is the second most common one. Here we reported a novel ATL1 mutation in a Chinese spastic paraplegia 3A (SPG3A) family, which expands the clinical and genetic spectrum of ATL1 mutations. CASE SUMMARY A 9-year-old boy with progressive spastic paraplegia accompanied by right hearing loss and mental retardation for five years was admitted to our hospital.Past history was unremarkable. The family history was positive, and his grandfather and mother had similar symptoms. Neurological examinations revealed hypermyotonia in his lower limbs, hyperreflexia in knee reflex, bilateral positive Babinski signs and scissors gait. The results of blood routine test, liver function test, blood glucose test, ceruloplasmin test and vitamin test were all normal. The serum lactic acid level was significantly increased. The testing for brainstem auditory evoked potential demonstrated that the right side hearing was impaired while the left was normal. Magnetic resonance imaging showed mild atrophy of the spinal cord. The gene panel test revealed that the proband carried an ATL1 c.752A>G p.Gln251Arg (p.Q251R) mutation, and Sanger sequencing confirmed the existence of family co-segregation. CONCLUSION We reported a novel ATL1 Q251R mutation and a novel clinical phenotype of hearing loss in a Chinese SPG3A family.展开更多
Objective To clarify the pathologic change of the motor neuron on spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury delayed paraplegia.Methods The infrarenal aorta of White New Zealand rabbits(n=24) was occluded for 26 minutes ...Objective To clarify the pathologic change of the motor neuron on spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury delayed paraplegia.Methods The infrarenal aorta of White New Zealand rabbits(n=24) was occluded for 26 minutes using two bulldog clamps.Rabbits were killed after 8,24,72,or 168 hours(n=6 per group),respectively.The clamps was placed but never clamped in sham-operated rabbits(n=24).The lumbar segment of the spinal cord(L5 to L7) was used for morphological studies,including hematoxylin and eosin staining,the expression of bcl-2 and bax proteins in spinal cord was detected with immunohistochemistry.The apoptotic neurons in spinal cord were measured with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling of DNA fragments(TUNEL) staining.Results Delayed paraplegia occurred in all rabbits of ischemia reperfusion group at 16-24 hours,but not in sham groups.Motor neurons were selectively lost at 7 days after transient ischemia.After ischemia,the positive expression of bcl-2 protein were in the sham controls but decreased significantly as compared with that of the IR group(P<0.01),especially in 72 hours reperfusion.The positive expression of bax protein were also in the sham controls, but increased in the IR group,especially in 72 hours reperfusion;In addition, TUNEL study demonstrated that no cells were positively labeled until 24 hours after ischemia,but nuclei of some motor neurons were positively labeled at peak after ischemia reperfusion at 72 hours.Conclusion Spinal cord ischemia in rabbits induces morphological and biochemical changes suggestive of apoptosis.These data raise the possibility that apoptosis contributes to neuronal cell death after spinal cord ischemia reperfusion.展开更多
基金Supported by The Shandong Provincial Natural Science Foundation,No.ZR2021MH059。
文摘BACKGROUND Hereditary spastic paraplegia(HSP)is a group of neurogenetic diseases of the corticospinal tract,accompanied by distinct spasticity and weakness of the lower extremities.Mutations in the spastic paraplegia type 4(SPG4)gene,encoding the spastin protein,are the major cause of the disease.This study reported a Chinese family with HSP caused by a novel mutation of the SPG4 gene.CASE SUMMARY A 44-year-old male was admitted to our hospital for long-term right lower limb weakness,leg stiffness,and unstable walking.His symptoms gradually worsened,while no obvious muscle atrophy in the lower limbs was found.Neurological examinations revealed that the muscle strength of the lower limbs was normal,and knee reflex hyperreflexia and bilateral positive Babinski signs were detected.Members of his family also had the same symptoms.Using mutation analysis,a novel heterozygous duplication mutation,c.1053dupA,p.(Gln352Thrfs*15),was identified in the SPG4 gene in this family.CONCLUSION A Chinese family with HSP had a novel mutation of the SPG4 gene,which is autosomal dominant and inherited as pure HSP.The age of onset,sex distribution,and clinical manifestations of all existing living patients in this family were analyzed.The findings may extend the current knowledge on the existing mutations in the SPG4 gene.
文摘The patient is 50-year-old man. He was admitted to our hospital with a strong back pain and diagnosed as an acute type B aortic dissection. On the second day of hospitalization, he developed symptoms of paraplegia, and we considered TEVAR, but we were concerned that TEVAR intervention in the acute phase might worsen the dissection, so we first placed a cerebrospinal drainage (CSFD) device, which resulted in improvement of his symptoms. Thereafter, although his lower limb mobility was fine, he underwent thoracic stent graft aortic repair (TEVAR) in the subacute phase due to worsening ULP. The patient had a good postoperative course and was discharged home unassisted. The initial placement of CSFD was effective in reducing the incidence of paraplegia as a complication of TEVAR and in bringing the timing of TEVAR intervention from the acute phase to the subacute phase.
基金funded by NIH-NIA R01AG061708 (to PHO)Patrick Grange Memorial Foundation (to PHO)+1 种基金A Long Swim (to PHO)CureSPG4 Foundation (to PHO)。
文摘Developing effective and long-term treatment strategies for rare and complex neurodegenerative diseases is challenging. One of the major roadblocks is the extensive heterogeneity among patients. This hinders understanding the underlying disease-causing mechanisms and building solutions that have implications for a broad spectrum of patients. One potential solution is to develop personalized medicine approaches based on strategies that target the most prevalent cellular events that are perturbed in patients. Especially in patients with a known genetic mutation, it may be possible to understand how these mutations contribute to problems that lead to neurodegeneration. Protein–protein interaction analyses offer great advantages for revealing how proteins interact, which cellular events are primarily involved in these interactions, and how they become affected when key genes are mutated in patients. This line of investigation also suggests novel druggable targets for patients with different mutations. Here, we focus on alsin and spastin, two proteins that are identified as “causative” for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and hereditary spastic paraplegia, respectively, when mutated. Our review analyzes the protein interactome for alsin and spastin, the canonical pathways that are primarily important for each protein domain, as well as compounds that are either Food and Drug Administration–approved or are in active clinical trials concerning the affected cellular pathways. This line of research begins to pave the way for personalized medicine approaches that are desperately needed for rare neurodegenerative diseases that are complex and heterogeneous.
文摘Patients and physicians understand the importance of self-care following spinal cord injury (SCI), yet many individuals with SCI do not adhere to recommended self-care activities despite logistical supports. Neurobehavioral determinants of SCI self-care behavior, such as impulsivity, are not widely studied, yet understanding them could inform efforts to improve SCI self-care. We explored associations between impulsivity and self-care in an observational study of 35 US adults age 18 - 50 who had traumatic SCI with paraplegia at least six months before assessment. The primary outcome measure was self-reported self-care. In LASSO regression models that included all neurobehavioral measures and demographics as predictors of self-care, dispositional measures of greater impulsivity (negative urgency, lack of premeditation, lack of perseverance), and reduced mindfulness were associated with reduced self-care. Outcome (magnitude) sensitivity, a latent decision-making parameter derived from computationally modeling successive choices in a gambling task, was also associated with self-care behavior. These results are preliminary;more research is needed to demonstrate the utility of these findings in clinical settings. Information about associations between impulsivity and poor self-care in people with SCI could guide the development of interventions to improve SCI self-care and help patients with elevated risks related to self-care and secondary health conditions.
文摘Impaired axonal development and degeneration underlie debilitating neurodegenerative diseases including hereditary spastic paraplegia, a large group of inherited diseases. Hereditary spastic paraplegia is caused by retrograde degeneration of the long corticospinal tract axons, leading to progressive spasticity and weakness of leg and hip muscles. There are over 70 subtypes with various underlying pathophysiological processes, such as defective vesicular trafficking, lipid metabolism, organelle shaping, axonal transport, and mitochondrial dysfunction. Although hereditary spastic paraplegia consists of various subtypes with different pathological characteristics, defects in mitochondrial morphology and function emerge as one of the common cellular themes in hereditary spastic paraplegia. Mitochondrial morphology and function are remodeled by mitochondrial dynamics regulated by several key fission and fusion mediators. However, the role of mitochondrial dynamics in axonal defects of hereditary spastic paraplegia remains largely unknown. Recently, studies reported perturbed mitochondrial morphology in hereditary spastic paraplegia neurons. Moreover, downregulation of mitochondrial fission regulator dynamin-related protein 1, both pharmacologically and genetically, could rescue axonal outgrowth defects in hereditary spastic paraplegia neurons, providing a potential therapeutic target for treating these hereditary spastic paraplegia. This mini-review will describe the regulation of mitochondrial fission/fusion, the link between mitochondrial dynamics and axonal defects, and the recent progress on the role of mitochondrial dynamics in axonal defects of hereditary spastic paraplegia.
文摘PCR amplification and sequencing of whole blood DNA from an individual with hereditary spastic paraplegia, as well as family members, revealed a fragment of proteolipid protein 1 （PLP1） gene exon 1, which excluded the possibility of isomer 1 expression for this family. The fragment sequence of exon 3 and exon 5 was consistent with the proteolipid protein 1 sequence at NCBI. In the proband samples, a PLP1 point mutation in exon 4 was detected at the basic group of position 844, T→C, phenylalanine→leucine. In proband samples from a male cousin, the basic group at position 844 was C, but gene sequencing signals revealed mixed signals of T and C, indicating possible mutation at this locus. Results demonstrated that changes in PLP1 exon 4 amino acids were associated with onset of hereditary spastic paraplegia.
文摘We report the case of a 51-year-old female with rapid neurological deterioration as an initial presentation of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma. Paraplegia occurred suddenly after a 4-day history of weakness and numbness of the lower extremity. MRI revealed a dorsal epidural mass from T10 to T11 that compressed the spinal cord. There was neither bone destruction nor a paravertebral mass. Emergency decompressive laminectomy and tumor resection were performed. Histological analysis of the surgical specimen indicated diffuse large B cell lymphoma. The clinical stage was IV on CT and complete remission was achieved by subsequent chemotherapy. Spinal cord compression occurs in the course of non-Hodgkin’s lymphoma in 0.1% - 6.5% of cases, but this situation usually develops in the late phase with bone destruction and/or a paravertebral mass. Cord compression and especially the severe symptoms such as paraplegia are rare as the initial presentation of lymphoma.
文摘62 patients with traumatic paraplegia were treated with acupuncture(GovernorVessel electro-stimulation),according to the theories of TCM such as dredging the meridians,regu-lating vital energy and blood,improving blood circulation,reinforcing marrow and replenishing brain.The effect of acupuncture on urinary bladder disturbance was studied.The results indicated that totaleffect rate was 96.8%(Ⅰ—Ⅲ),marked effect rate was 66.1%(Ⅰ—Ⅱ).The marked effect rate incomplete paraplegia was significantly different from that in imcomplete paraplegia;it was 63.0% and87.5% respectively.Furthermore,the results suggested that the degree of spinal cord injury was veryimprotant factor that affected the effect of acupuncture therapy.
基金Supported by National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.81171068
文摘BACKGROUND Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) refer to a group of heterogeneous neurodegenerative diseases characterized by lower limbs spasticity and weakness. So far, over 72 genes have been found to cause HSP (SPG1-SPG72). Among autosomal dominant HSP patients, spastic paraplegia 4 (SPG4/SPAST) gene is the most common pathogenic gene, and atlastin-1 (ATL1) is the second most common one. Here we reported a novel ATL1 mutation in a Chinese spastic paraplegia 3A (SPG3A) family, which expands the clinical and genetic spectrum of ATL1 mutations. CASE SUMMARY A 9-year-old boy with progressive spastic paraplegia accompanied by right hearing loss and mental retardation for five years was admitted to our hospital.Past history was unremarkable. The family history was positive, and his grandfather and mother had similar symptoms. Neurological examinations revealed hypermyotonia in his lower limbs, hyperreflexia in knee reflex, bilateral positive Babinski signs and scissors gait. The results of blood routine test, liver function test, blood glucose test, ceruloplasmin test and vitamin test were all normal. The serum lactic acid level was significantly increased. The testing for brainstem auditory evoked potential demonstrated that the right side hearing was impaired while the left was normal. Magnetic resonance imaging showed mild atrophy of the spinal cord. The gene panel test revealed that the proband carried an ATL1 c.752A>G p.Gln251Arg (p.Q251R) mutation, and Sanger sequencing confirmed the existence of family co-segregation. CONCLUSION We reported a novel ATL1 Q251R mutation and a novel clinical phenotype of hearing loss in a Chinese SPG3A family.
基金This study was supported by the Foundation of Science of Shaanxi Province Health Department(No.04012).
文摘Objective To clarify the pathologic change of the motor neuron on spinal cord ischemia reperfusion injury delayed paraplegia.Methods The infrarenal aorta of White New Zealand rabbits(n=24) was occluded for 26 minutes using two bulldog clamps.Rabbits were killed after 8,24,72,or 168 hours(n=6 per group),respectively.The clamps was placed but never clamped in sham-operated rabbits(n=24).The lumbar segment of the spinal cord(L5 to L7) was used for morphological studies,including hematoxylin and eosin staining,the expression of bcl-2 and bax proteins in spinal cord was detected with immunohistochemistry.The apoptotic neurons in spinal cord were measured with terminal deoxynucleotidyl transferase mediated dUTP-biotin nick end-labeling of DNA fragments(TUNEL) staining.Results Delayed paraplegia occurred in all rabbits of ischemia reperfusion group at 16-24 hours,but not in sham groups.Motor neurons were selectively lost at 7 days after transient ischemia.After ischemia,the positive expression of bcl-2 protein were in the sham controls but decreased significantly as compared with that of the IR group(P<0.01),especially in 72 hours reperfusion.The positive expression of bax protein were also in the sham controls, but increased in the IR group,especially in 72 hours reperfusion;In addition, TUNEL study demonstrated that no cells were positively labeled until 24 hours after ischemia,but nuclei of some motor neurons were positively labeled at peak after ischemia reperfusion at 72 hours.Conclusion Spinal cord ischemia in rabbits induces morphological and biochemical changes suggestive of apoptosis.These data raise the possibility that apoptosis contributes to neuronal cell death after spinal cord ischemia reperfusion.
