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Mito
100

Presents in teenage years with progressive ataxia, dysarthria/dysphagia, sensory loss due to axonal neuropathy, high-arched feet, and weakness with relatively intact cognition

Cardiomyopathy is the most common cause of death  

disorder, gene, trinucleotide repeat 

Friedreich Ataxia (FA)

loss-of-function mutation of the frataxin (FXN) gene caused by a trinucleotide repeat of GAA (>66)

100

infantile form will present with an exaggerated startle, fevers, behavioral regression, optic atrophy, and hypertonicity. Death usually occurs within a few years of diagnosis.

Pathology will show large globoid cells which are PAS-positive multinucleated macrophages  

disease and what enzyme is deficient 

Krabbe disease

 deficiency of the enzyme galactocerebrosidase

100

Blood and urine studies can show increased levels of VLCFAs 

Presents with adrenal failure, testicular atrophy, hyperactivity, ataxia, vision/hearing loss, and seizures 

X-linked Adrenoleukodystrophy

GENE: ABCD1. mutation leads to impaired very-long-chain fatty acid (VLCFA) oxidation 

100

Symptoms of weakness, cramping, and fatigue begin at 3-5 years of age with loss of ambulation by 13 years. Death secondary to respiratory or cardiac failure typically occurs in the second to third decade of life 

 pseudohypertrophy in calf muscles, a waddling gait, toe walking, and Gower’s sign

bonus is you know treatment

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD)

GENE: dystrophin gene (DMD) resulting in complete loss of dystrophin. out-of-frame mutation 

Dystrophin anchors the cellular cytoskeleton to actin, contributing to the stability of the plasma membrane

tx: Eteplirsen, which works by exon skipping of dystrophin mRNA, was recently FDA-approved for a subset of patients with DMD who have out-of-frame mutations on exon 51 of the dystrophin gene 

 

100

appears in children/young adults (ages 2–15) with symptoms like recurrent stroke-like episodes (causing hemiparesis/blindness), seizures, severe headaches, muscle weakness, and dementia

MELAS syndrome (mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, lactic acidosis, and stroke-like episodes)

200

Presents between ages 5 and 35 years with hepatic, neurologic, and psychiatric symptoms 

Neurologic symptoms include dysarthria, ataxia, and dystonia 

Psychiatric symptoms include depression, irritability, and personality changes 

high urine copper, low serum copper, and low ceruloplasmin.

Kayser-Fleischer rings are seen on slit-lamp examination


Wilson’s Disease

  • Also known as hepatolenticular degeneration.

GENE:  ATP7B gene on chromosome 13 

Imaging: MRI FLAIR will show hyperintensities of the caudate, putamen, and midbrain

sparing of the red nucleus, also known radiographically as the “face of giant panda”

Tx: Chelation therapy (penicillamine, trientine) is the first-line treatment 

200

early-onset gait disturbance, stroke-like episodes, cognitive decline/dementia, premature alopecia (hair loss), and severe lower-back pain (spondylosis)

Cerebral Autosomal Recessive Arteriopathy with Subcortical Infarcts and Leukoencephalopathy (CARASIL) 

GENE: HTRA1 gene mutations 

CADASIL (autosomal dominant, NOTCH3 gene) causes migraines, strokes, and mood disorders


200

most prevalent lysosomal storage disorder

Presents with a painful small fiber peripheral neuropathy with autonomic manifestations (anhidrosis)

defect in alpha-galactosidase which leads to the accumulation of globotriaosylceramide

Fabry disease

GENE: GLA gene

defect in alpha-galactosidase which leads to the accumulation of globotriaosylceramide

200

present similarly to DMD but will do so later in life

Becker muscular dystrophy

GENE: dystrophin gene in-frame mutation

200

Key symptoms include uncontrollable muscle jerks (myoclonus), seizures, ataxia (incoordination), and muscle weakness 

Diagnosis is confirmed by identifying "ragged red fibers" in muscle biopsies

Myoclonic epilepsy with ragged red fibers

300

Presents in children between 1-2 years old with progressive cerebellar ataxia, telangiectasias, and recurrent sinopulmonary infections 

Have elevated serum α-fetoprotein 

 higher risk of cancer, particularly lymphomas

Ataxia Telangiectasia (ATM)

GENE: ATM gene 

Mnemonic: ATM: Ataxia, Telangiectasia, Mucus/Malignancy

300

Iron builds up in parts of the brain, leading to progressive parkinsonism, dystonia, dementia, personality change, vision loss, and ultimately death


Pantothenate-kinase-associated Neurodegeneration (PKAN)

mutation of the pantothenate kinase 2 (PANK2) gene


Imaging: Brain MRI will show the “eye of the tiger sign”  

300

 only X-linked urea cycle disorder

Symptoms arise from toxic ammonia buildup and can occur shortly after birth (neonatal) or later in life. 

Within days of birth, infants may exhibit rapid breathing, lethargy, irritability, poor feeding, seizures, coma, and poor temperature regulation 

Identified through high blood ammonia, elevated urine orotic acid, low citrulline

 

Ornithine Transcarbamylase Deficiency 

GENE: OTC gene

300

neuromuscular disorder with triad of (1) pigmentary retinopathy (2) progressive external ophthalmoplegia (3) cardiac conduction abnormalities 

typically presents at <20 years of age 


Kearns-Sayre Syndrome (KSS)

400

most common cause of progressive motor neuron disease in infancy but can also present in childhood or as an adult 

 characterized by degeneration of the anterior horn cells resulting in progressive weakness, hypotonia, and atrophy

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

GENE:  Survival motor neuron (SMN1) gene 

tx: 

In 2017, nusinersen, an antisense oligonucleotide delivered by intrathecal injection was FDA-approved as the first treatment for SMA type 1 

More recently the FDA has also approved onasemnogene abeparvovec, an IV-administered adeno-associated virus vector-based gene therapy 

Phenotypes of SMA types: “Type I, never sit; type II, never walk; type III, never run.”


400

A demyelinating sensorimotor polyneuropathy is also present in almost all cases 

infants present with vision loss, spastic ataxia, and seizures. Death usually occurs in 2-4 years after disease onset

Imaging will show extensive white matter demyelination with sparing of the cortical U-fibers

Metachromatic leukodystrophy

deficiency of arylsulfatase A enzyme 

 mutation in the ARSA gene.


400

Patients present with slowly progressive lower motor neuron symptoms (weakness and atrophy) in the 4th to 7th decades of life 

 significant tongue, perioral, and chin fasciculations/atrophy.

X-linked Spinal Bulbar Muscular Atrophy/Kennedy's disease

GENE: unstable CAG expansion of the androgen receptor gene 

400

Presents with hypotonia, developmental delay, intellectual impairment, infertility, and chronic overeating (hyperphagia) 


syndrome and chromosome that is functional

Prader Willi 

Only the maternal chromosome 15 related genes are functional 

Occurs due to the deletion, mutation, or inappropriate methylation of the paternal copy of the q11-q13 segment on chromosome 15


400

mitochondrial disorder causing sudden, painless, progressive central vision loss, primarily affecting young adult males

Leber's hereditary optic neuropathy (LHON)

500

Regression, seizures, abnormal startle 

A "cherry-red" spot in the macula of the eye

Risk Factors: Most common in individuals of Ashkenazi Jewish, French-Canadian, or Louisiana Cajun descent

Tay-Sachs disease 

mutations in the HEXA gene, which leads to a deficiency of the hexosaminidase A (Hex-A) enzyme 

Accumulation of GM2 ganglioside 

500

Associated with adult-onset cerebellar ataxia 

Can be seen in patients with cystic fibrosis, Crohn’s disease, short bowel syndrome 

Exam: truncal and limb ataxia, decreased deep tendon reflexes, decreased vibratory and position sense

Ataxia with Vitamin E deficiency

GENE: alpha-tocopherol-transfer protein (a-TTP) 

500

Presents with nystagmus, ataxia, and tremor at various ages based on the severity of the mutation

Pathology will show a diffuse absence of myelin with preserved myelin islets around blood vessels called “tigroid demyelination”  

Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease

GENE:  proteolipid protein (PLP1) gene which is involved with myelin protein integrity 

500

presents with delayed development, intellectual disability, ataxia, epilepsy, and a happy disposition with frequent smiling, hyperactivity, laughter, and hand-flapping 

syndrome and functional chromosome 

Angelman Syndrome

only paternal chromosome 15 related genes are functional  

The maternal copy of chromosome 15q11-q13 is impaired

500

Onset is usually in early childhood (1-5 years) or adolescence 

A seizure is the first symptom in half of patients, while others first present with failure to thrive, hypotonia, and developmental delay 

Seizures are usually occipital 

Valproic acid is an absolute contraindication due to its effect on mitochondrial metabolism

POLG-related epilepsy

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