Episodic Memory Impairments in Primary Brain Tumor Patients.

OBJECTIVE: Cognitive investigations in brain tumor patients have mostly explored episodic memory without differentiating between encoding, storage, and retrieval deficits. The aim of this study is to offer insight into the memory sub-processes affected in primary brain tumor patients and propose an appropriate assessment method. METHOD: We retrospectively reviewed the clinical and memory assessments of 158 patients with primary brain tumors who had presented to our departments with cognitive complaints and were investigated using the Free and Cued Selective Reminding Test. RESULTS: Retrieval was the process of episodic memory most frequently affected, with deficits in this domain detected in 92% of patients with episodic memory impairments. Storage and encoding deficits were less prevalent, with impairments, respectively, detected in 41% and 23% of memory-impaired patients. The pattern of episodic memory impairment was similar across different tumor histologies and treatment modalities. CONCLUSION: Although all processes of episodic memory were found to be impaired, retrieval was by far the most widely affected function. A thorough assessment of all three components of episodic memory should be part of the regular neuropsychological evaluation in patients with primary brain tumors.

Intrafamilial variability in the clinical manifestations of mucopolysaccharidosis type II: Data from the Hunter Outcome Survey (HOS).

Several cases of phenotypic variability among family members with mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II) have been reported, but the data are limited. Data from patients enrolled in the Hunter Outcome Survey (HOS) were used to investigate intrafamilial variability in male siblings with MPS II. As of July 2015, data were available for 78 patients aged ≥5 years at last visit who had at least one affected sibling (39 sibling pairs). These patients were followed prospectively (i.e., they were alive at enrollment in HOS). The median age at the onset of signs and symptoms was the same for the elder and younger brothers (2.0 years); however, the younger brothers were typically diagnosed at a younger age than the elder brothers (median age, 2.5 and 5.1 years, respectively). Of the 39 pairs, eight pairs were classified as being discordant (the status of four or more signs and symptoms differed between the siblings); 21 pairs had one, two, or three signs and symptoms that differed between the siblings, and 10 pairs had none. Regression status of the majority of the developmental milestones studied was generally concordant among siblings. Functional classification, a measure of central nervous system involvement, was the same in 24/28 pairs, although four pairs were considered discordant as functional classification differed between the siblings. Overall, this analysis revealed similarity in the clinical manifestations of MPS II among siblings. This information should help to improve our understanding of the clinical presentation of the disease, including phenotype prediction in affected family members.

Clinical outcomes in idursulfase-treated patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type II: 3-year data from the hunter outcome survey (HOS).

BACKGROUND: Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II; Hunter syndrome) is a rare, X-linked disorder caused by deficient activity of the enzyme iduronate-2-sulfatase (I2S). Treatment is available in the form of enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) with recombinant I2S. Clinical outcomes following ≥3 years of ERT with idursulfase were investigated in a broad population of patients with MPS II enrolled in the Hunter Outcome Survey (HOS). METHODS: As of January 2016, 639 patients (excluding female patients, individuals who had received a bone marrow transplant and those enrolled in the phase 1/2 [TKT018] or phase 2/3 [TKT024] clinical trial) followed prospectively in the registry had received idursulfase for ≥6 months. These individuals all had data available for ≥1 clinical parameter at baseline and ≥1 additional time point following treatment initiation. Changes in clinical parameters were assessed in the subcohorts of patients with a measurement at baseline and at year 1, 2 or 3 of treatment. Safety data from patients who started treatment at or after enrollment in HOS (n = 233) were also assessed. RESULTS: Median (10th, 90th percentiles) age at first treatment was 6.2 (2.1, 18.2) years and median treatment duration was 56.3 (18.2, 97.6) months. Urinary glycosaminoglycan (uGAG) levels decreased from baseline to year 3 in patients with data available at this time point (median change from baseline: -201.0 [-591.4, -21.9] µg/mg creatinine [n = 121]). Improvements in the following parameters were observed at year 3 in the subcohorts: 6-min walking test (6MWT) distance, 10.6 (-33.6, 50.8)% (n = 26); left ventricular mass index (LVMI), -9.3 (-31.5, 19.7)% (n = 52); absolute forced vital capacity (FVC), 29.7 (-13.4, 66.7)% (n = 23); absolute forced expiratory volume in 1 s (FEV1), 22.8 (-15.2, 62.1)% (n = 22); palpable liver size, -54.5 (-85.7, 50.0)% (n = 53); palpable spleen size, -33.3 (-80.0, 33.3)% (n = 17). No new or unexpected safety concerns were identified in this analysis. CONCLUSIONS: These findings suggest that idursulfase has a positive effect on uGAG levels, 6MWT results, LVMI, FVC, FEV1 and hepatosplenomegaly after 1, 2 and 3 years treatment.

Survival in idursulfase-treated and untreated patients with mucopolysaccharidosis type II: data from the Hunter Outcome Survey (HOS).

Mucopolysaccharidosis type II (MPS II; Hunter syndrome; OMIM 309900) is a life-limiting, multisystemic disease with varying presentation and severity. Enzyme replacement therapy with intravenous idursulfase (EC 3.1.6.13) has been available since 2006. Data from the Hunter Outcome Survey (July 2016) were used to compare survival in idursulfase-treated (n = 800) and untreated (n = 95) male patients followed prospectively in this multinational, observational registry. Median age at symptom onset was similar for the treated and untreated groups (1.6 and 1.5 years, respectively), as was median age at diagnosis (3.3 and 3.2 years) and the proportion of patients with cognitive impairment (58.0%; 57.9%). The proportion of idursulfase-treated patients differed according to geographical region. Overall, 124/800 (15.5%) treated and 28/95 (29.5%) untreated patients had died. Respiratory failure was the most common cause of death (treated, 43/124 [34.7%]; untreated, 10/28 [35.7%]). Median survival (95% confidence interval [CI]) was 33.0 (30.4, 38.4) years in treated patients and 21.2 (16.1, 31.5) years in untreated patients; median follow-up time from birth to death or last visit was 13.0 and 15.1 years, respectively. A Cox model adjusted for treatment status, cognitive impairment, region and age at diagnosis indicated a 54% lower risk of death in treated compared with untreated patients: hazard ratio (HR), 0.46 (95% CI: 0.29, 0.72). Patients with cognitive impairment had nearly a fivefold higher risk of death than those without (HR, 4.84 [3.13, 7.47]). This analysis in a large population of patients with MPS II indicates for the first time that idursulfase treatment is associated with increased survival.