Machine learning models for diagnosis of essential tremor and dystonic tremor using grey matter morphological networks.

BACKGROUND: Essential tremor (ET) and dystonic tremor (DT) are the two most common tremor disorders, and misdiagnoses are very common due to similar tremor symptoms. In this study, we explore the structural network mechanisms of ET and DT using brain grey matter (GM) morphological networks and combine those with machine learning models. METHODS: 3D-T1 structural images of 75 ET patients, 71 DT patients, and 79 healthy controls (HCs) were acquired. We used voxel-based morphometry to obtain GM images and constructed GM morphological networks based on the Kullback-Leibler divergence-based similarity (KLS) method. We used the GM volumes, morphological relations, and global topological properties of GM-KLS morphological networks as input features. We employed three classifiers to perform the classification tasks. Moreover, we conducted correlation analysis between discriminative features and clinical characteristics. RESULTS: 16 morphological relations features and 1 global topological metric were identified as the discriminative features, and mainly involved the cerebello-thalamo-cortical circuits and the basal ganglia area. The Random Forest (RF) classifier achieved the best classification performance in the three-classification task, achieving a mean accuracy (mACC) of 78.7%, and was subsequently used for binary classification tasks. Specifically, the RF classifier demonstrated strong classification performance in distinguishing ET vs. HCs, ET vs. DT, and DT vs. HCs, with mACCs of 83.0 %, 95.2 %, and 89.3 %, respectively. Correlation analysis demonstrated that four discriminative features were significantly associated with the clinical characteristics. CONCLUSION: This study offers new insights into the structural network mechanisms of ET and DT. It demonstrates the effectiveness of combining GM-KLS morphological networks with machine learning models in distinguishing between ET, DT, and HCs.

Neuroenergetic Changes in Patients with X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism and Female Carriers.

BACKGROUND: X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is a rare movement disorder characterized by profound neurodegeneration in the basal ganglia. The molecular consequences and the bioenergetic state of affected individuals remain largely unexplored. OBJECTIVES: To investigate the bioenergetic state in male patients with XDP and female carriers using 31phosphorus magnetic resonance spectroscopy imaging and to correlate these findings with clinical manifestations. METHODS: We examined the levels of high-energy phosphorus-containing metabolites (HEP) in the basal ganglia and cerebellum of five male patients with XDP, 10 asymptomatic female heterozygous carriers, and 10 SVA-insertion-free controls. RESULTS: HEP levels were reduced in the basal ganglia of patients with XDP (PwXDP) compared to controls, but increased in the cerebellum of both male patients and female carriers. CONCLUSIONS: Our findings suggest a potential compensatory mechanism in the cerebellum of female carriers regardless of sex. Our study highlights alterations in HEP levels in PwXDP patients and female carriers.

The functional anatomy of dystonia: Recent developments.

While dystonia has traditionally been viewed as a disorder of the basal ganglia, the involvement of other key brain structures is now accepted. However, just what these structures are remains to be defined. Neuroimaging has been an especially valuable tool in dystonia, yet traditional cross-sectional designs have not been able to separate causal from compensatory brain activity. Therefore, this chapter discusses recent studies using causal brain lesions, and animal models, to converge upon the brain regions responsible for dystonia with increasing precision. This evidence strongly implicates the basal ganglia, thalamus, brainstem, cerebellum, and somatosensory cortex, yet shows that different types of dystonia involve different nodes of this brain network. Nearly all of these nodes fall within the recently identified two-way networks connecting the basal ganglia and cerebellum, suggesting dysfunction of these specific pathways. Localisation of the functional anatomy of dystonia has strong implications for targeted treatment options, such as deep brain stimulation, and non-invasive brain stimulation.

Disordered network structure and function in dystonia: pathological connectivity vs. adaptive responses.

Primary dystonia is thought to emerge through abnormal functional relationships between basal ganglia and cerebellar motor circuits. These interactions may differ across disease subtypes and provide a novel biomarker for diagnosis and treatment. Using a network mapping algorithm based on resting-state functional MRI (rs-fMRI), a method that is readily implemented on conventional MRI scanners, we identified similar disease topographies in hereditary dystonia associated with the DYT1 or DYT6 mutations and in sporadic patients lacking these mutations. Both networks were characterized by contributions from the basal ganglia, cerebellum, thalamus, sensorimotor areas, as well as cortical association regions. Expression levels for the two networks were elevated in hereditary and sporadic dystonia, and in non-manifesting carriers of dystonia mutations. Nonetheless, the distribution of abnormal functional connections differed across groups, as did metrics of network organization and efficiency in key modules. Despite these differences, network expression correlated with dystonia motor ratings, significantly improving the accuracy of predictions based on thalamocortical tract integrity obtained with diffusion tensor MRI (DTI). Thus, in addition to providing unique information regarding the anatomy of abnormal brain circuits, rs-fMRI functional networks may provide a widely accessible method to help in the objective evaluation of new treatments for this disorder.

Histopathology of the cerebellar cortex in essential tremor and other neurodegenerative motor disorders: comparative analysis of 320 brains.

In recent years, numerous morphologic changes have been identified in the essential tremor (ET) cerebellar cortex, distinguishing ET from control brains. These findings have not been fully contextualized within a broader degenerative disease spectrum, thus limiting their interpretability. Building off our prior study and now doubling the sample size, we conducted comparative analyses in a postmortem series of 320 brains on the severity and patterning of cerebellar cortex degenerative changes in ET (n = 100), other neurodegenerative disorders of the cerebellum [spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs, n = 47, including 13 SCA3 and 34 SCA1, 2, 6, 7, 8, 14); Friedreich's ataxia (FA, n = 13); multiple system atrophy (MSA), n = 29], and other disorders that may involve the cerebellum [Parkinson's disease (PD), n = 62; dystonia, n = 19] versus controls (n = 50). We generated data on 37 quantitative morphologic metrics, grouped into 8 broad categories: Purkinje cell (PC) loss, heterotopic PCs, PC dendritic changes, PC axonal changes (torpedoes), PC axonal changes (other than torpedoes), PC axonal changes (torpedo-associated), basket cell axonal hypertrophy, and climbing fiber-PC synaptic changes. Principal component analysis of z scored raw data across all diagnoses (11,651 data items) revealed that diagnostic groups were not uniform with respect to pathology. Dystonia and PD each differed from controls in only 4/37 and 5/37 metrics, respectively, whereas ET differed in 21, FA in 10, SCA3 in 10, MSA in 21, and SCA1/2/6/7/8/14 in 27. Pathological changes were generally on the milder end of the degenerative spectrum in ET, FA and SCA3, and on the more severe end of that spectrum in SCA1/2/6/7/8/14. Comparative analyses across morphologic categories demonstrated differences in relative expression, defining distinctive patterns of changes in these groups. In summary, we present a robust and reproducible method that identifies somewhat distinctive signatures of degenerative changes in the cerebellar cortex that mark each of these disorders.

Dystonia-like Movement Disorders Ameliorated by Shear Force and Pressure Stimulation after Small Infarction in the Left Posterolateral Thalamus.

Focal dystonia (FD) can develop after thalamic lesions. Abnormal somatic sensations were argued to be responsible for FD. Our patient experienced FD-like movement disorders, agraphesthesia, and a reduced sense of shear force on the skin and pressure to deep tissues of the right upper limb following a small infarction in the left posterolateral thalamus. FD-like symptoms improved while the skin was being pulled or the deep tissue was being pushed in a manner proportional to the strength of muscle contractions. Therefore, the lack of these sensations was suggested to be related to FD-like symptoms.

Prodromal X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism is Characterized by a Subclinical Motor Phenotype.

BACKGROUND: Early diagnosis in patients with neurodegenerative disorders is crucial to initiate disease-modifying therapies at a time point where progressive neurodegeneration can still be modified. OBJECTIVES: The objective of this study was to determine whether motor or non-motor signs of the disease occur as indicators of a prodromal phase of X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP), a highly-penetrant monogenic movement disorder with striking basal ganglia pathology. METHODS: In addition to a comprehensive clinical assessment, sensor-based balance and gait analyses were performed in non-manifesting mutation carriers (NMCs), healthy controls (HCs), and patients with XDP. Gradient-boosted trees (GBT) methodology was utilized to classify groups of interest. RESULTS: There were no clinically overt disease manifestations in the NMCs. Balance analysis, however, revealed a classification accuracy of 90% for the comparison of NMC versus HC. For the gait analysis, the best-performing GBT-based model showed a balanced accuracy of 95% (NMC vs. HC; walking at maximum speed). Using a separate analysis of genetic modifiers, several gait parameters correlated strongly with the estimated age at disease onset in the NMC group. CONCLUSIONS: Our study unraveled balance and gait abnormalities in NMCs that preceded the onset of XDP. These findings demonstrate prodromal motor changes among NMCs who will develop XDP with a very high likelihood in the future. Gait abnormalities had a predictive value for the estimated age at onset highlighting the impact of genetic modifiers in personalized treatment in monogenic neurodegenerative disorders. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.

Elucidating Hexanucleotide Repeat Number and Methylation within the X-Linked Dystonia-Parkinsonism (XDP)-Related SVA Retrotransposon in TAF1 with Nanopore Sequencing.

BACKGROUND: X-linked dystonia-parkinsonism (XDP) is an adult-onset neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive dystonia and parkinsonism. It is caused by a SINE-VNTR-Alu (SVA) retrotransposon insertion in the TAF1 gene with a polymorphic (CCCTCT)n domain that acts as a genetic modifier of disease onset and expressivity. METHODS: Herein, we used Nanopore sequencing to investigate SVA genetic variability and methylation. We used blood-derived DNA from 96 XDP patients for amplicon-based deep Nanopore sequencing and validated it with fragment analysis which was performed using fluorescence-based PCR. To detect methylation from blood- and brain-derived DNA, we used a Cas9-targeted approach. RESULTS: High concordance was observed for hexanucleotide repeat numbers detected with Nanopore sequencing and fragment analysis. Within the SVA locus, there was no difference in genetic variability other than variations of the repeat motif between patients. We detected high CpG methylation frequency (MF) of the SVA and flanking regions (mean MF = 0.94, SD = ±0.12). Our preliminary results suggest only subtle differences between the XDP patient and the control in predicted enhancer sites directly flanking the SVA locus. CONCLUSIONS: Nanopore sequencing can reliably detect SVA hexanucleotide repeat numbers, methylation and, lastly, variation in the repeat motif.

Focal dystonia in a case of SYNE1 spastic-ataxia: Expanding the phenotypic spectrum.

Synaptic nuclear envelope protein-1 (SYNE1) related cerebellar ataxia also called ARCA1 or SCAR8, manifests as a relatively pure cerebellar ataxia or with additional neurological involvement. Dystonia is rarely seen in SYNE1 ataxia and to the best of our knowledge, there are only three reports of dystonia in patients with SYNE1 ataxia. This report describes a 22-year-old woman with chronic progressive spastic-ataxia of 3-year duration with additional focal dystonia of the right upper limb. Patient had cerebellar atrophy on MRI brain and a novel pathogenic homozygous variant in exon 74 of the SYNE1 gene (p.Gln4047Ter).

Functional and Molecular Properties of DYT-SGCE Myoclonus-Dystonia Patient-Derived Striatal Medium Spiny Neurons.

Myoclonus-dystonia (DYT-SGCE, formerly DYT11) is characterized by alcohol-sensitive, myoclonic-like appearance of fast dystonic movements. It is caused by mutations in the SGCE gene encoding ε-sarcoglycan leading to a dysfunction of this transmembrane protein, alterations in the cerebello-thalamic pathway and impaired striatal plasticity. To elucidate underlying pathogenic mechanisms, we investigated induced pluripotent stem cell (iPSC)-derived striatal medium spiny neurons (MSNs) from two myoclonus-dystonia patients carrying a heterozygous mutation in the SGCE gene (c.298T>G and c.304C>T with protein changes W100G and R102X) in comparison to two matched healthy control lines. Calcium imaging showed significantly elevated basal intracellular Ca2+ content and lower frequency of spontaneous Ca2+ signals in SGCE MSNs. Blocking of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels by verapamil was less efficient in suppressing KCl-induced Ca2+ peaks of SGCE MSNs. Ca2+ amplitudes upon glycine and acetylcholine applications were increased in SGCE MSNs, but not after GABA or glutamate applications. Expression of voltage-gated Ca2+ channels and most ionotropic receptor subunits was not altered. SGCE MSNs showed significantly reduced GABAergic synaptic density. Whole-cell patch-clamp recordings displayed elevated amplitudes of miniature postsynaptic currents and action potentials in SGCE MSNs. Our data contribute to a better understanding of the pathophysiology and the development of novel therapeutic strategies for myoclonus-dystonia.

Allelic and phenotypic heterogeneity in Junctophillin-3 related neurodevelopmental and movement disorders.

Junctophilin-3 belongs to a triprotein junctional complex implicated in the regulation of neuronal excitability and involved in the formation of junctional membrane structures between voltage-gated ion channels and endoplasmic (ryanodine) reticular receptors. A monoallelic trinucleotide repeat expansion located within the junctophilin-3 gene (JPH3) has been implicated in a rare autosomal dominant (AD) late-onset (and progressive) disorder clinically resembling Huntington disease (HD), and known as HD-like 2 (HDL2; MIM# 606438). Although the exact molecular mechanisms underlying HDL2 has not yet been fully elucidated, toxic gain-of-function of the aberrant transcript (containing the trinucleotide repeat) and loss of expression of (full-length) junctophilin-3 have both been implicated in HDL2 pathophysiology. In this study, we identified by whole exome sequencing (WES) a JPH3 homozygous truncating variant [NM_020655.4: c.17405dup; p.(Val581Argfs*137)]. in a female individual affected with genetically undetermined neurodevelopmental anomalies (including delayed motor milestones, abnormal social communication, language difficulties and borderline cognitive impairment) and paroxysmal attacks of dystonia since her early infancy. Our study expands the JPH3-associated mutational spectrum and clinical phenotypes, implicating the loss of Junctophilin-3 in heterogeneous neurodevelopmental phenotypes and early-onset paroxysmal movement disorders.

Role of gut microbiota in regulating gastrointestinal dysfunction and motor symptoms in a mouse model of Parkinson's disease.

Parkinson's disease (PD) is a common neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by motor and non-motor gastrointestinal (GI) deficits. GI symptoms' including compromised intestinal barrier function often accompanies altered gut microbiota composition and motor deficits in PD. Therefore, in this study, we set to investigate the role of gut microbiota and epithelial barrier dysfunction on motor symptom generation using a rotenone-induced mouse model of PD. We found that while six weeks of 10 mg/kg of chronic rotenone administration by oral gavage resulted in loss of tyrosine hydroxylase (TH) neurons in both germ-free (GF) and conventionally raised (CR) mice, the decrease in motor strength and coordination was observed only in CR mice. Chronic rotenone treatment did not disrupt intestinal permeability in GF mice but resulted in a significant change in gut microbiota composition and an increase in intestinal permeability in CR mice. These results highlight the potential role of gut microbiota in regulating barrier dysfunction and motor deficits in PD.

Correlation of dystonia severity and iron accumulation in Rett syndrome.

Individuals with Rett syndrome (RTT) commonly demonstrate Parkinsonian features and dystonia at teen age; however, the pathological reason remains unclear. Abnormal iron accumulation in deep gray matter were reported in some Parkinsonian-related disorders. In this study, we investigated the iron accumulation in deep gray matter of RTT and its correlation with dystonia severity. We recruited 18 RTT-diagnosed participants with MECP2 mutations, from age 4 to 28, and 28 age-gender matched controls and investigated the iron accumulation by susceptibility weighted image (SWI) in substantia nigra (SN), globus pallidus (GP), putamen, caudate nucleus, and thalamus. Pearson's correlation was applied for the relation between iron accumulation and dystonia severity. In RTT, the severity of dystonia scales showed significant increase in subjects older than 10 years, and the contrast ratios of SWI also showed significant differences in putamen, caudate nucleus and the average values of SN, putamen, and GP between RTT and controls. The age demonstrated moderate to high negative correlations with contrast ratios. The dystonia scales were correlated with the average contrast ratio of SN, putamen and GP, indicating iron accumulation in dopaminergic system and related grey matter. As the first SWI study for RTT individuals, we found increased iron deposition in dopaminergic system and related grey matter, which may partly explain the gradually increased dystonia.

Neuroimaging and neuropathology studies of X-linked dystonia parkinsonism.

X-linked Dystonia Parkinsonism (XDP) is a recessive, genetically inherited neurodegenerative disorder endemic to Panay Island in the Philippines. Clinical symptoms include the initial appearance of dystonia, followed by parkinsonian traits after 10-15 years. The basal ganglia, particularly the striatum, is an area of focus in XDP neuropathology research, as the striatum shows marked atrophy that correlates with disease progression. Thus, XDP shares features of Parkinson's disease symptomatology, in addition to the genetic predisposition and presence of striatal atrophy resembling Huntington's disease. However, further research is required to reveal the detailed pathology and indicators of disease in the XDP brain. First, there are limited neuropathological studies that have investigated neuronal changes and neuroinflammation in the XDP brain. However, multiple neuroimaging studies on XDP patients provide clues to other affected brain regions. Furthermore, molecular pathological studies have elucidated that the main genetic cause of XDP is in the TAF-1 gene, but how this mutation relates to XDP neuropathology still remains to be fully investigated. Hence, we aim to provide an extensive overview of the current literature describing neuropathological changes within the XDP brain, and discuss future research avenues, which will provide a better understanding of XDP neuropathogenesis.

Abnormal microscale neuronal connectivity triggered by a proprioceptive stimulus in dystonia.

We investigated modulation of functional neuronal connectivity by a proprioceptive stimulus in sixteen young people with dystonia and eight controls. A robotic wrist interface delivered controlled passive wrist extension movements, the onset of which was synchronised with scalp EEG recordings. Data were segmented into epochs around the stimulus and up to 160 epochs per subject were averaged to produce a Stretch Evoked Potential (StretchEP). Event-related network dynamics were estimated using a methodology that features Wavelet Transform Coherency (WTC). Global Microscale Nodal Strength (GMNS) was introduced to estimate overall engagement of areas into short-lived networks related to the StretchEP, and Global Connectedness (GC) estimated the spatial extent of the StretchEP networks. Dynamic Connectivity Maps showed a striking difference between dystonia and controls, with particularly strong theta band event-related connectivity in dystonia. GC also showed a trend towards higher values in dystonia than controls. In summary, we demonstrate the feasibility of this method to investigate event-related neuronal connectivity in relation to a proprioceptive stimulus in a paediatric patient population. Young people with dystonia show an exaggerated network response to a proprioceptive stimulus, displaying both excessive theta-band synchronisation across the sensorimotor network and widespread engagement of cortical regions in the activated network.

The cerebellum in idiopathic cervical dystonia: A specific pattern of structural abnormalities?

INTRODUCTION: In recent years, cerebellar abnormalities have gained increasing attention as possible physiopathological substratum of idiopathic cervical dystonia (ICD), but a consistent pattern of cerebellar structural modifications has not yet been established. We systematically investigated the presence of volumetric alterations of cerebellar gray (GM) and white matter (WM) in ICD patients, as well as their clinical relevance. METHODS: In this two-centers prospective cross-sectional study, from May 2013 to December 2017, 27 patients with ICD and 27 age- and sex-comparable healthy controls underwent brain MRI including 3D T1-weighted sequences for volumetric analyses. Between-group differences in terms of gray matter and cerebellar peduncles volumes were investigated using both region of interest (ROI)-based and voxel-based approaches using the SUIT tool (SPM12), and significant volumetric changes were correlated with clinical impairment (as measured with the Tsui score) and presence of tremor. RESULTS: ICD patients showed significant volumetric reduction of cerebellar GM in the anterior lobe and lobule VI, resulting from both ROI-based (p ≤ 0.009) and voxel-based (p ≤ 0.04) analyses, while small clusters of reduced WM volume were found in the right cerebellum and left midbrain (p = 0.04), along with reduced volume of the bilateral superior (p = 0.04) and middle (p = 0.03) cerebellar peduncles. Furthermore, higher middle cerebellar peduncles volume was associated with the presence of tremor (p = 0.04). CONCLUSION: Our data show evidence of a specific pattern of cerebellar structural abnormalities in ICD patients, with volume loss mainly involving cortical GM regions related to the somatotopic representation of the affected body parts and, to a lesser extent, cerebellar peduncles.

ANO3 and early-onset dyskinetic encephalopathy.

Mutations in the ANO3 gene have been associated with autosomal dominant craniocervical dystonia. However, little else is known about the genotype-phenotype characteristics of this disorder. Here we describe a 3 years-old girl with distal myoclonic dystonia. Whole exome sequencing in trio revealed a de novo missense ANO3 variant not previously described in international databases. A global psychomotor regression was observed once dystonia was present. Brain MRI changes paralleled these findings: whereas MRI at the age of 18 months was normal, mild brain and cerebellar atrophy was observed 18 months later. These results suggest that missense mutations in ANO3 may underlie complex disorders particularly characterized by early psychomotor regression and dystonia.

Implantation of Osmotic Pumps and Induction of Stress to Establish a Symptomatic, Pharmacological Mouse Model for DYT/PARK-ATP1A3 Dystonia.

Genetically modified mouse models face limitations, especially when studying movement disorders, where most of the available transgenic rodent models do not present a motor phenotype resembling the clinical aspects of the human disease. Pharmacological mouse models allow for a more direct study of the pathomechanisms and their effect on the behavioral phenotype. Osmotic pumps connected to brain cannulas open up the possibility of creating pharmacological mouse models via local and chronic drug delivery. For the hereditary movement disorder of rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism, the loss-of-function mutation in the α3-subunit of the Na+/K+-ATPase can be simulated by a highly specific blockade via the glycoside ouabain. In order to locally block the α3-subunit in the basal ganglia and the cerebellum, which are the two brain structures believed to be heavily involved in the pathogenesis of rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism, a bilateral cannula is stereotaxically implanted into the striatum and an additional single cannula is introduced into the cerebellum. The cannulas are connected via vinyl tubing to two osmotic pumps, which are subcutaneously implanted on the back of the animals and allow for the chronic and precise delivery of ouabain. The pharmacological mouse model for rapid-onset dystonia-parkinsonism carries the additional advantage of recapitulating the clinical and pathological features of asymptomatic and symptomatic mutation carriers. Just like mutation carriers of rapid-onset dystonia parkinsonism, the ouabain-perfused mice develop dystonia-like movements only after additional exposure to stress. We demonstrate a mild stress paradigm and introduce two modified scoring systems for the assessment of a motor phenotype.