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Malformations of the cerebral cortex are an important cause of developmental disabilities and epilepsy. Here we review those malformations for which a genetic basis has been elucidated or is suspected and the types of associated epilepsy. Schizencephaly (cleft brain) has a wide anatomo-clinical spectrum, including partial epilepsy in most patients. Familial occurrence is rare. Heterozygous mutations in the EMX2 gene were reported in 13 patients. X-linked bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia (BPNH) consists of typical BPNH with epilepsy in females and prenatal lethality in males. About 88% of patients have partial epilepsy. Filamin A mutations, all leading to a truncated protein, have been reported in three families and in sporadic patients. The most frequent forms of lissencephaly (agyria-pachygyria) are caused by mutations of LIS1. XLIS mutations cause classical lissencephaly in hemizygous males and subcortical band heterotopia (SBH) in heterozygous females. The thickness of the heterotopic band and the degree of pachygyria correlate with the likelihood of developing Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Mutations of the coding region of XLIS were found in all reported pedigrees and in 38-91% of sporadic female patients with SBH. With few exceptions, children with LIS1 mutations have isolated lissencephaly, with severe developmental delay and infantile spasms. Autosomal recessive lissencephaly with cerebellar hypoplasia, accompanied by severe developmental delay, seizures, and hypotonia has been associated with mutations of the reelin gene. Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy is due to mutations of the fukutin gene and is accompanied by polymicrogyria. Febrile seizures and epilepsy with generalized tonic-convulsions appear in about 50% of children but are usually not severe. Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is caused by mutations in at least two genes, TSC1 and TSC2; 75% of cases are sporadic; 60% of patients have epilepsy, manifested in 50% of them as infantile spasms. TSC1 mutations seem to cause a milder disease with fewer cortical tubers and lower frequency of seizures. Among several syndromes featuring polymicrogyria, bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria had familial occurrence on several occasions. Genetic heterogeneity is likely, including autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant, X-linked recessive inheritance, and association with 22q11.2 deletions. About 65% of patients have severe epilepsy, often Lennox-Gastaut syndrome.
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PMID:Epilepsy and genetic malformations of the cerebral cortex. 1157 36

We review here those malformations of the cerebral cortex which are most often observed in epilepsy patients, for which a genetic basis has been elucidated or is suspected and give indications for genetic testing. There are three forms of lissencephaly (agyria-pachygyria) resulting from mutations of known genes, which can be distinguished because of their distinctive imaging features. They account for about 85% of all lissencephalies. Lissencephaly with posteriorly predominant gyral abnormality is caused by mutations of the LIS1 gene on chromosome 17. Anteriorly predominant lissencephaly in hemizygous males and subcortical band heterotopia (SBH) in heterozygous females are caused by mutations of the XLIS(or DCX) gene. Mutations of the coding region of XLIS were found in all reported pedigrees, and in most sporadic female patients with SBH. Missense mutations of both LIS1 and XLIS genes have been observed in some of the rare male patients with SBH. Autosomal recessive lissencephaly with cerebellar hypoplasia has been associated with mutations of the reelin gene. With few exceptions, children with lissencephaly have severe developmental delay and infantile spasms early in life. Patients with SBH have a mild to severe mental retardation with epilepsy of variable severity and type. X-linked bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia (BPNH) consists of typical BPNH with focal epilepsy in females and prenatal lethality in males. About 88% of patients have focal epilepsy. Filamin A (FLNA) mutations have been reported in some families and in sporadic patients. Additional, possibly autosomal recessive gene(s) are likely to be involved in causing BPNH non-linked to FLN1. Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is a dominant disorder caused by mutations in at lest two genes, TSC1 and TSC2. 75% of cases are sporadic. Most patients with TS have epilepsy. Infantile spasms are a frequent early manifestation of TS. Schizencephaly (cleft brain) has a wide anatomo-clinical spectrum, including focal epilepsy in most patients. Familial occurrence is rare. Heterozygous mutations in the EMX2 gene have been reported in some patients. However, at present, there is no clear indication on the possible pattern of inheritance and on the practical usefulness that mutation detection in an individual with schizencephaly would carry in terms of genetic counselling. Amongst several syndromes featuring polymicrogyria, bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria had familial occurrence on several occasions. Genetic heterogeneity is likely, including autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant, X-linked recessive inheritance and association to 22q11.2 deletions. FISH analysis for 22q11.2 is advisable in all patients with perisylvian polymicrogyria. Parents of an affected child with normal karyotype should be given up to a 25% recurrence risk.
Seizure 2001 Oct
PMID:Epileptogenic brain malformations: clinical presentation, malformative patterns and indications for genetic testing. 1174 14

We review here those malformations of the cerebral cortex which are most often observed in epilepsy patients, for which a genetic basis has been elucidated or is suspected and give indications for genetic testing. There are three forms of lissencephaly (agyria-pachygyria) resulting from mutations of known genes, which can be distinguished because of their distinctive imaging features. They account for about 85% of all licence-phalies. Lissencephaly with posteriorly predominant gyral abnormality is caused by mutations of the LIS1 gene on chromosome 17. Anteriorly predominant lissencephaly in hemizygous males and subcortical band heterotopia (SBH) in heterozygous females are caused by mutations of the XLIS (or DCX) gene. Mutations of the coding region of XLIS were found in all reported pedigrees, and in most sporadic female patients with SBH. Missense mutations of both LIS1 and XLIS genes have been observed in some of the rare male patients with SBH. Autosomal recessive lissencephaly with cerebellar hypoplasia has been associated with mutations of the reelin gene. With few exceptions, children with lissencephaly have severe developmental delay and infantile spasms early in life. Patients with SBH have a mild to severe mental retardation with epilepsy of variable severity and type. X-linked bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia (BPNH) consists of typical BPNH with focal epilepsy in females and prenatal lethality in males. About 88% of patients have focal epilepsy. Filamin A (FLNA) mutations have been reported in some families and in sporadic patients. Additional, possibly autosomal recessive gene(s) are likely to be involved in causing BPNH non-linked to FLN1. Tuberous sclerosis (TS) is a dominant disorder caused by mutations in at lest two genes, TSC1 and TSC2. 75% of cases are sporadic. Most patients with TS have epilepsy. Infantile spasms are a frequent early manifestation of TS. Schizencephaly (cleft brain) has a wide anatomo-clinical spectrum, including focal epilepsy in most patients. Familial occurrence is rare. Heterozygous mutations in the EMX2 gene have been reported in some patients. However, at present, there is no clear indication on the possible pattern of inheritance and on the practical usefulness that mutation detection in an individual with schizencephaly would carry in terms of genetic counselling. Amongst several syndromes featuring polymicrogyria, bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria had familial occurrence on several occasions. Genetic heterogeneity is likely, including autosomal recessive, X-linked dominant, X-linked recessive inheritance and association to 22q11.2 deletions. FISH analysis for 22q11.2 is advisable in all patients with perisylvian polymicrogyria. Parents of an affected child with normal karyotype should be given up to a 25% recurrence risk.
Seizure 2002 Apr
PMID:Epileptogenic brain malformations: clinical presentation, malformative patterns and indications for genetic testing. 1218 71

We reviewed the epileptogenic cortical malformations for which a causative gene has been cloned or a linkage obtained. X-linked bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia (BPNH) consists of typical BPNH with epilepsy in female patients and prenatal lethality in most males. About 90% of patients have focal epilepsy. Filamin A mutations have been reported in all families and in approximately 20% of sporadic patients. A rare recessive form of BPNH also has been reported. Most cases of lissencephaly-pachygyria are caused by mutations of LIS1 and XLIS genes. LIS1 mutations cause a more severe malformation posteriorly. Most children have isolated lissencephaly, with severe developmental delay and infantile spasms, but milder phenotypes have been recorded. XLIS usually causes anteriorly predominant lissencephaly in male patients and subcortical band heterotopia (SBH) in female patients. Thickness of the band and severity of pachygyria correlate with the likelihood of developing Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Mutations of the coding region of XLIS are found in all reported pedigrees and in 50% of sporadic female patients with SBH. Autosomal recessive lissencephaly with cerebellar hypoplasia; accompanied by severe delay, hypotonia, and seizures, has been associated with mutations of the RELN gene. Schizencephaly has a wide anatomoclinical spectrum, including focal epilepsy in most patients. Familial occurrence is rare. Initial reports of heterozygous mutations in the EMX2 gene need confirmation. Among several syndromes featuring polymicrogyria, bilateral perisylvian polymicrogyria shows genetic heterogeneity, including linkage to Xq28 in some pedigrees, autosomal recessive inheritance in others, and association with 22q11.2 deletion in some patients. About 65% of patients have severe epilepsy, often Lennox-Gastaut syndrome. Recessive bilateral frontal polymicrogyria has been linked to chromosome 16q12.2-21.
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PMID:Genetic malformations of the cerebral cortex and epilepsy. 1581 77

We describe the clinical and molecular evaluation of two patients, mother and daughter (proband), with bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia (BPNH). The clinical evaluation revealed a more severe phenotype in the proband, with mental retardation and seizures. Imaging studies showed bilateral periventricular nodules in both patients. We identified a novel mutation, c.987G-->C mutation in exon 6 of the Filamin A (FLNA) gene in the genomic DNA of both patients. Complementary DNA (cDNA) sequencing revealed the maintenance of intron 6 in the mutated allele. Bioinformatics analysis indicates that the mutation identified in both patients probably destroyed the intron 6 donor-splicing site, which is likely to introduce a premature stop codon resulting in a truncated FLNA protein. In addition, X-chromosome inactivation studies in DNA of blood cells revealed a skewed pattern in the proband, and real time quantitative polymerase chain reaction (PCR) showed a higher expression of the mutated allele in the proband compared to that of the mother. This variation in expression of the mutated allele may be responsible for the differences in the clinical manifestations observed in both patients.
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PMID:A new missense mutation found in the FLNA gene in a family with bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia (BPNH) alters the splicing process. 1842 95

We report the finding of unique astrocytic inclusions in a series of pediatric epilepsy patients, all of whom presented with seizures in their first year of life and had mild-to-moderate developmental delay. All eventually underwent surgical treatment for refractory epilepsy and, on pathological examination, were found to have distinctive, eosinophilic, globular cytoplasmic inclusions confined to cortical astrocytes. These inclusions were almost exclusively juxtanuclear, highly refractile, spared distal subpial, or perivascular astrocytic processes and were strongly and exclusively immunopositive for filamin A, an actin binding protein involved in neuronal migration. Identical inclusions have been identified and characterized in cases of Aicardi syndrome, a rare neurodevelopmental disease. The presence of the same inclusions in the cortex of epilepsy patients, some of whom had concomitant brain anomalies related to migrational problems, prompted us to consider that these patients may lie within a spectrum of disease involving dysfunction of filamin or filamin-interacting proteins. The term "filaminopathy" is tentatively proposed as a distinct pathological entity for this condition in which clinical manifestations range from epilepsy in mildly neurologically impaired patients to severe mental and physical handicap in the Aicardi syndrome. Future studies will be necessary to unravel the exact nature of the filamin A protein or gene aberrations in these patients.
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PMID:Astrocytic inclusions in epilepsy: expanding the spectrum of filaminopathies. 1859 46

Aicardi syndrome ( OMIM 304050) is defined by the clinical triad of early-onset infantile spasms, agenesis of the corpus callosum and chorioretinal lacunae. Almost all patients are females showing severe cognitive and physical disabilities, and early onset seizures. Astrocytic inclusions containing filamin have been found, but the molecular defect in Aicardi syndrome is not yet known. We report a male patient with Aicardi syndrome characterised by agenesis of the corpus callosum, infantile spasms, chorioretinal lacunae, severe psychomotor retardation, periventricular heterotopias, and patent ductus arteriosus. As the latter two symptoms are suggestive of a mutation in the FLNA gene encoding filamin A, this gene was sequenced, but the sequence did not reveal a disease-causing mutation.
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PMID:Aicardi syndrome in a male patient. 1963 27

Distinctive hyaline inclusion bodies in the cytoplasm of neocortical astrocytes were observed in surgical resection specimens of a frontal epileptic focus, in 2 patients aged 16 and 10 who had suffered intractable partial seizures since the age of 2 years. One case had minimal neurological impairment and no brain malformation on MRI and recovered completely following surgery. The second case had mental retardation and surgery reduced the frequency and generalization of seizures. In both cases, the astrocytic inclusions were strongly eosinophilic, hyaline and refractile. They were PAS negative. Electron microscopy in the first case, confirmed their granular osmiophilic structure. By immunohistochemistry, the inclusions were strongly positive for filamin in the first case, only some were weakly positive in the second case. They also variably expressed other proteins such as alpha-B-crystallin, GFAP, S-100 protein and cytoglobin. We compare our findings with previously reported cases and discuss the clinical significance of the inclusions and the pathophysiologic relevance of filamin A and other proteins accumulation in astrocytes.
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PMID:Hyaline astrocytic inclusions in pediatric epilepsy: report of two cases. 2056 76

Periventricular nodular heterotopia, the most common form of cortical malformation in adulthood, is characterized by nodules of neurons ectopically placed along the lateral ventricles. Classically, ectopic nodules are bilateral and symmetric defining bilateral periventricular nodular heterotopia (BPNH). BPNH can lead to epilepsy and intellectual disability of variable severity. The X-linked dominant form of BPNH, related to mutations in FLNA encoding filamin A, is the major cause of BPNH, causing prenatal and neonatal lethality in males that explain the excess of affected women. However, few living males have been described with this condition. In addition, mutations in FLNA have been also exceptionally associated with unilateral nodular heterotopia. We describe here three new patients, all carrying a novel missense mutation in FLNA. Two of the patients were adult males with BPNH; both had normal cognitive development and one did not manifest any seizure until he died at age 57. The last patient was a female adult with epilepsy and focal nodules essentially located along the right ventricle. We compare the clinical and imaging data of our patients with those of previously described similar cases. The type and location of FLNA mutations leading to such atypical presentations are discussed.
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PMID:Atypical male and female presentations of FLNA-related periventricular nodular heterotopia. 2236 53

Mutations conferring loss of function at the FLNA (encoding filamin A) locus lead to X-linked periventricular nodular heterotopia (XL-PH), with seizures constituting the most common clinical manifestation of this disorder in female heterozygotes. Vascular dilatation (mainly the aorta), joint hypermobility and variable skin findings are also associated anomalies, with some reports suggesting that this might represents a separate syndrome allelic to XL-PH, termed as Ehlers-Danlos syndrome-periventricular heterotopia variant (EDS-PH). Here, we report a cohort of 11 males and females with both hypomorphic and null mutations in FLNA that manifest a wide spectrum of connective tissue and vascular anomalies. The spectrum of cutaneous defects was broader than previously described and is inconsistent with a specific type of EDS. We also extend the range of vascular anomalies associated with XL-PH to included peripheral arterial dilatation and atresia. Based on these observations, we suggest that there is little molecular or clinical justification for considering EDS-PH as a separate entity from XL-PH, but instead propose that there is a spectrum of vascular and connective tissues anomalies associated with this condition for which all individuals with loss-of-function mutations in FLNA should be evaluated. In addition, since some patients with XL-PH can present primarily with a joint hypermobility syndrome, we propose that screening for cardiovascular manifestations should be offered to those patients when there are associated seizures or an X-linked pattern of inheritance.
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PMID:Vascular and connective tissue anomalies associated with X-linked periventricular heterotopia due to mutations in Filamin A. 2303 11


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