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Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation 4(NBIA4)

MedGen UID:
482001
Concept ID:
C3280371
Disease or Syndrome
Synonyms: Mitochondrial Membrane Protein Associated Neurodegeneration; MITOCHONDRIAL PROTEIN-ASSOCIATED NEURODEGENERATION; NBIA4
SNOMED CT: Mitochondrial membrane protein associated neurodegeneration (709415008); Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation 4 (709415008); Mitochondrial protein associated neurodegeneration (709415008)
Modes of inheritance:
Autosomal recessive inheritance
MedGen UID:
141025
Concept ID:
C0441748
Intellectual Product
Source: Orphanet
A mode of inheritance that is observed for traits related to a gene encoded on one of the autosomes (i.e., the human chromosomes 1-22) in which a trait manifests in individuals with two pathogenic alleles, either homozygotes (two copies of the same mutant allele) or compound heterozygotes (whereby each copy of a gene has a distinct mutant allele).
 
Gene (location): C19orf12 (19q12)
 
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0013674
OMIM®: 614298
Orphanet: ORPHA289560

Definition

Mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration (MPAN) is characterized initially by gait changes followed by progressive spastic paresis, progressive dystonia (which may be limited to the hands and feet or more generalized), neuropsychiatric abnormalities (emotional lability, depression, anxiety, impulsivity, compulsions, hallucinations, perseveration, inattention, and hyperactivity), and cognitive decline. Additional early findings can include dysphagia, dysarthria, optic atrophy, axonal neuropathy, parkinsonism, and bowel/bladder incontinence. Survival is usually well into adulthood. End-stage disease is characterized by severe dementia, spasticity, dystonia, and parkinsonism. [from GeneReviews]

Additional descriptions

From OMIM
Neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation-4 (NBIA4) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive spastic paraplegia, parkinsonism unresponsive to L-DOPA treatment, and psychiatric or behavioral symptoms. Other neurologic features, including optic atrophy, eye movement abnormalities, dystonia, dysphagia, dysarthria, and motor axonal neuropathy, may occur. Brain MRI shows T2-weighted hypointensities in the globus pallidus and substantia nigra. Onset is usually in the first 2 decades, but later onset has been reported (summary by Dogu et al., 2013). There is phenotypic variation: some patients may not have extrapyramidal signs and may have muscle weakness and atrophy as well as cognitive impairment or developmental delay (Deschauer et al., 2012). Both autosomal recessive and autosomal dominant inheritance have been reported (see INHERITANCE and MOLECULAR GENETICS). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of NBIA, see NBIA1 (234200).  http://www.omim.org/entry/614298
From MedlinePlus Genetics
Mitochondrial membrane protein-associated neurodegeneration (MPAN) is a disorder of the nervous system. The condition typically begins in childhood or early adulthood and worsens (progresses) over time.

MPAN commonly begins with difficulty walking. As the condition progresses, affected individuals usually develop other movement problems, including muscle stiffness (spasticity) and involuntary muscle cramping (dystonia). Many people with MPAN have a pattern of movement abnormalities known as parkinsonism. These abnormalities include unusually slow movement (bradykinesia), muscle rigidity, involuntary trembling (tremors), and an inability to hold the body upright and balanced (postural instability).

Other neurological problems that occur in individuals with MPAN include degeneration of the nerve cells that carry visual information from the eyes to the brain (optic atrophy), which can impair vision; problems with speech (dysarthria); difficulty swallowing (dysphagia); and, in later stages of the condition, an inability to control the bowels or the flow of urine (incontinence). Additionally, affected individuals may experience a loss of intellectual function (dementia) and psychiatric symptoms such as behavioral problems, mood swings, hyperactivity, and depression.

MPAN is characterized by an abnormal buildup of iron in certain regions of the brain. Because of these deposits, MPAN is considered part of a group of conditions known as neurodegeneration with brain iron accumulation (NBIA).  https://medlineplus.gov/genetics/condition/mitochondrial-membrane-protein-associated-neurodegeneration

Clinical features

From HPO
Scapular winging
MedGen UID:
66822
Concept ID:
C0240953
Anatomical Abnormality
Abnormal protrusion of the scapula away from the surface of the back.
Pes cavus
MedGen UID:
675590
Concept ID:
C0728829
Congenital Abnormality
An increase in height of the medial longitudinal arch of the foot that does not flatten on weight bearing (i.e., a distinctly hollow form of the sole of the foot when it is bearing weight).
Cerebellar ataxia
MedGen UID:
849
Concept ID:
C0007758
Disease or Syndrome
Cerebellar ataxia refers to ataxia due to dysfunction of the cerebellum. This causes a variety of elementary neurological deficits including asynergy (lack of coordination between muscles, limbs and joints), dysmetria (lack of ability to judge distances that can lead to under- or overshoot in grasping movements), and dysdiadochokinesia (inability to perform rapid movements requiring antagonizing muscle groups to be switched on and off repeatedly).
Depression
MedGen UID:
4229
Concept ID:
C0011581
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Frequently experiencing feelings of being down, miserable, and/or hopeless; struggling to recover from these moods; having a pessimistic outlook on the future; feeling a pervasive sense of shame; having a low self-worth; experiencing thoughts of suicide and engaging in suicidal behavior.
Dysarthria
MedGen UID:
8510
Concept ID:
C0013362
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Dysarthric speech is a general description referring to a neurological speech disorder characterized by poor articulation. Depending on the involved neurological structures, dysarthria may be further classified as spastic, flaccid, ataxic, hyperkinetic and hypokinetic, or mixed.
Dystonic disorder
MedGen UID:
3940
Concept ID:
C0013421
Sign or Symptom
An abnormally increased muscular tone that causes fixed abnormal postures. There is a slow, intermittent twisting motion that leads to exaggerated turning and posture of the extremities and trunk.
Impulsivity
MedGen UID:
43850
Concept ID:
C0021125
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Acting on the spur of the moment in response to immediate stimuli; acting on a momentary basis without a plan or consideration of outcomes; having difficulty establishing or following plans; experiencing a sense of urgency and engaging in self-harming behavior when under emotional distress.
Spasticity
MedGen UID:
7753
Concept ID:
C0026838
Sign or Symptom
A motor disorder characterized by a velocity-dependent increase in tonic stretch reflexes with increased muscle tone, exaggerated (hyperexcitable) tendon reflexes.
Neurodegeneration
MedGen UID:
17999
Concept ID:
C0027746
Cell or Molecular Dysfunction
Progressive loss of neural cells and tissue.
Babinski sign
MedGen UID:
19708
Concept ID:
C0034935
Finding
Upturning of the big toe (and sometimes fanning of the other toes) in response to stimulation of the sole of the foot. If the Babinski sign is present it can indicate damage to the corticospinal tract.
Tremor
MedGen UID:
21635
Concept ID:
C0040822
Sign or Symptom
An unintentional, oscillating to-and-fro muscle movement about a joint axis.
Lewy bodies
MedGen UID:
43126
Concept ID:
C0085200
Cell Component
Intracytoplasmic, eosinophilic, round to elongated inclusions found in vacuoles of injured or fragmented neurons. The presence of Lewy bodies is the histological marker of the degenerative changes in LEWY BODY DISEASE and PARKINSON DISEASE but they may be seen in other neurological conditions. They are typically found in the substantia nigra and locus coeruleus but they are also seen in the basal forebrain, hypothalamic nuclei, and neocortex.
Emotional lability
MedGen UID:
39319
Concept ID:
C0085633
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Unstable emotional experiences and frequent mood changes; emotions that are easily aroused, intense, and/or disproportionate to events and circumstances.
Hyperreflexia
MedGen UID:
57738
Concept ID:
C0151889
Finding
Hyperreflexia is the presence of hyperactive stretch reflexes of the muscles.
Abnormal pyramidal sign
MedGen UID:
68582
Concept ID:
C0234132
Sign or Symptom
Functional neurological abnormalities related to dysfunction of the pyramidal tract.
Abnormality of extrapyramidal motor function
MedGen UID:
115941
Concept ID:
C0234133
Sign or Symptom
A neurological condition related to lesions of the basal ganglia leading to typical abnormalities including akinesia (inability to initiate changes in activity and perform volitional movements rapidly and easily), muscular rigidity (continuous contraction of muscles with constant resistance to passive movement), chorea (widespread arrhythmic movements of a forcible, rapid, jerky, and restless nature), athetosis (inability to sustain the muscles of the fingers, toes, or other group of muscles in a fixed position), and akathisia (inability to remain motionless).
Mental deterioration
MedGen UID:
66713
Concept ID:
C0234985
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
Loss of previously present mental abilities, generally in adults.
Parkinsonian disorder
MedGen UID:
66079
Concept ID:
C0242422
Disease or Syndrome
Characteristic neurologic anomaly resulting from degeneration of dopamine-generating cells in the substantia nigra, a region of the midbrain, characterized clinically by shaking, rigidity, slowness of movement and difficulty with walking and gait.
Delayed speech and language development
MedGen UID:
105318
Concept ID:
C0454644
Finding
A degree of language development that is significantly below the norm for a child of a specified age.
Dementia
MedGen UID:
99229
Concept ID:
C0497327
Mental or Behavioral Dysfunction
A loss of global cognitive ability of sufficient amount to interfere with normal social or occupational function. Dementia represents a loss of previously present cognitive abilities, generally in adults, and can affect memory, thinking, language, judgment, and behavior.
Global developmental delay
MedGen UID:
107838
Concept ID:
C0557874
Finding
A delay in the achievement of motor or mental milestones in the domains of development of a child, including motor skills, speech and language, cognitive skills, and social and emotional skills. This term should only be used to describe children younger than five years of age.
Gait disturbance
MedGen UID:
107895
Concept ID:
C0575081
Finding
The term gait disturbance can refer to any disruption of the ability to walk. In general, this can refer to neurological diseases but also fractures or other sources of pain that is triggered upon walking. However, in the current context gait disturbance refers to difficulty walking on the basis of a neurological or muscular disease.
Hyporeflexia
MedGen UID:
195967
Concept ID:
C0700078
Finding
Reduction of neurologic reflexes such as the knee-jerk reaction.
Cerebellar atrophy
MedGen UID:
196624
Concept ID:
C0740279
Disease or Syndrome
Cerebellar atrophy is defined as a cerebellum with initially normal structures, in a posterior fossa with normal size, which displays enlarged fissures (interfolial spaces) in comparison to the foliae secondary to loss of tissue. Cerebellar atrophy implies irreversible loss of tissue and result from an ongoing progressive disease until a final stage is reached or a single injury, e.g. an intoxication or infectious event.
Loss of ambulation
MedGen UID:
332305
Concept ID:
C1836843
Finding
Inability to walk in a person who previous had the ability to walk.
Generalized dystonia
MedGen UID:
341342
Concept ID:
C1848954
Finding
A type of dystonia that affects all or most of the body.
Abnormal lower motor neuron morphology
MedGen UID:
356272
Concept ID:
C1865412
Finding
Any structural anomaly of the lower motor neuron.
Oromandibular dystonia
MedGen UID:
473560
Concept ID:
C2242577
Sign or Symptom
A kind of focal dystonia characterized by forceful contractions of the face, jaw, and/or tongue causing difficulty in opening and closing the mouth and often affecting chewing and speech.
Motor axonal neuropathy
MedGen UID:
413108
Concept ID:
C2749625
Disease or Syndrome
Progressive impairment of function of motor axons with muscle weakness, atrophy, and cramps. The deficits are length-dependent, meaning that muscles innervated by the longest nerves are affected first, so that for instance the arms are affected at a later age than the onset of deficits involving the lower leg.
Eye of the tiger anomaly of globus pallidus
MedGen UID:
871224
Concept ID:
C4025705
Finding
The presence, on T2-weighted magnetic resonance imaging, of markedly low signal intensity of the globus pallidus that surrounds a central region of high signal intensity in the anteromedial globus pallidus, producing an eye-of-the-tiger appearance. The sign is thought to represent iron accumulation in the globus pallidus.
Distal muscle weakness
MedGen UID:
140883
Concept ID:
C0427065
Finding
Reduced strength of the musculature of the distal extremities.
Distal amyotrophy
MedGen UID:
338530
Concept ID:
C1848736
Disease or Syndrome
Muscular atrophy affecting muscles in the distal portions of the extremities.
Elevated circulating creatine kinase concentration
MedGen UID:
69128
Concept ID:
C0241005
Finding
An elevation of the level of the enzyme creatine kinase (also known as creatine phosphokinase (CK; EC 2.7.3.2) in the blood. CK levels can be elevated in a number of clinical disorders such as myocardial infarction, rhabdomyolysis, and muscular dystrophy.
Optic atrophy
MedGen UID:
18180
Concept ID:
C0029124
Disease or Syndrome
Atrophy of the optic nerve. Optic atrophy results from the death of the retinal ganglion cell axons that comprise the optic nerve and manifesting as a pale optic nerve on fundoscopy.
Progressive visual loss
MedGen UID:
326867
Concept ID:
C1839364
Finding
A reduction of previously attained ability to see.

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Painous C, van Os NJH, Delamarre A, Michailoviene I, Marti MJ, van de Warrenburg BP, Meissner WG, Utkus A, Reinhard C, Graessner H, Tijssen MA
Eur J Neurol 2020 Aug;27(8):1493-1500. Epub 2020 Jun 19 doi: 10.1111/ene.14302. PMID: 32386078Free PMC Article
Cardoso F
Neurodegener Dis Manag 2014;4(1):67-72. doi: 10.2217/nmt.13.78. PMID: 24640980
Gassen M, Youdim MB
Pharmacol Toxicol 1997 Apr;80(4):159-66. doi: 10.1111/j.1600-0773.1997.tb00390.x. PMID: 9140134

Recent clinical studies

Diagnosis

Remiche G, Vandernoot I, Sadeghi-Meibodi N, Desmyter L
Neurogenetics 2021 Mar;22(1):95-101. Epub 2021 Jan 4 doi: 10.1007/s10048-020-00631-4. PMID: 33394258

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