Importance: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is usually sporadic, but few pedigrees with familial clustering of PSP-like phenotypes have been described. Occasionally, MAPT, C9ORF72, and TARDBP mutations have been identified.
Objective: To analyze the DCTN1 gene in 19 families with a clinical phenotype of PSP (PSP-like phenotype).
Design, setting, and participants: Sequencing of the DCTN1 gene in familial forms of PSP at a referral center among 21 patients with familial PSP-like phenotypes. In addition, 8 patients and relatives from a family carrying a DCTN1 mutation were evaluated.
Main outcomes and measures: Identification of the DCTN1 mutation and clinical description of DCTN1 mutation carriers.
Results: We identified a DCTN1 mutation in a large family characterized by high intrafamilial clinical phenotype variability. Two patients had PSP-like phenotypes with dystonia, vertical gaze slowness, dysexecutive syndrome, predominant axial rigidity, and midbrain atrophy on brain magnetic resonance imaging. The other patients manifested Perry syndrome, isolated parkinsonism, or a predominant behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia.
Conclusions and relevance: Mutations of the DCTN1 gene have been previously associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and with Perry syndrome, a rare autosomal dominant disorder characterized by weight loss, parkinsonism, central hypoventilation, and psychiatric disturbances. Our study demonstrates that DCTN1 mutations should be searched for in patients with clinical PSP-like phenotypes and a behavioral variant of frontotemporal dementia, especially when a familial history of dementia, psychiatric disturbances, associated parkinsonism, or an autosomal dominant disorder is present.