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Previous studies demonstrated the benefits of motor exercise and physical activity in neuromuscular disorders. However, very few papers assessed the effects of sport practise. The aim of this multicentre study was to assess the impact of sport activity on self-esteem and emotional regulation in a cohort of athletes with neuromuscular disorders. The 38 patients with Duchenne, Becker or other types of muscular dystrophy or spinal muscular atrophy practising sport (aged 13–49 years) and 39 age-, gender-, disability- and disease-matched patients not practising sport were enrolled. Testing procedures to assess self-esteem, anxiety and depression disorder, personality trait and quality of life (QoL) were used. Patients practising sport had a significantly higher self-esteem, lower level of depression, greater social own identity and adherence and QoL. Frequency of sport activity may represent a complementary therapy in neuromuscular disorders to improve mental and social well-being. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

KIF1A gene encodes the kinesin 1a protein, an axonal motor protein working in cargo transport along neurites. Variants in KIF1A were identified in different forms of neurodegenerative diseases with dominant and recessive inheritance. Homozygous recessive mutations were found in the hereditary sensory and autonomic neuropathy type 2, HSAN2 and in a recessive subtype of hereditary spastic paraparesis, SPG30. De novo heterozygous dominant variants were found both in a dominant form of SPG30 (AD-SPG30) with one single family reported and in patients with different forms of progressive neurodegenerative diseases. We report the results of a genetic screening of 192 HSP patients, with the identification of four heterozygous variants in KIF1A in four cases, two of whom with family history for the disease. Three of the four variants fall within the motor domain, a frequent target for variants related to the AD-SPG30 subtype. The fourth variant falls downstream the motor domain in a region lacking any functional domain. The KIF1A-related patients show clinical pictures overlapping the known AD-SPG30 phenotype including pure and complicated forms with few differences. Of note, one of the families, originating from the Sicily island, carries the same variant p.S69L detected in the first AD-SPG30 family of Finnish origin reported; differently from the first one, the latter family shows a wide intra-familial phenotype variability. Overall, these data reveal a very low frequency of the AD-SPG30 subtype while confirming the presence of amino acid residues in the motor domain representing preferential targets for mutations, thereby supporting their functional relevance in kinesin 1a activity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) diseases include a group of clinically heterogeneous inherited neuropathies subdivided into demyelinating (CMT1), axonal (CMT2) and intermediate CMT forms. CMTs are associated with different genes, although mutations in some of these genes may cause both clinical pictures. To date, more than 50 CMT genes have been identified, but more than half of the cases are due to mutations in MFN2, MPZ, GJB1 and PMP22. The aim of this study was to estimate the frequency of disease mutations of these four genes in the axonal form of CMT in order to evaluate their effectiveness in the molecular diagnosis of CMT2 patients. A cohort of 38 CMT2 Italian subjects was screened for mutations in the MFN2, MPZ and GJB1 genes by direct sequencing and for PMP22 rearrangements using the MLPA technique. Overall, we identified 15 mutations, 8 of which were novel: 11 mutations (28.9 %) were in the MFN2 gene, 2 (5.3 %) in MPZ and 2 (5.3 %) in PMP22. No mutations were found in GJB1. Two patients showed rearrangements in the PMP22 gene, which is commonly associated with CMT1 or HNPP phenotypes thus usually not tested in CMT2 patients. By including this gene in the analysis, we reached a molecular diagnosis rate of 39.5 %, which is one of the highest reported in the literature. Our findings confirm the MFN2 gene as the most common cause of CMT2 and suggest that PMP22 rearrangements should be considered in the molecular diagnosis of CMT2 patients. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Complicated hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) are a heterogeneous group of HSP characterized by spasticity associated with a variable combination of neurologic and extra-neurologic signs and symptoms. Among them, HSP with thin corpus callosum and intellectual disability is a frequent subtype, often inherited as a recessive trait (ARHSP-TCC). Within this heterogeneous subgroup, SPG11 and SPG15 represent the most frequent subtypes. We analyzed the mutation frequency of three genes associated with early-onset forms of ARHSP with and without TCC, CYP2U1/SPG56, DDHD2/SPG54 and GBA2/SPG46, in a large population of selected complicated HSP patients by using a combined approach of traditional-based and amplicon-based high-throughput pooled-sequencing. Three families with mutations were identified, one for each of the genes analyzed. Novel homozygous mutations were identified in CYP2U1 (c.1A>C/p.Met1?) and in GBA2 (c.2048G>C/p.Gly683Arg), while the homozygous mutation found in DDHD2 (c.1978G>C/p.Asp660His) had been previously reported in a compound heterozygous state. The phenotypes associated with the CYP2U1 and DDHD2 mutations overlap the SPG56 and the SPG54 subtypes, respectively, with few differences. By contrast, the GBA2 mutated patients show phenotypes combining typical features of both the SPG46 subtype and the recessive ataxia form, with marked intrafamilial variability thereby expanding the spectrum of clinical entities associated with GBA2 mutations. Overall, each of three genes analyzed shows a low mutation frequency in a general population of complicated HSP (<1 % for either CYP2U1 or DDHD2 and approximately 2 % for GBA2). These findings underline once again the genetic heterogeneity of ARHSP-TCC and the clinical overlap between complicated HSP and the recessive ataxia syndromes. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSPs) include a group of neurodegenerative diseases, and so far 46 SPG loci have been mapped and 17 genes isolated. Among the autosomal dominant HSPs (AD-HSPs), SPG10 is a rare form due to mutations in KIF5A gene (locus 12q13.3). We describe the clinical, neurophysiological, morphological and genetic study of an Italian family with AD-HSP. The proband presented with an adult onset spastic paraparesis and diffuse paresthesias where neurophysiological and nerve biopsy morphological studies revealed an axonal neuropathy. Molecular genetic analysis identified a new missense mutation (c.608C>G) of KIF5A gene resulting in a serine to cysteine substitution, S203C, located in a highly conserved domain of the protein. This pedigree confirms the occurrence of an axonal peripheral neuropathy in SPG10. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Establishment and maintenance of proper architecture is essential for endoplasmic reticulum (ER) function. Homotypic membrane fusion is required for ER biogenesis and maintenance, and has been shown to depend on GTP hydrolysis. Here we demonstrate that Drosophila Atlastin—the fly homologue of the mammalian GTPase atlastin 1 involved in hereditary spastic paraplegia—localizes on ER membranes and that its loss causes ER fragmentation. Drosophila Atlastin embedded in distinct membranes has the ability to form trans-oligomeric complexes and its overexpression induces enlargement of ER profiles, consistent with excessive fusion of ER membranes. In vitro experiments confirm that Atlastin autonomously drives membrane fusion in a GTP-dependent fashion. In contrast, GTPase-deficient Atlastin is inactive, unable to form trans-oligomeric complexes owing to failure to self-associate, and incapable of promoting fusion in vitro. These results demonstrate that Atlastin mediates membrane tethering and fusion and strongly suggest that it is the GTPase activity that is required for ER homotypic fusion. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

While in the last 5 years several studies have been conducted in Italy on the prevalence of mental disorders in adults, to date no epidemiological study has been targeted on mental disorders in adolescents. A two-phase study was conducted on 3,418 participants using the child behavior checklist/6–18 (CBCL) and the development and well-being assessment (DAWBA), a structured interview with verbatim reports reviewed by clinicians. The prevalence of CBCL caseness and DSM-IV disorders was 9.8% (CI 8.8–10.8%) and 8.2% (CI 4.2–12.3%), respectively. DSM-IV Emotional disorders were more frequently observed (6.5% CI 2.2–10.8%) than externalizing disorders (1.2% CI 0.2–2.3%). In girls, prevalence estimates increased significantly with age; furthermore, living with a single parent, low level of maternal education, and low family income were associated with a higher likelihood of suffering from emotional or behavioral problems. Approximately one in ten adolescents has psychological problems. Teachers and clinicians should focus on boys and girls living with a single parent and/or in disadvantaged socioeconomic conditions. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Cellular pH control is important in muscle physiology, and for interpretation of (31)P magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) data. Cellular acidification in exercise results from coupled glycolytic ATP production mitigated by cytosolic buffering, 'consumption' of H(+) by phosphocreatine (PCr) breakdown, and membrane transport processes. Ex vivo methods for cytosolic buffer capacity are vulnerable to artefact, and MRS methods often require assumptions. (31)P MRS of early exercise, when pH increases unopposed by glycolysis, is conceptually simple, but limited in normal muscle by time resolution and signal-to-noise. A therapeutic trial (Martinuzzi A et al. Musc Nerve 37: 350-357, 2007) in McArdle's disease (glycogen phosphorylase deficiency), where pH does not decrease with exercise, offered the opportunity to test (31)P MRS data obtained throughout incremental plantar flexion exercise and recovery in ten McArdle's patients against the simple model of cellular pH control. Changes in pH, [Pi] and [PCr] throughout exercise and recovery were quantitatively consistent with mean +/- SEM buffer capacity of 10 +/- 1 mM/(pH unit), which was not significantly different from the control subjects under the initial-exercise conditions where the comparison could be made. The simple model of cellular acid-base balance therefore gives an adequate account of cellular pH changes during both exercise and recovery in McArdle's disease. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

The objective is to present training on the International Classification of Functioning, Disability and Health (ICF) prepared by the Disability Italian Network (DIN) and to present strategies of ICF dissemination in Italy. A description of DIN's training methodology, prepared in collaboration with World Health Organization (WHO) experts, is provided within its practical applications in health, labour, rehabilitation and statistical sectors. The ICF-DIN Basic Course is eight hours long and focuses on ICF basic principles, structure and application in different settings. The ICF-DIN Advanced Course, three days long followed by three months of distance learning, assumes Basic Course completion, and focuses also on ICF-checklist's coding and WHO-DAS II administration. The first training courses' outcomes, held in Italy and addressed to health, social and labour professionals, are provided. The feedback received by participants at the end of the courses showed that the main mistake they made was to consider ICF as an assessment instrument. The ICF-DIN training course was crucial in explaining the correct use of the ICF as a classification and to show its impact and usefulness on daily practice, particularly in multidisciplinary teams. The ICF-DIN courses already carried out in Italy show that this teaching methodology teaches how to avoid incomplete applications, simplification and misunderstanding of ICF's complexity. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

FABPs in the various tissues play an important role in the intracellular fatty acid transport and metabolism. Reye's syndrome (RS) and multisystemic lipid storage (MLS) are human disorders characterized by a disturbance of lipid metabolism of unknown etiology. We investigated for the first time L-FABP in these two conditions. Affinity purified antibodies against chicken L-FABP were raised in rabbits, and found to cross-react specifically with partially purified human L-FABP. L-FABP content in liver samples of two patients with RS and MLS was investigated by immuno-histochemistry, SDS-PAGE and ELISA. L-FABP immuno-histochemistry showed increased reactivity in the liver of RS patient and normal reactivity in MLS liver. L-FABP increase in RS liver was confirmed by densitometry of SDS-PAGE and ELISA method. By these two methods the increase amounted to 180% and 199% (p < 0.02), respectively, as compared to controls. A possible role of L-FABP in the pathogenesis of RS is discussed. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

Silver syndrome (SPG17) is a rare form of hereditary spastic paraparesis. Its relationship to distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN) type V is underlined by the recent discovery of causative mutation in BSCL2 gene coding for a protein termed seipin, an integral membrane protein of endoplasmic reticulum, with unknown function. Here we report the third Italian family with dHMN and SPG17 in which two affected members harbor the heterozygous N88S mutation in the BSCL2 gene. The proband developed a severe paraparetic spastic gait, while, in the other Italian families reported so far, no signs of upper motor neuron involvement were observed. This family confirms the clinical heterogeneity associated with this specific mutation. Moreover, this is the first report in which neuroimaging seems to confirm the pyramidal alterations in dHMN associated to SPG17. [ABSTRACT FROM AUTHOR]

A correction to the article "Homotypic fusion of ER membranes requires the dynamin-like GTPase Atlastin," is presented .