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AIM: Late infantile neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis type 2 (CLN2) disease is a rare neurodegenerative disorder presenting in children aged 2-4 years with seizures and loss of motor and language skills, followed by blindness and death in late childhood. Initial presenting features are similar to a range of common epilepsies. We aim to highlight typical clinical and radiological features that may prompt diagnosis of CLN2 disease in early disease stages. METHODS: We present a series of 13 Australian patients with CLN2 disease, describing clinical features, disease evolution, neuroimaging, electroencephalogram, biochemical and genetic results. Expert neuroradiological magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) analysis was retrospectively performed on 10 cases. RESULTS: Twelve patients presented with seizures, with initial seizures being focal (n = 4), generalised tonic-clonic (n = 3), absence (n = 3) and febrile (n = 2). Eleven patients (85%) had a language delay before the onset of seizures. Cerebellar or cerebral atrophy was noted in all patients on centralised MRI review, with abnormalities of the brain-stem, ventricles, corpus callosum and hippocampi. CONCLUSIONS: Early language delay with the onset of seizures at 2-4 years of age is the hallmark of CLN2 disease. MRI findings of early subtle atrophy in the cerebellum or posterior cortical regions should hasten testing for CLN2 disease to enable early initiation of enzyme replacement therapy.

Background: Positive health outcomes have been observed following gastrostomy insertion in children with intellectual disability, which is being increasingly used at younger ages to improve nutritional intake. This study investigated the effect of gastrostomy insertion on survival of children with severe intellectual disability. Methods: We used linked disability and health data of children and adolescents who were born in Western Australia between 1983 and 2009 to compare survival of individuals with severe intellectual disability by exposure to gastrostomy status. For those born in 2000–2009, we employed propensity score matching to adjust for confounding by indication. Effect of gastrostomy insertion on survival was compared by pertinent health and sociodemographic risk factors. Results: Compared with children born in the 1980s–1990s, probability of survival following first gastrostomy insertion for those born in 2000–2009 was higher (2 years: 94% vs. 83%). Mortality risk was higher in cases than that in their matched controls (hazard ratio 2.9, 95% confidence interval 1.1, 7.3). The relative risk of mortality (gastrostomy vs. non-gastrostomy) may have differed by sex, birthweight and time at first gastrostomy insertion. Respiratory conditions were a common immediate or underlying cause of death among all children, particularly among those undergoing gastrostomy insertion. Conclusions: Whilst gastrostomy insertion was associated with lower survival rates than children without gastrostomy, survival improved with time, and gastrostomy afforded some protection for the more vulnerable groups, and earlier use appears beneficial to survival. Specific clinical data that may be used to prioritise the need for gastrostomy insertion may be responsible for the survival differences observed.

Background: Chromosome 22q11.2 is susceptible to genomic rearrangements and the most frequently reported involve deletions and duplications between low copy repeats LCR22A to LCR22D. Atypical nested deletions and duplications are rarer and can provide a valuable opportunity to investigate the dosage effects of a smaller subset of genes within the 22q11.2 genomic disorder region. Methods: We describe thirteen individuals from six families, each with atypical nested duplications within the central 22q11.2 region between LCR22B and LCR22D. We then compared the molecular and clinical data for patients from this study and the few reported atypical duplication cases, to the cases with larger typical duplications between LCR22A and LCR22D. Further, we analyzed genes with the nested region to identify candidates highly enriched in human brain tissues. Results: We observed that atypical nested duplications are heterogeneous in size, often familial, and associated with incomplete penetrance and highly variable clinical expressivity. We found that the nested atypical duplications are a possible risk factor for neurodevelopmental phenotypes, particularly for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), speech and language delay, and behavioral abnormalities. In addition, we analyzed genes within the nested region between LCR22B and LCR22D to identify nine genes (ZNF74, KLHL22, MED15, PI4KA, SERPIND1, CRKL, AIFM3, SLC7A4, and BCRP2) with enriched expression in the nervous system, each with unique spatiotemporal patterns in fetal and adult brain tissues. Interestingly, PI4KA is prominently expressed in the brain, and this gene is included either partially or completely in all of our subjects. Conclusion: Our findings confirm variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance for atypical nested 22q11.2 duplications and identify genes such as PI4KA to be directly relevant to brain development and disorder. We conclude that further work is needed to elucidate the basis of variable neurodevelopment

Background Chromosome 22q11.2 is susceptible to genomic rearrangements and the most frequently reported involve deletions and duplications between low copy repeats LCR22A to LCR22D. Atypical nested deletions and duplications are rarer and can provide a valuable opportunity to investigate the dosage effects of a smaller subset of genes within the 22q11.2 genomic disorder region. Methods We describe thirteen individuals from six families, each with atypical nested duplications within the central 22q11.2 region between LCR22B and LCR22D. We then compared the molecular and clinical data for patients from this study and the few reported atypical duplication cases, to the cases with larger typical duplications between LCR22A and LCR22D. Further, we analyzed genes with the nested region to identify candidates highly enriched in human brain tissues. Results We observed that atypical nested duplications are heterogeneous in size, often familial, and associated with incomplete penetrance and highly variable clinical expressivity. We found that the nested atypical duplications are a possible risk factor for neurodevelopmental phenotypes, particularly for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), speech and language delay, and behavioral abnormalities. In addition, we analyzed genes within the nested region between LCR22B and LCR22D to identify nine genes (ZNF74, KLHL22, MED15, PI4KA, SERPIND1, CRKL, AIFM3, SLC7A4, and BCRP2) with enriched expression in the nervous system, each with unique spatiotemporal patterns in fetal and adult brain tissues. Interestingly, PI4KA is prominently expressed in the brain, and this gene is included either partially or completely in all of our subjects. Conclusion Our findings confirm variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance for atypical nested 22q11.2 duplications and identify genes such as PI4KA to be directly relevant to brain development and disorder. We conclude that further work is needed to elucidate the basis of variable neurodevelopmental p

The largest group of recipients of pediatric gastrostomy have neurological impairment with intellectual disability (ID). This study investigated trends in first gastrostomy insertion according to markers of disadvantage and ID etiology. Linked administrative and health data collected over a 32-year study period (1983–2014) for children with ID born between 1983 and 2009 in Western Australia were examined. The annual incidence rate change over calendar year was calculated for all children and according to socioeconomic status, geographical remoteness, and Aboriginality. The most likely causes of ID were identified using available diagnosis codes in the linked data set. Of 11,729 children with ID, 325 (2.8%) received a first gastrostomy within the study period. The incidence rate was highest in the 0–2 age group and there was an increasing incidence trend with calendar time for each age group under 6 years of age. This rate change was greatest in children from the lowest socioeconomic status quintile, who lived in regional/remote areas or who were Aboriginal. The two largest identified groups of ID were genetically caused syndromes (15.1%) and neonatal encephalopathy (14.8%). Conclusion: Gastrostomy is increasingly used in multiple neurological conditions associated with ID, with no apparent accessibility barriers in terms of socioeconomic status, remoteness, or Aboriginality.What is Known:• The use of gastrostomy insertion in pediatrics is increasing and the most common recipients during childhood have neurological impairment, most of whom also have intellectual disability (ID).What is New:• Nearly 3% of children with ID had gastrostomy insertion performed, with the highest incidence in children under 3 years of age.• Gastrostomy use across different social groups was equitable in the Australian setting.

Molecular Genetics & Genomic Medicine published by Wiley Periodicals, Inc. Background: Chromosome 22q11.2 is susceptible to genomic rearrangements and the most frequently reported involve deletions and duplications between low copy repeats LCR22A to LCR22D. Atypical nested deletions and duplications are rarer and can provide a valuable opportunity to investigate the dosage effects of a smaller subset of genes within the 22q11.2 genomic disorder region. Methods: We describe thirteen individuals from six families, each with atypical nested duplications within the central 22q11.2 region between LCR22B and LCR22D. We then compared the molecular and clinical data for patients from this study and the few reported atypical duplication cases, to the cases with larger typical duplications between LCR22A and LCR22D. Further, we analyzed genes with the nested region to identify candidates highly enriched in human brain tissues. Results: We observed that atypical nested duplications are heterogeneous in size, often familial, and associated with incomplete penetrance and highly variable clinical expressivity. We found that the nested atypical duplications are a possible risk factor for neurodevelopmental phenotypes, particularly for autism spectrum disorder (ASD), speech and language delay, and behavioral abnormalities. In addition, we analyzed genes within the nested region between LCR22B and LCR22D to identify nine genes (ZNF74, KLHL22, MED15, PI4KA, SERPIND1, CRKL, AIFM3, SLC7A4, and BCRP2) with enriched expression in the nervous system, each with unique spatiotemporal patterns in fetal and adult brain tissues. Interestingly, PI4KA is prominently expressed in the brain, and this gene is included either partially or completely in all of our subjects. Conclusion: Our findings confirm variable expressivity and incomplete penetrance for atypical nested 22q11.2 duplications and identify genes such as PI4KA to be directly relevant to brain development and disorder. We conclude that