Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2026.106334
Tahereh Neyaz , Kristin M Conway , Yining Yang , Russell J Butterfield , Swamy Venkatesh , Paul A Romitti , Katherine D Mathews , the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network (MD STARnet)
Reports of clinical characteristics of FSHD in childhood have often focused on the most severely affected. To include children in clinical trials, it is important to understand the full pediatric spectrum. The Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network provides a population-based, cross-sectional cohort of children diagnosed with FSHD. Children diagnosed before 19 years of age during 2008–2019 were included (n = 93). Clinical characteristics abstracted from the medical record included motor symptoms, genetic test results, and family history. Of those with known FSHD type (n = 73 of 93, 78.8 %), 72 (98.6 %) had FSHD1. Among those with FSHD1, the most frequent D4Z4 repeat category was 1–3 repeats (n = 33, 45.8 %) and few had 7–10 repeats (n = 7, 9.7 %). Among those with FSHD1 and known symptom onset age (n = 70), 22 (31.4 %) had early onset disease. Overall, most (88.2 %) were ambulatory at last visit. The number of children diagnosed increased steadily across childhood, suggesting a continuous spectrum of age at onset. The most common co-morbidity was hearing loss (n = 19 of 93, 20.4 %); most commonly among children with FSHD1 and 1–3 D4Z4 repeats (n = 13 of 33, 39.4 %). Our series provides data to support the design of pediatric FSHD trials, critical to ensure timely access to future effective treatments.
{"title":"Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy diagnosed in childhood: a muscular dystrophy surveillance, tracking and research network cohort","authors":"Tahereh Neyaz , Kristin M Conway , Yining Yang , Russell J Butterfield , Swamy Venkatesh , Paul A Romitti , Katherine D Mathews , the Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking and Research Network (MD STARnet)","doi":"10.1016/j.nmd.2026.106334","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nmd.2026.106334","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Reports of clinical characteristics of FSHD in childhood have often focused on the most severely affected. To include children in clinical trials, it is important to understand the full pediatric spectrum. The Muscular Dystrophy Surveillance, Tracking, and Research Network provides a population-based, cross-sectional cohort of children diagnosed with FSHD. Children diagnosed before 19 years of age during 2008–2019 were included (<em>n</em> = 93). Clinical characteristics abstracted from the medical record included motor symptoms, genetic test results, and family history. Of those with known FSHD type (<em>n</em> = 73 of 93, 78.8 %), 72 (98.6 %) had FSHD1. Among those with FSHD1, the most frequent D4Z4 repeat category was 1–3 repeats (<em>n</em> = 33, 45.8 %) and few had 7–10 repeats (<em>n</em> = 7, 9.7 %). Among those with FSHD1 and known symptom onset age (<em>n</em> = 70), 22 (31.4 %) had early onset disease. Overall, most (88.2 %) were ambulatory at last visit. The number of children diagnosed increased steadily across childhood, suggesting a continuous spectrum of age at onset. The most common co-morbidity was hearing loss (<em>n</em> = 19 of 93, 20.4 %); most commonly among children with FSHD1 and 1–3 D4Z4 repeats (<em>n</em> = 13 of 33, 39.4 %). Our series provides data to support the design of pediatric FSHD trials, critical to ensure timely access to future effective treatments.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19135,"journal":{"name":"Neuromuscular Disorders","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article 106334"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145982040","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-09DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2026.106335
Elizabeth Ulm Seiwert , Xinrui Shi , Alyxis Coyan , Sarah Crawford , Ammar Husami , Cuixia Tian , Alex Zygmunt , Hani Kushlaf , Jie Liu , Chinmayee B Nagaraj
Pathogenic copy number and sequence variants in the dystrophin (DMD) gene cause X-linked dystrophinopathies. Predicting the clinical consequences of intragenic DMD duplications is challenging because their functional impact depends on the physical location of the duplicated material, which cannot be determined through conventional testing. Optical genome mapping is a method of structural variant analysis that can identify both the quantity and location of rearranged segments. We report three male patients with intragenic DMD duplications whose significance was revised using clinical optical genome mapping. Two were inserted outside of the DMD gene and reclassified as likely benign. The third was situated in tandem with the original sequence and reclassified as pathogenic. These cases emphasize the importance of evaluating the genomic location of DMD duplications, particularly when the patient’s phenotype does not align with their genotype classification, and highlight the implications for clinical management and genetic counseling.
{"title":"Reclassification of intragenic DMD gene duplications by optical genome mapping resolves uncertainty and improves clinical management","authors":"Elizabeth Ulm Seiwert , Xinrui Shi , Alyxis Coyan , Sarah Crawford , Ammar Husami , Cuixia Tian , Alex Zygmunt , Hani Kushlaf , Jie Liu , Chinmayee B Nagaraj","doi":"10.1016/j.nmd.2026.106335","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nmd.2026.106335","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Pathogenic copy number and sequence variants in the dystrophin (<em>DMD</em>) gene cause X-linked dystrophinopathies. Predicting the clinical consequences of intragenic <em>DMD</em> duplications is challenging because their functional impact depends on the physical location of the duplicated material, which cannot be determined through conventional testing. Optical genome mapping is a method of structural variant analysis that can identify both the quantity and location of rearranged segments. We report three male patients with intragenic <em>DMD</em> duplications whose significance was revised using clinical optical genome mapping. Two were inserted outside of the <em>DMD</em> gene and reclassified as likely benign. The third was situated in tandem with the original sequence and reclassified as pathogenic. These cases emphasize the importance of evaluating the genomic location of <em>DMD</em> duplications, particularly when the patient’s phenotype does not align with their genotype classification, and highlight the implications for clinical management and genetic counseling.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19135,"journal":{"name":"Neuromuscular Disorders","volume":"60 ","pages":"Article 106335"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-09","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145982079","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2026-01-01DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106308
{"title":"A New Chapter for Neuromuscular Disorders by C. Weihl","authors":"","doi":"10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106308","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106308","url":null,"abstract":"","PeriodicalId":19135,"journal":{"name":"Neuromuscular Disorders","volume":"58 ","pages":"Article 106308"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2026-01-01","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145850486","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-30DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106332
Carla J. Jonker , Kelly Plueschke , Kieran C. Breen , Mencía de Lemus Belmonte , Patrice Verpillat , Alexandra Pacurariu
Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare recessive progressive neurodegenerative disorder. To better understand the progression of spinal muscular atrophy the European Medicines Agency launched a study based on registry data. This manuscript describes some lessons learnt and considerations how to improve future registry-based studies that aim to inform regulatory decision-making. The study started with a feasibility assessment to select appropriate registries from the TREAT-NMD network. The feasibility assessment is key to understand upfront the quality, capability and capacity of registries to address a research question, as well as the potential limitations. Several tools are available on how to assess and ultimately improve data quality. Data from a registry becomes more valuable if it can be linked to other data sources to supplement data. For regulatory decision-making on orphan drugs, it is crucial to collect comprehensive data from non-treated patients. Missing information for important variables in non-treated patients complicates comparison with data from treated patients, as this may introduce bias into the results. Collaboration with registries has demonstrated opportunities for access to registry data and the steps needed to improve data quality. This requires more support in the form of funding, resources and training to understand the legal requirements.
{"title":"Learnings from a registry-based cohort study for spinal muscular atrophy disease","authors":"Carla J. Jonker , Kelly Plueschke , Kieran C. Breen , Mencía de Lemus Belmonte , Patrice Verpillat , Alexandra Pacurariu","doi":"10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106332","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106332","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Spinal muscular atrophy is a rare recessive progressive neurodegenerative disorder. To better understand the progression of spinal muscular atrophy the European Medicines Agency launched a study based on registry data. This manuscript describes some lessons learnt and considerations how to improve future registry-based studies that aim to inform regulatory decision-making. The study started with a feasibility assessment to select appropriate registries from the TREAT-NMD network. The feasibility assessment is key to understand upfront the quality, capability and capacity of registries to address a research question, as well as the potential limitations. Several tools are available on how to assess and ultimately improve data quality. Data from a registry becomes more valuable if it can be linked to other data sources to supplement data. For regulatory decision-making on orphan drugs, it is crucial to collect comprehensive data from non-treated patients. Missing information for important variables in non-treated patients complicates comparison with data from treated patients, as this may introduce bias into the results. Collaboration with registries has demonstrated opportunities for access to registry data and the steps needed to improve data quality. This requires more support in the form of funding, resources and training to understand the legal requirements.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19135,"journal":{"name":"Neuromuscular Disorders","volume":"59 ","pages":"Article 106332"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-30","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145927819","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-18DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106313
Eleonora Torchia , Frauke Stascheit , Felix Kleefeld , Stephan J. Schreiber , Hans H. Goebel , Werner Stenzel
Sporadic late-onset nemaline myopathy (SLONM) is an acquired adult-onset myopathy characterized by subacute proximal weakness and nemaline rods in muscle. Although SLONM frequently occurs with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), the coexistence with other MGUS-related disorders has not been reported. We describe three patients with SLONM and paraproteinemic neuropathy, showing sensory involvement and variable motor deficits, from mild non-progressive disease to a severe form with bulbar complications. Muscle histology revealed a significant number of fibres with nemaline rods and also frequent mitochondrial abnormalities, while nerve pathology demonstrated granular endoneurial deposits consistent with immune–complex–mediated neuropathy. One untreated patient remained stable, whereas the other two progressive, immunosuppressive-refractory cases improved with anti–plasma cell therapy. These cases illustrate a previously unreported co-occurrence of SLONM and MGUS-associated neuropathy. Despite differing clinical courses, shared pathology suggests common mechanisms, with mitochondrial abnormalities as a possibly under-recognized feature. Muscle and nerve biopsy including electronmicroscopic analysis is crucial for accurate diagnosis, and clone-directed therapy may provide benefit.
{"title":"Monoclonal Gammopathy – the common denominator of sporadic late-onset nemaline myopathy and paraproteinemic neuropathy","authors":"Eleonora Torchia , Frauke Stascheit , Felix Kleefeld , Stephan J. Schreiber , Hans H. Goebel , Werner Stenzel","doi":"10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106313","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106313","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>Sporadic late-onset nemaline myopathy (SLONM) is an acquired adult-onset myopathy characterized by subacute proximal weakness and nemaline rods in muscle. Although SLONM frequently occurs with monoclonal gammopathy of undetermined significance (MGUS), the coexistence with other MGUS-related disorders has not been reported. We describe three patients with SLONM and paraproteinemic neuropathy, showing sensory involvement and variable motor deficits, from mild non-progressive disease to a severe form with bulbar complications. Muscle histology revealed a significant number of fibres with nemaline rods and also frequent mitochondrial abnormalities, while nerve pathology demonstrated granular endoneurial deposits consistent with immune–complex–mediated neuropathy. One untreated patient remained stable, whereas the other two progressive, immunosuppressive-refractory cases improved with anti–plasma cell therapy. These cases illustrate a previously unreported co-occurrence of SLONM and MGUS-associated neuropathy. Despite differing clinical courses, shared pathology suggests common mechanisms, with mitochondrial abnormalities as a possibly under-recognized feature. Muscle and nerve biopsy including electronmicroscopic analysis is crucial for accurate diagnosis, and clone-directed therapy may provide benefit.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19135,"journal":{"name":"Neuromuscular Disorders","volume":"59 ","pages":"Article 106313"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-18","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145885694","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}
Pub Date : 2025-12-16DOI: 10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106312
Jonas Gillenstrand , Malin Broberg , Anna-Karin Kroksmark , Jennifer Strand , Mar Tulinius , Anne-Berit Ekström
This study investigated age-related differences in hot (affective-motivational) and cold (cognitive) executive functions (EF) in boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) across childhood and adolescence. In a cross-sectional design, 70 boys with DMD aged 5, 8, 11, and 14 years completed performance-based EF assessments, accompanied by parent-reported EF ratings. Longitudinal data were also collected from a subsample of 13 boys over a three-year period, with repeated assessments at the age intervals of 5–8, 8–11, and 11–14 years. At age 5, no significant EF impairments were observed. By age 8, however, significant deficits in hot EF tasks emerged, followed by impairments in cold EF at age 11. Cold EF performance indicated developmental delay rather than decline, as reflected in logits-based data. Longitudinal analyses using the Reliable Change Index revealed heterogeneous developmental patterns. Findings suggest that boys with DMD exhibit disrupted EF development, with increasing impairment through middle childhood and a potential positive trend from 11 to 14 years. These results underscore the importance of monitoring EF across a wider age range in this population.
{"title":"Age-related differences in hot and cold executive functions in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: longitudinal individual changes and age-group comparisons across childhood and adolescence","authors":"Jonas Gillenstrand , Malin Broberg , Anna-Karin Kroksmark , Jennifer Strand , Mar Tulinius , Anne-Berit Ekström","doi":"10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106312","DOIUrl":"10.1016/j.nmd.2025.106312","url":null,"abstract":"<div><div>This study investigated age-related differences in hot (affective-motivational) and cold (cognitive) executive functions (EF) in boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) across childhood and adolescence. In a cross-sectional design, 70 boys with DMD aged 5, 8, 11, and 14 years completed performance-based EF assessments, accompanied by parent-reported EF ratings. Longitudinal data were also collected from a subsample of 13 boys over a three-year period, with repeated assessments at the age intervals of 5–8, 8–11, and 11–14 years. At age 5, no significant EF impairments were observed. By age 8, however, significant deficits in hot EF tasks emerged, followed by impairments in cold EF at age 11. Cold EF performance indicated developmental delay rather than decline, as reflected in logits-based data. Longitudinal analyses using the Reliable Change Index revealed heterogeneous developmental patterns. Findings suggest that boys with DMD exhibit disrupted EF development, with increasing impairment through middle childhood and a potential positive trend from 11 to 14 years. These results underscore the importance of monitoring EF across a wider age range in this population.</div></div>","PeriodicalId":19135,"journal":{"name":"Neuromuscular Disorders","volume":"59 ","pages":"Article 106312"},"PeriodicalIF":2.8,"publicationDate":"2025-12-16","publicationTypes":"Journal Article","fieldsOfStudy":null,"isOpenAccess":false,"openAccessPdf":"","citationCount":null,"resultStr":null,"platform":"Semanticscholar","paperid":"145834335","PeriodicalName":null,"FirstCategoryId":null,"ListUrlMain":null,"RegionNum":4,"RegionCategory":"医学","ArticlePicture":[],"TitleCN":null,"AbstractTextCN":null,"PMCID":"","EPubDate":null,"PubModel":null,"JCR":null,"JCRName":null,"Score":null,"Total":0}