Structural and Functional CNS Abnormalities in Myotonic Dystrophy type 1 Myotonic dystrophy (DM), the most common form of muscular dystrophy, causes dramatic unparalleled multisystemic effects. The complicated clinical presentation of DM results from broad underlying molecular changes, including misprocessing of a family of genetic transcripts caused, at least in part, by sequestration of the RNA binding protein, MBNL. The complex DM phenotype follows a multiphasic time course, in which specific features appear at various ages from infancy through adulthood, each DM patient having overlapping developmental, degenerative and physiological deficits. Clinical focus on skeletal muscle in DM, although important, can obscure the devastating CNS effects of the disorder, including: developmental cognitive impairment, progressive loss of executive function, personality and behavioral changes, social interactions in the autism spectrum, and central hypersomnia. To clarify pathophysiology, and facilitate treatment of the CNS effects, the proposed studies will quantitatively characterize a clinically important but poorly defined feature, central hypersomnia, a physiological abnormality that may measurably respond to pharmacologic or genetic treatment. The sleep abnormality will be studied in the context of other defined CNS features including altered white matter integrity (using novel MRI measures), loss of executive function and measurement of CSF abnormalities. While optimism has grown for treating skeletal muscle in DM with antisense oligonucleotides, the proposed studies will now help clarify molecular pathophysiology while also defining methods for studying CNS response to treatment, and establishing methods to compare mouse models with the clinical disorder, allowing future detailed insights into the cause and treatment of this common, complex and devastating disease.

Public Health Relevance

Health effects of myotonic dystrophy, the most common form of muscular dystrophy in adults, are profound, in part because this complex disorder significantly affects the brain. Through detailed studies of brain structure (using novel MRI analyses) and function (physiological and psychological), the proposed investigations will help define the causes and treatments of this devastating dominantly inherited disorder.

Agency
National Institute of Health (NIH)
Institute
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
Type
Research Program Projects (P01)
Project #
5P01NS058901-08
Application #
8739679
Study Section
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Initial Review Group (NSD)
Project Start
Project End
Budget Start
2014-07-01
Budget End
2015-06-30
Support Year
8
Fiscal Year
2014
Total Cost
Indirect Cost
Name
University of Florida
Department
Type
DUNS #
City
Gainesville
State
FL
Country
United States
Zip Code
Sznajder, ?ukasz J; Thomas, James D; Carrell, Ellie M et al. (2018) Intron retention induced by microsatellite expansions as a disease biomarker. Proc Natl Acad Sci U S A 115:4234-4239
Chen, Gang; Carter, Russell E; Cleary, John D et al. (2018) Altered levels of the splicing factor muscleblind modifies cerebral cortical function in mouse models of myotonic dystrophy. Neurobiol Dis 112:35-48
Cleary, John Douglas; Pattamatta, Amrutha; Ranum, Laura P W (2018) Repeat-associated non-ATG (RAN) translation. J Biol Chem 293:16127-16141
Pattamatta, Amrutha; Cleary, John D; Ranum, Laura P W (2018) All in the Family: Repeats and ALS/FTD. Trends Neurosci 41:247-250
Grima, Jonathan C; Daigle, J Gavin; Arbez, Nicolas et al. (2017) Mutant Huntingtin Disrupts the Nuclear Pore Complex. Neuron 94:93-107.e6
Nakamori, Masayuki; Hamanaka, Kohei; Thomas, James D et al. (2017) Aberrant Myokine Signaling in Congenital Myotonic Dystrophy. Cell Rep 21:1240-1252
Zu, Tao; Cleary, John D; Liu, Yuanjing et al. (2017) RAN Translation Regulated by Muscleblind Proteins in Myotonic Dystrophy Type 2. Neuron 95:1292-1305.e5
Thomas, James D; Sznajder, ?ukasz J; Bardhi, Olgert et al. (2017) Disrupted prenatal RNA processing and myogenesis in congenital myotonic dystrophy. Genes Dev 31:1122-1133
Cleary, John Douglas; Ranum, Laura Pw (2017) New developments in RAN translation: insights from multiple diseases. Curr Opin Genet Dev 44:125-134
Moloney, Christina; Rayaprolu, Sruti; Howard, John et al. (2016) Transgenic mice overexpressing the ALS-linked protein Matrin 3 develop a profound muscle phenotype. Acta Neuropathol Commun 4:122

Showing the most recent 10 out of 57 publications