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Horsthuis DJ, Molholm S, Foxe JJ, Francisco AA. Event-related potential (ERP) evidence for visual processing differences in children and adults with cystinosis (CTNS gene mutations). Orphanet J Rare Dis 2023; 18:389. [PMID: 38087330 PMCID: PMC10714457 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-02985-y] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/19/2023] [Accepted: 11/18/2023] [Indexed: 12/18/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Cystinosis, a rare lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in the CTNS gene, is characterized by cystine crystallization and accumulation within multiple tissues, including kidney and brain. Its impact on neural function appears mild relative to its effects on other organs during early disease, but since therapeutic advances have led to substantially increased life expectancy, neurological implications are of increasing interest, necessitating deeper understanding of the impact of cystinosis on neurocognitive function. Behavioral difficulties have been reported in cystinosis in the visual domain. Very little is known, however, about how the brains of people living with cystinosis process visual information. This is especially interesting given that cystine accumulation in the cornea and posterior ocular structures is a hallmark of cystinosis. METHODS Here, high-density scalp electrophysiology was recorded to visual stimuli (during a Go/No-Go task) to investigate visual processing in individuals with cystinosis, compared to age-matched controls. Analyses focused on early stages of cortical visual processing. RESULTS The groups differed in their initial cortical response, with individuals with cystinosis exhibiting a significantly larger visual evoked potential (VEP) in the 130-150 ms time window. The groups also differed in the associations between neural responses and verbal abilities: While controls with higher IQ scores presented larger neural responses, that relationship was not observed in cystinosis. CONCLUSIONS The enlarged VEP in cystinosis could be the result of cortical hyperexcitability and/or differences in attentional engagement and explain, at least partially, the visual and visual-spatial difficulties described in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douwe J Horsthuis
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Van Etten Building, Suite 1C, 1225 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Van Etten Building, Suite 1C, 1225 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
- Department of Neuroscience, Rose F. Kennedy Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA.
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience & Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA.
| | - John J Foxe
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Van Etten Building, Suite 1C, 1225 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Rose F. Kennedy Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, NY, USA
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience & Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Ana A Francisco
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Van Etten Building, Suite 1C, 1225 Morris Park Avenue, Bronx, NY, 10461, USA.
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Horsthuis DJ, Molholm S, Foxe JJ, Francisco AA. Event-related potential (ERP) evidence for early visual processing differences in children and adults with Cystinosis (CTNS gene mutations). RESEARCH SQUARE 2023:rs.3.rs-3176642. [PMID: 37546758 PMCID: PMC10402243 DOI: 10.21203/rs.3.rs-3176642/v1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/08/2023]
Abstract
Background Cystinosis, a rare lysosomal storage disease caused by mutations in the CTNS gene, is characterized by cystine crystallization and accumulation within multiple tissues, including kidney and brain. Its impact on neural function appears mild relative to its effects on other organs during early disease, but since therapeutic advances have led to substantially increased life expectancy, neurological implications are of increasing interest, necessitating deeper understanding of the impact of cystinosis on neurocognitive function. Behavioral difficulties have been reported in cystinosis in the visual domain. Very little is known, however, about how the brains of people living with cystinosis process visual information. This is especially interesting given that cystine accumulation in the cornea and posterior ocular structures is a hallmark of cystinosis. Methods Here, high-density scalp electrophysiology was recorded to visual stimuli (during a Go/No-Go task) to investigate early visual processing in individuals with cystinosis, compared to age-matched controls. Analyses focused on early stages of cortical visual processing. Results The groups differed in their initial cortical response, with individuals with cystinosis exhibiting a significantly larger visual evoked potential (VEP) in the 130-150 ms time window. The groups also differed in the associations between neural responses and verbal abilities: While controls with higher IQ scores presented larger neural responses, that relationship was not observed in cystinosis. Conclusions The enlarged VEP in cystinosis could be the result of cortical hyperexcitability and/or differences in attentional engagement and explain, at least partially, the visual and visual-spatial difficulties described in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | - John J Foxe
- University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry
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Horsthuis DJ, Molholm S, Foxe JJ, Francisco AA. Event-related potential (ERP) evidence of early visual processing differences in cystinosis. BIORXIV : THE PREPRINT SERVER FOR BIOLOGY 2023:2023.03.31.535154. [PMID: 37034748 PMCID: PMC10081319 DOI: 10.1101/2023.03.31.535154] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 06/19/2023]
Abstract
Cystinosis, a rare lysosomal storage disease, is characterized by cystine crystallization and accumulation within tissues and organs, including the kidneys and brain. Its impact on neural function appears mild relative to its effects on other organs, but therapeutic advances have led to substantially increased life expectancy, necessitating deeper understanding of its impact on neurocognitive function. Behavioral difficulties have been reported in cystinosis in the visual and visual-processing domain. Very little is known, however, about how the brains of people living with cystinosis process visual information, although cysteamine accumulation in the retina is a prominent feature of cystinosis. Here, electrophysiology was recorded during a Go/No-Go task to investigate early visual processing in cystinosis, compared to an age-matched control group. Analyses focused on early stages of cortical visual processing. The groups differed in their initial cortical response, with individuals with cystinosis exhibiting a significantly larger visual evoked potential (VEP) in the 130 to 150 ms time window. The timing and topography of this response suggested an enhanced P1 in cystinosis that could be the result of cortical hyperexcitability and/or differences in attentional engagement and explain, at least partially, the visual and visual-spatial difficulties described in this population. The groups also differed in the associations between neural responses and verbal abilities: While controls with higher IQ scores presented larger neural responses, that relationship was not observed in cystinosis.
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Affiliation(s)
- Douwe J. Horsthuis
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Rose F. Kennedy Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience & Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - John J. Foxe
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- Department of Neuroscience, Rose F. Kennedy Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
- The Frederick J. and Marion A. Schindler Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Ernest J. Del Monte Institute for Neuroscience & Department of Neuroscience, University of Rochester School of Medicine and Dentistry, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Ana A. Francisco
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
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Central Nervous System Complications in Cystinosis: The Role of Neuroimaging. Cells 2022; 11:cells11040682. [PMID: 35203331 PMCID: PMC8870159 DOI: 10.3390/cells11040682] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/22/2021] [Revised: 02/09/2022] [Accepted: 02/10/2022] [Indexed: 02/04/2023] Open
Abstract
Despite improvement in the specific treatment, clinical and anatomo-functional central nervous system (CNS) abnormalities of various severities are still observed in cystinosis patients. Patients who develop CNS complications today have a worse compliance to cysteamine treatment. Radiological studies have shown that cortical or central (ventriculomegaly) atrophy is observed in more than two thirds of cystinosis patients’ magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) and correlates with the intelligence quotient score. Half of cystinosis patients have marked aspecific white matter hyperintensities. The development of advanced neuroimaging techniques provides new tools to further investigate CNS complications. A recent neuroimaging study using a voxel-based morphometry approach showed that cystinosis patients present a decreased grey matter volume in the left middle frontal gyrus. Diffusion tensor imaging studies have shown white matter microstructure abnormalities in children and adults with cystinosis, respectively in areas of the dorsal visual pathway and within the corpus callosum’s body. Finally, leucocyte cystine levels are associated with decreased resting cerebral blood flow, measured by arterial spin labelling, in the frontal cortex, which could be associated with the neurocognitive deficits described in these patients. These results reinforce the relevance of neuroimaging studies to further understand the mechanisms that underline CNS impairments.
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Francisco AA, Foxe JJ, Horsthuis DJ, Molholm S. Impaired auditory sensory memory in Cystinosis despite typical sensory processing: A high-density electrical mapping study of the mismatch negativity (MMN). NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL 2020; 25:102170. [PMID: 31954986 PMCID: PMC6965721 DOI: 10.1016/j.nicl.2020.102170] [Citation(s) in RCA: 8] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/26/2019] [Revised: 12/13/2019] [Accepted: 01/10/2020] [Indexed: 11/24/2022]
Abstract
Children and adolescents with Cystinosis show similar N1 responses to their age-matched peers. Children and adolescents with Cystinosis show reduced MMNs for longer SOAs. Our results suggest typical auditory processing, but impaired sensory memory in Cystinosis.
Cystinosis, a genetic rare disease characterized by cystine accumulation and crystallization, results in significant damage in a multitude of tissues and organs, such as the kidney, thyroid, eye, and brain. While Cystinosis’ impact on brain function is relatively mild compared to its effects on other organs, the increased lifespan of this population and thus potential for productive societal contributions have led to increased interest on the effects on brain function. Nevertheless, and despite some evidence of structural brain differences, the neural impact of the mutation is still not well characterized. Here, using a passive duration oddball paradigm (with different stimulus onset asynchronies (SOAs), representing different levels of demand on memory) and high-density electrophysiology, we tested basic auditory processing in a group of 22 children and adolescents diagnosed with Cystinosis (age range: 6-17 years old) and in neurotypical age-matched controls (N = 24). We examined whether the N1 and mismatch negativity (MMN) significantly differed between the groups and if those neural measures correlated with verbal and non-verbal IQ. Individuals diagnosed with Cystinosis presented similar N1 responses to their age-matched peers, indicating typical basic auditory processing in this population. However, whereas both groups showed similar MMN responses for the shortest (450 ms) SOA, suggesting intact change detection and sensory memory, individuals diagnosed with Cystinosis presented clearly reduced responses for the longer (900 ms and 1800 ms) SOAs. This could indicate reduced duration auditory sensory memory traces, and thus sensory memory impairment, in children and adolescents diagnosed with Cystinosis. Future work addressing other aspects of sensory and working memory is needed to understand the underlying bases of the differences described here, and their implication for higher order processing.
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Affiliation(s)
- Ana A Francisco
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.; Department of Neuroscience, Rose F. Kennedy Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA..
| | - John J Foxe
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.; Department of Neuroscience, Rose F. Kennedy Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.; The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, The Ernest J. Del Monde Institute for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA
| | - Douwe J Horsthuis
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA
| | - Sophie Molholm
- The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Pediatrics, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.; Department of Neuroscience, Rose F. Kennedy Center, Albert Einstein College of Medicine, Bronx, New York, USA.; The Cognitive Neurophysiology Laboratory, Department of Neuroscience, The Ernest J. Del Monde Institute for Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Dentistry, University of Rochester, Rochester, New York, USA..
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