Introducing the Fear Learning and Anxiety Response (FLARe) app and web portal for the remote delivery of fear conditioning experiments

Experimental paradigms measuring key psychological constructs can enhance our understanding of mechanisms underlying human psychological well-being and mental health. Delivering such paradigms remotely affords opportunities to reach larger, more representative samples than is typically possible with in-person research. The efficiency gained from remote delivery makes it easier to test replication of previously established effects in well-powered samples. There are several challenges to the successful development and delivery of remote experimental paradigms, including use of an appropriate delivery platform, identifying feasible outcome measures, and metrics of participant compliance. In this paper, we present FLARe (Fear Learning and Anxiety Response), open-source software in the form of a smartphone app and web portal for the creation and delivery of remote fear conditioning experiments. We describe the benefits and challenges associated with the creation of a remote delivery platform for fear conditioning, before presenting in detail the resultant software suite, and one instance of deploying this using the FLARe Research infrastructure. We provide examples of the application of FLARe to several research questions which illustrate the benefits of the remote approach to experiment delivery. The FLARe smartphone app and web portal are available for use by other researchers and have been designed to be user-friendly and intuitive. We hope that FLARe will be a useful tool for those interested in conducting well-powered fear conditioning studies to inform our understanding of the development and treatment of anxiety disorders.

Evidence for distinct genetic and environmental influences on fear acquisition and extinction

BACKGROUND

Anxiety disorders are highly prevalent with an early age of onset. Understanding the aetiology of disorder emergence and recovery is important for establishing preventative measures and optimising treatment. Experimental approaches can serve as a useful model for disorder and recovery relevant processes. One such model is fear conditioning. We conducted a remote fear conditioning paradigm in monozygotic and dizygotic twins to determine the degree and extent of overlap between genetic and environmental influences on fear acquisition and extinction.

METHODS

In total, 1937 twins aged 22-25 years, including 538 complete pairs from the Twins Early Development Study took part in a fear conditioning experiment delivered remotely via the Fear Learning and Anxiety Response (FLARe) smartphone app. In the fear acquisition phase, participants were exposed to two neutral shape stimuli, one of which was repeatedly paired with a loud aversive noise, while the other was never paired with anything aversive. In the extinction phase, the shapes were repeatedly presented again, this time without the aversive noise. Outcomes were participant ratings of how much they expected the aversive noise to occur when they saw either shape, throughout each phase.

RESULTS

Twin analyses indicated a significant contribution of genetic effects to the initial acquisition and consolidation of fear, and the extinction of fear (15, 30 and 15%, respectively) with the remainder of variance due to the non-shared environment. Multivariate analyses revealed that the development of fear and fear extinction show moderate genetic overlap (genetic correlations 0.4-0.5).

CONCLUSIONS

Fear acquisition and extinction are heritable, and share some, but not all of the same genetic influences.

Lumasiran for Advanced Primary Hyperoxaluria Type 1: Phase 3 ILLUMINATE-C Trial

RATIONALE & OBJECTIVE

Lumasiran reduces urinary and plasma oxalate (POx) in patients with primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) and relatively preserved kidney function. ILLUMINATE-C evaluates the efficacy, safety, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of lumasiran in patients with PH1 and advanced kidney disease.

STUDY DESIGN

Phase 3, open-label, single-arm trial.

SETTING & PARTICIPANTS

Multinational study; enrolled patients with PH1 of all ages, estimated glomerular filtration rate ≤45 mL/min/1.73 m² (if age ≥12 months) or increased serum creatinine level (if age <12 months), and POx ≥20 μmol/L at screening, including patients with or without systemic oxalosis.

INTERVENTION

Lumasiran administered subcutaneously; 3 monthly doses followed by monthly or quarterly weight-based dosing.

OUTCOME

Primary end point: percent change in POx from baseline to month 6 (cohort A; not receiving hemodialysis at enrollment) and percent change in predialysis POx from baseline to month 6 (cohort B; receiving hemodialysis at enrollment). Pharmacodynamic secondary end points: percent change in POx area under the curve between dialysis sessions (cohort B only); absolute change in POx; percent and absolute change in spot urinary oxalate-creatinine ratio; and 24-hour urinary oxalate adjusted for body surface area.

RESULTS

All patients (N = 21; 43% female; 76% White) completed the 6-month primary analysis period. Median age at consent was 8 (range, 0-59) years. For the primary end point, least-squares mean reductions in POx were 33.3% (95% CI, -15.2% to 81.8%) in cohort A (n = 6) and 42.4% (95% CI, 34.2%-50.7%) in cohort B (n = 15). Improvements were also observed in all pharmacodynamic secondary end points. Most adverse events were mild or moderate. No patient discontinued treatment or withdrew from the study. The most commonly reported lumasiran-related adverse events were injection-site reactions, all of which were mild and transient.

LIMITATIONS

Single-arm study without placebo control.

CONCLUSIONS

Lumasiran resulted in substantial reductions in POx with acceptable safety in patients with PH1 who have advanced kidney disease, supporting its efficacy and safety in this patient population.

FUNDING

Alnylam Pharmaceuticals.

TRIAL REGISTRATION

Registered at ClinicalTrials.gov with study number NCT04152200 and at EudraCT with study number 2019-001346-17.

PLAIN-LANGUAGE SUMMARY

Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) is a rare genetic disease characterized by excessive hepatic oxalate production that frequently causes kidney failure. Lumasiran is an RNA interference therapeutic that is administered subcutaneously for the treatment of PH1. Lumasiran has been shown to reduce oxalate levels in the urine and plasma of patients with PH1 who have relatively preserved kidney function. In the ILLUMINATE-C study, the efficacy and safety of lumasiran were evaluated in patients with PH1 and advanced kidney disease, including a cohort of patients undergoing hemodialysis. During the 6-month primary analysis period, lumasiran resulted in substantial reductions in plasma oxalate with acceptable safety in patients with PH1 complicated by advanced kidney disease.

MO047STABLE EGFR IN PATIENTS WITH PRIMARY HYPEROXALURIA TYPE 1 TREATED WITH LUMASIRAN, REGARDLESS OF KIDNEY FUNCTION AT START OF TREATMENT

Background and Aims

Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by hepatic oxalate overproduction. Excess oxalate is excreted by the kidneys, leading to recurrent kidney stones, nephrocalcinosis, and progressive kidney disease. Patients with PH1 generally experience a slow decline in kidney function over time that can be punctuated by abrupt worsening precipitated by infection, obstructing stones, or dehydration. Approximately half of patients with PH1 progress to kidney failure by early adulthood, and nearly all by 60 years of age. Lumasiran is an RNAi therapeutic indicated for the treatment of PH1 in all age groups. In clinical trials, treatment with lumasiran resulted in substantial reductions in urinary and plasma oxalate in pediatric and adult patients, with an acceptable safety profile. This analysis evaluates the change in kidney function of patients with PH1 with an eGFR of ≥30 mL/min/1.73m2 enrolled in clinical trials of lumasiran.

Method

We analyzed kidney function from 75 patients with PH1, age ≥12 months old, eGFR ≥30 mL/min/1.73m2, enrolled in 3 clinical trials of lumasiran (Phase 2 open-label extension, and Phase 3 ILLUMINATE-A and ILLUMINATE-B). In these trials, eGFR was calculated with the Modification of Diet in Renal Disease (MDRD) Study equation in adults or the bedside Schwartz equation in children. The effect of lumasiran on eGFR was assessed by baseline eGFR subgroup: ≥90, &lt;90, 60 to &lt;90, 45 to &lt;60, and 30 to &lt;45 mL/min/1.73m2.

Results

Of 75 patients available for analysis, 46 were treated with lumasiran from the start of the study through the Month 12 visit. eGFR remained stable in all eGFR subgroups. Patients with eGFR ≥90 mL/min/1.73m2 at baseline (N=16) demonstrated fluctuations in mean values by timepoint, with a mean change (95% CI) from baseline of -1 (-8, 6) mL/min/1.73m2 at Month 12. In patients with eGFR &lt;90 mL/min/1.73m2 (N=30), no change in mean eGFR from baseline was observed at Month 12; the mean change (95% CI) was 0 (-3, 3). When evaluating subgroups with impaired kidney function, variations in the mean change were observed at Month 12 due to small sample sizes. For patients with eGFR 60 to &lt;90 mL/min/1.73m2 (N=22), the mean change (95% CI) was -2 (-5, 1). For patients with eGFR 45 to &lt;60 mL/min/1.73m2 (N=5), the mean change (95% CI) was 3 (-8, 14). For patients with eGFR 30 to &lt;45 mL/min/1.73m2 (N=3), the mean change (95% CI) was 9 (7, 11).

Conclusion

Patients with PH1 had stable kidney function over time with lumasiran treatment, regardless of kidney function at baseline. Given the progressive kidney function decline that is characteristic of PH1, the eGFR stability observed during 12 months of treatment with lumasiran is encouraging. Kidney function will continue to be monitored for the duration of the lumasiran clinical trials.

FC 013LUMASIRAN DEMONSTRATED COMPARABLE OXALATE REDUCTION AND SAFETY IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH PRIMARY HYPEROXALURIA TYPE 1

Background and Aims

Primary hyperoxaluria type 1 (PH1) is a rare genetic disorder characterized by hepatic overproduction of oxalate. Excretion of oxalate via the kidneys leads to recurrent kidney stones, nephrocalcinosis, progressive kidney disease, and multiorgan damage from systemic oxalosis. Lumasiran, a subcutaneously administered RNAi therapeutic indicated for the treatment of PH1 in all age groups, has multiple ongoing phase 3 studies including ILLUMINATE-A, which enrolled 39 patients ≥6 years of age with eGFR ≥30 mL/min/1.73m2, and ILLUMINATE-B, which enrolled 18 patients &lt;6 years of age with eGFR &gt;45 mL/min/1.73m2 if ≥12 months of age or normal serum creatinine if &lt;12 months of age. Here we present a comparison of the efficacy and safety of lumasiran in children versus adults with PH1 using pooled data from these two phase 3 studies of lumasiran.

Method

Efficacy and safety data from ILLUMINATE-A and ILLUMINATE-B, including urinary oxalate, plasma oxalate, eGFR, and adverse events were pooled and assessed by age &lt;18 (N=40), or ≥18 years old (N=17). The analysis included all available data from 57 patients with PH1, ages 4 months to 60 years, who completed the initial 6 months of treatment with lumasiran.

Results

During the initial 6 months of treatment with lumasiran, patients with PH1 had a rapid and sustained decrease in urinary oxalate. The overall mean (SEM) percent reduction in urinary oxalate:creatinine ratios as measured in random spot urine samples from baseline to Month 6 was 63.1% (2.6) across all ages (N=54). A similar time course and magnitude of reduction was seen in patients &lt;18 years at 64.5% (3.3) (N=38), and ≥18 years old at 59.8% (4.4) (N=16). The oxalate reductions observed in random spot urine samples were comparable to those observed from 24-hour urine collections. The overall mean (SEM) percent reduction in urinary oxalate excretion from 24-hour collections was 63.8% (2.6) across all ages (N=40), 63.2% (3.5) in the &lt;18 group (N=23) and 64.8% (3.9) in the ≥18 group (N=17). The overall mean (SEM) percent reduction in plasma oxalate from baseline to Month 6 was 39.5% (3.7) across all ages (N=44), with similar reductions of 39.4% (4.6) and 39.7% (6.5) in patients &lt;18 (N=30) and ≥18 (N=14) years of age, respectively. eGFR was calculated for all patients ≥12 months of age and remained stable in both age groups during the 6 months of treatment with lumasiran. The 57 patients had a cumulative exposure of 27.1 patient-years and 227 doses were given. Adverse events were reported in 86% of all patients, 88% of patients &lt;18, and 82% of patients ≥18 years of age. All adverse events were graded as mild or moderate in severity by the investigator. One patient had a serious adverse event of viral infection that was not related to lumasiran. In all patients, the most common adverse events related to lumasiran were mild, transient, injection site reactions, experienced by 30% of all patients, 23% of patients &lt;18 and 47% of patients ≥18 years of age. No treatment interruptions or discontinuations related to lumasiran or deaths occurred.

Conclusion

Lumasiran reduced urinary and plasma oxalate to a similar degree in pediatric and adult patients with PH1 enrolled in the Phase 3 studies ILLUMINATE-A and ILLUMINATE-B. Reductions in urinary oxalate were similar between random spot urine samples and valid 24-hour urine collections. Overall safety was comparable between pediatric and adult patients.

LB002ILLUMINATE-A, A PHASE 3 STUDY OF LUMASIRAN, AN INVESTIGATIONAL RNAI THERAPEUTIC, IN CHILDREN AND ADULTS WITH PRIMARY HYPEROXALURIA TYPE 1 (PH1)

Background and Aims

PH1 is a rare genetic disorder characterized by hepatic oxalate overproduction, leading to recurrent kidney stones, nephrocalcinosis, progressive kidney failure, and multiorgan damage from systemic oxalosis. There are no approved pharmacologic therapies for PH1. Lumasiran is a subcutaneously-administered investigational RNAi therapeutic that targets glycolate oxidase to reduce hepatic oxalate production. We report the first results from the six-month, double-blind period of ILLUMINATE-A, a randomized, placebo-controlled Phase 3 study to evaluate lumasiran in patients with PH1.

Method

Key inclusion criteria: age≥6 years, 24hr urinary oxalate (UOx)≥0.70 mmol/24hr/1.73m2, confirmed PH1 diagnosis, eGFR≥30 mL/min/1.73m2. Randomization: 2:1; lumasiran (n=26), placebo (n=13). Dosing: 3 mg/kg monthly×3, then quarterly. Primary endpoint: percent change in 24hr UOx excretion from baseline to month (M) 6. Primary comparison: least square (LS) mean treatment difference in percent change from baseline (average of M3-6).

Results

Lumasiran led to a statistically significant percent reduction in 24hr UOx excretion compared to placebo: the LS mean change from baseline to M6 (average of M3-6) was −65.4% with lumasiran and −11.8% with placebo (LS mean difference: −53.5%; p=1.7 × 10−14). Subgroup analyses of the primary endpoint showed a consistent effect of lumasiran across age, baseline UOx, eGFR, and concomitant pyridoxine use. Lumasiran led to statistically significant improvements in all hierarchically tested secondary endpoints, including: proportion of lumasiran-treated patients that achieved normalization or near-normalization of 24hr UOx at M6 (84% vs 0% of placebo-treated patients, p=8.3 × 10−7), and percent change in plasma oxalate from baseline to M6 (average of months 3-6) (-39.5%, p=2.9 × 10−8). There were no serious or severe adverse events. The most common adverse events related to lumasiran were mild, transient injection site reactions.

Conclusion

Lumasiran resulted in clinically meaningful, rapid, sustained, and statistically significant reductions in urinary and plasma oxalate levels compared to placebo during the six-month double-blind period. Lumasiran has a favorable safety profile.

Validating the use of a smartphone app for remote administration of a fear conditioning paradigm

Fear conditioning models key processes related to the development, maintenance and treatment of anxiety disorders and is associated with group differences in anxiety. However, laboratory administration of tasks is time and cost intensive, precluding assessment in large samplesnecessary for the analysis of individual differences. This study introduces a newly developed smartphone app that delivers a fear conditioning paradigm remotely using a loud human scream as an aversive stimulus. Three groups of participants (total n = 152) took part in three studies involving a differential fear conditioning experiment to assess the reliability and validity of a smartphone administered fear conditioning paradigm. This comprised of fear acquisition, generalisation, extinction, and renewal phases during which online US-expectancy ratings were collected during every trial with evaluative ratings of negative affect at three time points. We show that smartphone app delivery of a fear conditioning paradigm results in a pattern of fear learning comparable to traditional laboratory delivery and is able to detect individual differences in performance that show comparable associations with anxiety to the prior group differences literature.

Clinical heterogeneity of mitochondrial NAD kinase deficiency caused by a NADK2 start loss variant

Mitochondrial NAD kinase deficiency (NADK2D, OMIM #615787) is a rare autosomal recessive disorder of NADPH biosynthesis that can cause hyperlysinemia and dienoyl-CoA reductase deficiency (DECRD, OMIM #616034). NADK2 deficiency has been reported in only three unrelated patients. Two had severe, unremitting disease; one died at 4 months and the other at 5 years of age. The third was a 10 year old female with CNS anomalies, ataxia, and incoordination. In two cases mutations in NADK2 have been demonstrated. Here, we report the fourth known case, a 15 year old female with normal intelligence and a mild clinical and biochemical phenotype presumably without DECRD. Her clinical symptoms, which are now stable, became evident at the age of 9 with the onset of decreased visual acuity, bilateral optic atrophy, nystagmus, episodic lower extremity weakness, peripheral neuropathy, and gait abnormalities. Plasma amino acid levels were within normal limits except for mean lysine and proline levels that were 3.7 and 2.5 times the upper limits of normal. Whole exome sequencing (WES) revealed homozygosity for a g.36241900 A>G p. Met1Val start loss mutation in the primary NADK2 transcript (NM_001085411.1) encoding the 442 amino acid isoform. This presumed hypomorphic mutation has not been previously reported and is absent from the v1000GP, EVS, and ExAC databases. Our patient's normal intelligence and stable disease expands the clinical heterogeneity and the prognosis associated with NADK2 deficiency. Our findings also clarify the mechanism underlying NADK2 deficiency and suggest that this disease should be ruled out in cases of hyperlysinemia, especially those with visual loss, and neurological phenotypes.