Consensus-based care recommendations for congenital and childhood-onset myotonic dystrophy type 1

Purpose of reviewMyotonic dystrophy type 1 is a multisystemic disorder caused by a noncoding triplet repeat. The age of onset is variable across the lifespan, but in its most severe form, the symptoms appear at birth (congenital myotonic dystrophy) or in the pediatric age range (childhood-onset myotonic dystrophy). These children have a range of disabilities that reduce the lifespan and cause significant morbidity. Currently, there are no agreed upon recommendations for caring for these children.Recent findingsThe Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation recruited 11 international clinicians who are experienced with congenital and childhood-onset myotonic dystrophy to create consensus-based care recommendations. The experts used a 2-step methodology using elements of the single text procedure and nominal group technique. Completion of this process has led to the development of clinical care recommendations for this population.SummaryChildren with myotonic dystrophy often require monitoring and interventions to improve the lifespan and quality of life. The resulting recommendations are intended to standardize and improve the care of children with myotonic dystrophy

Consensus-based care recommendations for congenital and childhood-onset myotonic dystrophy type 1.

Purpose of review: Myotonic dystrophy type 1 is a multisystemic disorder caused by a noncoding triplet repeat. The age of onset is variable across the lifespan, but in its most severe form, the symptoms appear at birth (congenital myotonic dystrophy) or in the pediatric age range (childhood-onset myotonic dystrophy). These children have a range of disabilities that reduce the lifespan and cause significant morbidity. Currently, there are no agreed upon recommendations for caring for these children. Recent findings: The Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation recruited 11 international clinicians who are experienced with congenital and childhood-onset myotonic dystrophy to create consensus-based care recommendations. The experts used a 2-step methodology using elements of the single text procedure and nominal group technique. Completion of this process has led to the development of clinical care recommendations for this population. Summary: Children with myotonic dystrophy often require monitoring and interventions to improve the lifespan and quality of life. The resulting recommendations are intended to standardize and improve the care of children with myotonic dystrophy

Psychiatric and cognitive phenotype in children and adolescents with myotonic dystrophy

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is the most frequent inherited neuromuscular disorder. The juvenile form has been associated with cognitive and psychiatric dysfunction, but the phenotype remains unclear. We reviewed the literature to examine the psychiatric phenotype of juvenile DM1 and performed an admixture analysis of the IQ distribution of our own patients, as we hypothesised a bimodal distribution. Two-thirds of the patients had at least one DSM-IV diagnosis, mainly attention deficit/ hyperactivity disorder and anxiety disorder. Two-thirds had learning disabilities comorbid with mental retardation on one hand, but also attention deficit, low cognitive speed and visual spatial impairment on the other. IQ showed a bi-modal distribution and was associated with parental transmission. The psychiatric phenotype in juvenile DM1 is complex. We distinguished two different phenotypic subtypes: one group characterised by mental retardation, severe developmental delay and maternal transmission; and another group characterised by borderline full scale IQ, subnormal development and paternal transmission

Consensus-based care recommendations for adults with myotonic dystrophy type 1

Purpose of review Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a severe, progressive genetic disease that affects between 1 in 3,000 and 8,000 individuals globally. No evidence-based guideline exists to inform the care of these patients, and most do not have access to multidisciplinary care centers staffed by experienced professionals, creating a clinical care deficit. Recent findings The Myotonic Dystrophy Foundation (MDF) recruited 66 international clinicians experienced in DM1 patient care to develop consensus-based care recommendations. MDF created a 2-step methodology for the project using elements of the Single Text Procedure and the Nominal Group Technique. The process generated a 4-page Quick Reference Guide and a comprehensive, 55-page document that provides clinical care recommendations for 19 discrete body systems and/or care considerations. Summary The resulting recommendations are intended to help standardize and elevate care for this patient population and reduce variability in clinical trial and study environments. Described as “one of the more variable diseases found in medicine,” myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is an autosomal dominant, triplet-repeat expansion disorder that affects somewhere between 1:3,000 and 1:8,000 individuals worldwide.1 There is a modest association between increased repeat expansion and disease severity, as evidenced by the average age of onset and overall morbidity of the condition. An expansion of over 35 repeats typically indicates an unstable and expanding mutation. An expansion of 50 repeats or higher is consistent with a diagnosis of DM1. DM1 is a multisystem and heterogeneous disease characterized by distal weakness, atrophy, and myotonia, as well as symptoms in the heart, brain, gastrointestinal tract, endocrine, and respiratory systems. Symptoms may occur at any age. The severity of the condition varies widely among affected individuals, even among members of the same family. Comprehensive evidence-based guidelines do not currently exist to guide the treatment of DM1 patients. As a result, the international patient community reports varied levels of care and care quality, and difficulty accessing care adequate to manage their symptoms, unless they have access to multidisciplinary neuromuscular clinics. Consensus-based care recommendations can help standardize and improve the quality of care received by DM1 patients and assist clinicians who may not be familiar with the significant variability, range of symptoms, and severity of the disease. Care recommendations can also improve the landscape for clinical trial success by eliminating some of the inconsistencies in patient care to allow more accurate understanding of the benefit of potential therapies

Childhood-onset form of myotonic dystrophy type 1 and autism spectrum disorder: Is there comorbidity?

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic disorder with neuromuscular symptoms and brain dysfunctions. Depending on the phenotypic expression, the degree of cognitive impairment remains heterogeneous, ranging from moderate to severe intellectual disability in the congenital form, to executive, visuospatial and personality dysfunction in the adult-onset form. Studies exploring the cognitive or psychiatric impairments in the childhood form of DM1, characterized by an age of onset between one and ten years, uneventful pre and post natal history and normal development the first year of life, are scarce and show conflicting results in regard to a comorbid diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The aim of the current review is to summarize diagnostic criteria and update the state of the debate regarding comorbidity. Evidence from 9 studies collected in PubMed database (representing a total of 175 cases) focusing on clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging domains in childhood DM1 is considered and similarities or differences between childhood DM1 and ASD are identified. Highlighting what is known about the neurocognitive features specific to the childhood-onset form of DM1 could help (1) propose early screening regarding socio-emotional and attentional/executive functions or (2) implement therapeutic programs based on reinforcement of executive skills or social cognition

Childhood-onset form of myotonic dystrophy type 1 and autism spectrum disorder: Is there comorbidity?

Myotonic dystrophy type 1 (DM1) is a multisystemic disorder with neuromuscular symptoms and brain dysfunctions. Depending on the phenotypic expression, the degree of cognitive impairment remains heterogeneous, ranging from moderate to severe intellectual disability in the congenital form, to executive, visuospatial and personality dysfunction in the adult-onset form. Studies exploring the cognitive or psychiatric impairments in the childhood form of DM1, characterized by an age of onset between one and ten years, uneventful pre and post natal history and normal development the first year of life, are scarce and show conflicting results in regard to a comorbid diagnosis of Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD). The aim of the current review is to summarize diagnostic criteria and update the state of the debate regarding comorbidity. Evidence from 9 studies collected in PubMed database (representing a total of 175 cases) focusing on clinical, neuropsychological and neuroimaging domains in childhood DM1 is considered and similarities or differences between childhood DM1 and ASD are identified. Highlighting what is known about the neurocognitive features specific to the childhood-onset form of DM1 could help (1) propose early screening regarding socio-emotional and attentional/executive functions or (2) implement therapeutic programs based on reinforcement of executive skills or social cognition