scholarly journals Dissociated Deficits between Explicit and Implicit Empathetic Pain Perception in Neurofibromatosis Type 1

2021 ◽  
Vol 11 (12) ◽  
pp. 1591
Author(s):  
Hai Xue ◽  
Qiong Wu ◽  
Zhijun Yang ◽  
Bo Wang ◽  
Xingchao Wang ◽  
...  

Cognitive impairments and social-function deficits are severe complaints in neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) patients. Empathetic pain perception may be disrupted in NF1 patients because of high-level cognitive deficits. This study investigated the empathy profiles of adult patients with NF1, especially concerning whether explicit and implicit empathetic pain perception are abnormal in this population. We examined empathetic pain perception through a paradigm based on perceiving another person’s pain; in this task, patients were required to make judgments about the presence of pain or the laterality of the body part, as shown in a picture. Twenty NF1 patients without obvious social or communication difficulties completed the task, and the results were compared with results from the normal controls (NCs). Regarding explicit empathetic pain processing, i.e., judging the presence of “pain” or “no pain”, there were no significant differences between patients and controls in accuracy or reaction time. However, in implicit empathetic processing, i.e., judging the laterality of “pain” or “no-pain” pictures, NF1 patients had significantly lower accuracy (p = 0.038) and significantly higher reaction times (p = 0.004) than the NCs. These results were consistent with those of a previous study showing that high-level cognitive deficits were prominent in NF1 patients when performing challenging tasks. The mechanisms and related brain network activity underlying these deficits should receive attention in the future.

PLoS ONE ◽  
2021 ◽  
Vol 16 (1) ◽  
pp. e0241096
Author(s):  
Beatriz Barreto-Duarte ◽  
Fabiana H. Andrade-Gomes ◽  
María B. Arriaga ◽  
Mariana Araújo-Pereira ◽  
Juan Manuel Cubillos-Angulo ◽  
...  

Background Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF-1) is an autosomal dominant disease that affects one in every 3000 individuals. This disease can present a wide range of clinical manifestations, ranging from skin abnormalities to severe vascular damage. Although not commonly recognized in the context of NF-1, cerebrovascular disease (CVD), can be often present since childhood and diagnosed just later in life. When present, NF-1-associated CVD clinical manifestations may include headache, cognitive deficits and ultimately aneurysm rupture, causing death. Thus, CVD plays an important role in the clinical manifestations, disease severity and prognosis of patients with NF-1. This systematic review aims to summarize the body of evidence linking NF-1 and CVD in children. Methods Two independent investigators performed a systematic review on the PubMed and EMBASE search platforms, using the following key terms: “neurofibromatosis type 1”, “Von Recklinghausen’s disease”, "children", "adolescents", "stroke", "Moyamoya disease", "vascular diseases", "cerebrovascular disorders", "aneurysm" and "congenital abnormalities". Studies focused on assessing the development of CVD in children with NF-1 were included. Results Seven studies met the inclusion criteria. Twelve different clinical manifestations have been associated with cerebrovascular changes in children with NF-1; 44,5% of diagnosed patients were asymptomatic. Conclusion The available evidence suggests that CVDs are related with the progression of NF-1, even in the absence of a clear clinical manifestation. In addition, improved prognosis was observed when imaging tests were performed to screen for cerebrovascular alterations early during the clinical investigation. Early diagnosis of CVD in NF-1 patients foster implementation of timely interventions, directly impacting clinical outcomes.


2019 ◽  
Author(s):  
Dyatiara Devy ◽  
D. Damayanti

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) or Von Recklinghausen's disease is a dominantly inherited genetic, multisystem disorder. Individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 are prone to develop benign and malignant tumors of the CNS and peripheral nervous system, in addition to malignant diseases affecting other parts of the body. About 50% of individuals with neurofibromatosis type 1 have no family history of the disease and the disease is due to de novo (spontaneous) mutations. Early diagnosis is challenging because of its extremely variable characteristics. Some individuals may be mildly affected showing minimal signs, whereas others are severely afflicted. Individuals with NF-1 are best cared for within a multidisciplinary clinic, which has access to a wide range of subspecialists. The dermatologist has a role not only in the diagnosis of NF1 and differentiating it from other similar disorders, but also in the recognition of rare associated skin manifestations.


2013 ◽  
Vol 12 (11) ◽  
pp. 1076-1083 ◽  
Author(s):  
Thijs van der Vaart ◽  
Ellen Plasschaert ◽  
André B Rietman ◽  
Marleen Renard ◽  
Rianne Oostenbrink ◽  
...  

2018 ◽  
Vol 128 (3) ◽  
pp. 107-110
Author(s):  
Anna Maria Dąbrowska ◽  
Agnieszka Zwolak

Abstract Introduction. Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1), caused by mutation of the tumour-suppressor gene encoding neurofibromin, is an autosomal dominant disorder affecting various organs. Aim. The aim of the study was to discuss the clinical symptoms of NF1 based on seven cases of the disease with regard to the literature. Material and methods. We analyzed retrospectively patients with NF1 (4 females and 3 males) aged 19-52 who were treated at Endocrinology Department between 2003 and 2017. The diagnosis was made in childhood (4 patients) or in adolescence (3 cases), based on clinical symptoms and genetic tests. Results. Five patients had a positive family history of NF1, two cases represented spontaneous mutation. All of analyzed subjects presented café-au-lait spots and neurofibromas on the body. We observed neurological disorders such as: epilepsy (2 patients), Arnold-Chiari malformation (1 man), benign brain neoplasms (2 persons). Optic gliomas appeared in two cases. Tumours were also found in other organs, including the uterus (2 women), the lung, the adrenals, the pituitary and the parathyroid gland (with signs of primary hyperparathyroidism) – each tumour in another patient. Four subjects suffered from cognitive impairment. Skeletal manifestations of neurofibromatosis type 1 such as scoliosis (1 man) and short stature (6 patients) have been noted as well. Five patients presented thyroid disorders – hypothyroidism due to Hashimoto’s disease (4 patients), toxic nodular goiter (1 woman). Other clinical symptoms e.g. vitiligo, alopecia areata and coarctation of aorta have also been found. Conclusions. Variety of clinical symptoms causes that NF1 still remains a diagnostic and management challenge for many physicians. Therefore, multidisciplinary approach is needed to optimize patients’ treatment.


Pulse ◽  
2018 ◽  
Vol 10 (1) ◽  
pp. 34-37
Author(s):  
SJ Bhuiyan

A 5 years old boy with multiple café au lait spots came with intermittent weakness of the right side of the body and seizures. The child had global developmental delay. His MRI and MRA showed thickening of the optic nerves, abnormal signal in multiple areas of the brain with non-visuation of the left middle cerebral artery. The child was diagnosed to have neurofibromatosis type 1 with seizures with bilateral optic glioma with Moya Moya disease.Pulse Vol.10 January-December 2017 p.34-37


2014 ◽  
Vol 2014 ◽  
pp. 1-5
Author(s):  
Jong Hyung Yoon ◽  
Hyun-Sung Lee ◽  
Jong In Chun ◽  
Seog-Yun Park ◽  
Hyeon Jin Park ◽  
...  

Malignant peripheral nerve sheath tumor (MPNST) is a rare soft tissue malignancy usually found in patients with neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) with a poor outcome. Although MPNST can be found in any part of the body including head and neck or extremities, intrathoracic MPNST with or without NF1 is uncommon, especially in children or adolescents. Reported herein is a case of huge intrathoracic MPNST in a 16-year-old girl with NF1, and a brief review of the literature.


2021 ◽  
Vol 22 (18) ◽  
pp. 10178
Author(s):  
Emilie Doucet ◽  
Katarzyna Grychowska ◽  
Pawel Zajdel ◽  
Joël Bockaert ◽  
Philippe Marin ◽  
...  

Neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) is a common inherited disorder caused by mutations of the NF1 gene that encodes the Ras-GTPase activating protein neurofibromin, leading to overactivation of Ras-dependent signaling pathways such as the mTOR pathway. It is often characterized by a broad range of cognitive symptoms that are currently untreated. The serotonin 5-HT6 receptor is a potentially relevant target in view of its ability to associate with neurofibromin and to engage the mTOR pathway to compromise cognition in several cognitive impairment paradigms. Here, we show that constitutively active 5-HT6 receptors contribute to increased mTOR activity in the brain of Nf1+/− mice, a preclinical model recapitulating some behavioral alterations of NF1. Correspondingly, peripheral administration of SB258585, a 5-HT6 receptor inverse agonist, or rapamycin, abolished deficits in long-term social and associative memories in Nf1+/− mice, whereas administration of CPPQ, a neutral antagonist, did not produce cognitive improvement. These results show a key influence of mTOR activation by constitutively active 5-HT6 receptors in NF1 cognitive symptoms. They provide a proof of concept that 5-HT6 receptor inverse agonists already in clinical development as symptomatic treatments to reduce cognitive decline in dementia and psychoses, might be repurposed as therapies alleviating cognitive deficits in NF1 patients.


2016 ◽  
Vol 62 (9) ◽  
pp. 831-836 ◽  
Author(s):  
MARCIO SOUZA ◽  
ANN JANSEN ◽  
ALINE MARTINS ◽  
LUIZ RODRIGUES ◽  
NILTON REZENDE

SUMMARY Objective To evaluate the body composition and nutritional status of neurofibromatosis type 1 (NF1) adult patients. Method A cross-sectional study of 60 NF1 patients (29 men, 31 women) aged ≥ 18 years who were evaluated from September 2012 to September 2013 in a Neurofibromatosis Outpatient Reference Center. Patients underwent nutritional assessment including measurements of weight, stature, waist circumference (WC), upper-arm circumference (UAC), and skinfolds (biceps, triceps, subscapular, suprailiac). Body mass index (BMI), upper-arm total area (UATA), upper-arm muscle area (UAMA), upper-arm fat area (UAFA), body fat percentage (BFP), fat mass, fat-free mass, fat mass index, and fat-free mass index were also calculated. Results The mean age of the study population was 34.48±10.33 years. The prevalence of short stature was 28.3%. Low weight was present in 10% of the sample and 31.7% of patients had a BMI ≥ 25 kg/m2. Reduced UAMA (<5th percentile) was present in 43.3% and no difference was found in UAFA between the sexes. The BFP was considered high in 30% and 17 (28.3%) patients had a WC above the World Health Organization cutoffs. Conclusion In this study, NF1 patients had a high prevalence of underweight, short stature, and reduced UAMA, with no difference between the sexes. Reduced UAMA was more prevalent in underweight patients; however, this was also observed in the normal and overweight patients. Further studies should investigate the distribution of body tissues in NF1 patients, including differences between men and women, and the influence of diet and nutrition on clinical features in NF1.


Sign in / Sign up

Export Citation Format

Share Document