Wide clinical variability in a family with a CACNA1A T666m mutation: hemiplegic migraine, coma, and progressive ataxia

Pediatr Neurol. 2002 Jan;26(1):47-50. doi: 10.1016/s0887-8994(01)00371-x.

Abstract

We report a Japanese family carrying a T666M missense mutation of CACNA1A. Affected members demonstrated a strikingly wide clinical spectrum including migraine, hemiplegia, coma, and progressive cerebellar ataxia. Despite such variability of the clinical features, they demonstrated similar magnetic resonance imaging findings demonstrating cerebellar atrophy predominantly of the cerebellar vermis. These magnetic resonance images appeared not to correlate with clinical severity. Our findings should indicate that a T666M mutation of CACNA1A may be associated with more variable clinical features and that paroxysmal hemiplegic migraine attacks and progressive cerebellar atrophy should have distinct mechanisms of pathogenesis.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Adult
  • Aged
  • Atrophy / pathology
  • Calcium Channels / genetics*
  • Cerebellum / pathology
  • Child
  • Coma / genetics*
  • DNA Mutational Analysis
  • Female
  • Hemiplegia / complications*
  • Hemiplegia / genetics*
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging
  • Male
  • Migraine Disorders / complications*
  • Migraine Disorders / genetics*
  • Mutation, Missense / genetics
  • Pedigree
  • Phenotype
  • Point Mutation / genetics*
  • Spinocerebellar Degenerations / complications*
  • Spinocerebellar Degenerations / genetics*

Substances

  • CACNA1A protein, human
  • Calcium Channels