TRH therapy in a patient with juvenile Alexander disease

Brain Dev. 2006 Nov;28(10):663-7. doi: 10.1016/j.braindev.2006.05.001. Epub 2006 Jun 13.

Abstract

Alexander disease is a rare disorder of the central nervous system caused by a de novo mutation in the glial fibrillary acidic protein (GFAP) gene. Unlike the much more common infantile form, the juvenile form is slowly progressive with bulbar, pyramidal and cerebellar signs. Herein, we report a 9-year old Japanese girl suffering from frequent vomiting, slurred speech and truncal ataxia. Juvenile Alexander disease was diagnosed by genetic analysis, which detected a novel GFAP mutation, D360V. We also describe our clinical success in treating this patient with thyrotropin releasing hormone (TRH).

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Alexander Disease / drug therapy*
  • Alexander Disease / genetics
  • Alexander Disease / pathology
  • Aspartic Acid / genetics
  • Child
  • DNA Mutational Analysis / methods
  • Female
  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein / genetics
  • Humans
  • Magnetic Resonance Imaging / methods
  • Mutation
  • Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone / therapeutic use*
  • Valine / genetics

Substances

  • Glial Fibrillary Acidic Protein
  • Aspartic Acid
  • Thyrotropin-Releasing Hormone
  • Valine