Multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome-3 (MMDS3) is an autosomal recessive severe neurodegenerative disorder characterized by loss of previously acquired developmental milestones in the first months or years of life. Some affected patients have normal development in early infancy before the onset of symptoms, whereas others show delays from birth. Features included loss of motor function, spasticity, pyramidal signs, loss of speech, and cognitive impairment. The disease course is highly variable: some patients die of respiratory failure early in childhood, whereas some survive but may be bedridden with a feeding tube. Less commonly, some patients may survive and have a stable course with motor deficits and mild or even absent cognitive impairment, although there may be fluctuating symptoms, often in response to infection. Other variable features include visual problems and seizures. Brain imaging shows diffuse leukodystrophy in the subcortical region, brainstem, cerebellum, and spinal cord. Laboratory studies tend to show increased lactate and CSF glycine, and decreased activity of mitochondrial complexes I and II, although these findings are also variable. There may be additional biochemical evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction (summary by Liu et al., 2018). For a general description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of multiple mitochondrial dysfunctions syndrome, see MMDS1 (605711).

Early-onset progressive encephalopathy with brain edema and/or leukoencephalopathy-1 (PEBEL1) is an autosomal recessive severe neurometabolic disorder characterized by rapidly progressive neurologic deterioration that is usually associated with a febrile illness. Affected infants tend to show normal early development followed by acute psychomotor regression with ataxia, hypotonia, respiratory insufficiency, and seizures, resulting in coma and death in the first years of life. Brain imaging shows multiple abnormalities, including brain edema and signal abnormalities in the cortical and subcortical regions (summary by Kremer et al., 2016). Genetic Heterogeneity of PEBEL See also PEBEL2 (618321), caused by mutation in the NAXD gene (615910) on chromosome 13q34.

Neurodevelopmental disorder with seizures, hypotonia, and brain imaging abnormalities (NEDSHBA) is an autosomal recessive neurodevelopmental disorder characterized by global developmental delay, severe to profound intellectual impairment, early-onset refractory seizures, hypotonia, failure to thrive, and progressive microcephaly. Brain imaging shows cerebral atrophy, thin corpus callosum, and myelination defects. Death in childhood may occur (summary by Marafi et al., 2020).

Hypomyelinating leukodystrophy-20 (HLD20) is an autosomal recessive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the loss of developmental milestones at about 12 to 16 months of age after normal early development. Patients lose motor, language, and cognitive skills and show poor overall growth with microcephaly. The disorder is progressive, resulting in feeding difficulties and spastic quadriplegia. Some patients may have seizures. Brain imaging shows subcortical white matter abnormalities and a thin corpus callosum, suggesting a myelination defect. Death usually occurs in childhood (Al-Abdi et al., 2020). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of HLD, see 312080.

Individuals with NGLY1-related congenital disorder of deglycosylation (NGLY1-CDDG) typically display a clinical tetrad of developmental delay / intellectual disability in the mild to profound range, hypo- or alacrima, elevated liver transaminases that may spontaneously resolve in childhood, and a complex hyperkinetic movement disorder that can include choreiform, athetoid, dystonic, myoclonic, action tremor, and dysmetric movements. About half of affected individuals will develop clinical seizures. Other findings may include obstructive and/or central sleep apnea, oral motor defects that affect feeding ability, auditory neuropathy, constipation, scoliosis, and peripheral neuropathy.