Referenced in: none

Automatically associated channels: Nav1.6

Title: De novo SCN8A mutation identified by whole-exome sequencing in a boy with neonatal epileptic encephalopathy, multiple congenital anomalies, and movement disorders.

Authors: Ulvi Vaher, Margit Nõukas, Tiit Nikopensius, Mart Kals, Tarmo Annilo, Mari Nelis, Katrin Ounap, Tiia Reimand, Inga Talvik, Pilvi Ilves, Andres Piirsoo, Enn Seppet, Andres Metspalu, Tiina Talvik

Journal, date & volume: J. Child Neurol., 2014 Dec , 29, NP202-6

PubMed link: http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/24352161

Abstract
Epileptic encephalopathies represent a clinically and genetically heterogeneous group of disorders, majority of which are of unknown etiology. We used whole-exome sequencing of a parent-offspring trio to identify the cause of early infantile epileptic encephalopathy in a boy with neonatal seizures, movement disorders, and multiple congenital anomalies who died at the age of 17 months because of respiratory illness and identified a de novo heterozygous missense mutation (c.3979A>G; p.Ile1327Val) in SCN8A (voltage-gated sodium-channel type VIII alpha subunit) gene. The variant was confirmed in the proband with Sanger sequencing. Because the clinical phenotype associated with SCN8A mutations has previously been identified only in a few patients with or without epileptic seizures, these data together with our results suggest that mutations in SCN8A can lead to early infantile epileptic encephalopathy with a broad phenotypic spectrum. Additional investigations will be worthwhile to determine the prevalence and contribution of SCN8A mutations to epileptic encephalopathies.