Progressive spastic tetraplegia and axial hypotonia (STAHP) due to SOD1 deficiency: is it really a new entity?

Background: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a rare, progressive, and fatal neurodegenerative disease due to upper and lower motor neuron involvement with symptoms classically occurring in adulthood with an increasing recognition of juvenile presentations and childhood neurodegenerative disorders caused by genetic variants in genes related to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. The main objective of this study is detail clinical, radiological, neurophysiological, and genetic findings of a Brazilian cohort of patients with a recent described condition known as Spastic Tetraplegia and Axial Hypotonia (STAHP) due to SOD1 deficiency and compare with other cases described in the literature and discuss whether the clinical picture related to SOD1 protein deficiency is a new entity or may be represent a very early-onset form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Methods: We conducted a case series report which included retrospective data from five Brazilian patients with SOD1 protein deficiency of a Brazilian reference center for Neuromuscular Disorders. Clinical data were obtained from a review of the medical records and descriptive statistics and variables were summarized using counts and percentages of the total population.

Results: All 5 patients presented with a childhood-onset neurodegenerative disorders characterized by spastic tetraplegia with axial hypotonia in all cases, with gestational history showing polyhydramnios in 4/5 and intrauterine growth restriction in 3/5 patients, with most patients initially presenting a normal motor development until the six month of life or during the first year followed by a rapidly progressive motor decline with severe dysphagia and respiratory insufficiency in all patients accompanied by cognitive impairment in 3/5 patients. All patients were homozygous for the c.335dupG (p.Cys112Trpfs*11) mutation in the SOD1 gene with completely decreased enzyme activity.

Conclusions: This case series is the biggest data collection of the new recent clinical entity described as Spastic Tetraplegia and Axial Hypotonia (STAHP) due to SOD1 deficiency.