Clinical Description
STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy is characterized by developmental delay, intellectual disability or cognitive dysfunction, and epilepsy. To date, about 500 affected individuals have been reported [Vatta et al 2012, Allen et al 2013, Tucker et al 2014, Di Meglio et al 2015, Ehret et al 2015, Kwong et al 2015, Allen et al 2016, Dilena et al 2016, Guacci et al 2016, Helbig 2016, Lopes et al 2016, Marchese et al 2016, Nambot et al 2016, Yamamoto et al 2016, Xian et al 2022].
Table 2.
STXBP1 Encephalopathy with Epilepsy: Frequency of Select Features
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Feature | % of Persons w/Feature | Comment |
---|
Developmental delay
| 100% | Mild to profound |
Intellectual disability /
cognitive dysfunction
| ≥90% | Mild to profound |
Seizures
| 70%-95% | |
Movement disorders
| ≥87% | Hypomimia, bradykinesia, tremor, ataxia, dyskinesia, dystonia, or choreoathetosis |
Neurobehavioral disorders
| ~65% | Autism spectrum disorder, autistic-like features, hyperactivity, & self-aggressive behaviors |
Developmental delay. Generalized hypotonia or absence of head control was reported in fewer than 50% of affected individuals. Developmental trajectories of 48 individuals with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy showed evidence of early developmental delays in gross motor, fine motor, and speech in most individuals [Balagura et al 2022]. Later seizure onset correlated in general with better developmental outcomes, whereas there was no significant correlation between neurodevelopmental outcomes and age at seizure remission.
In a natural history study of adults with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy, 71% of adults were nonverbal. Only 50% of adults were walking independently, and 39% were wheelchair bound. The first signs of developmental delay were present in the first year of life in 76% of adults. All adults were dependent on caregivers for most of their activities of daily living [Stamberger et al 2022].
Episodic developmental regression was reported in 59% of adults with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy but did not always correlate with increased seizure frequency.
Intellectual disability / cognitive dysfunction is present in all individuals with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy. In 48 individuals with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy, intellectual disability ranged from severe to profound in 87% of individuals, and mild intellectual disability was reported in 13% [Balagura et al 2022]. In a separate study, intellectual disability was reported in 90% of individuals older than age 11 years; 64% of individuals had severe or profound intellectual disability and 2% had mild intellectual disability. Additionally, about 38% of individuals were nonverbal [Xian et al 2022]. In the natural history study of adults with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy, 87% of adults had severe or profound intellectual disability [Stamberger et al 2022].
Seizures. Age of seizure onset ranges from six hours of life to age 13 years [Milh et al 2011, Di Meglio et al 2015]. In two large studies of individuals with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy, seizure onset was within the first year of life in 84.7%-89% of individuals [Xian et al 2022, Xian et al 2023].
Focal-onset seizures, generalized-onset seizures, and infantile spasms were the most common seizure types [Xian et al 2022]. Focal-onset seizures were reported in 66.6% of individuals and infantile spasms in 40.3%-50% [Xian et al 2022, Xian et al 2023]. In a small number of individuals, simple febrile seizures, myoclonic atonic seizures, typical absence seizures, and hemiclonic seizures were reported [Xian et al 2022]. More than 60% of affected individuals had more than one seizure type during their lifetime.
Epilepsy course was reported for 48 individuals with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy. The number of anti-seizure medications (ASMs) used to treat each individual ranged from one to eight different ASMs and included phenobarbital (50%), valproic acid (42%), vigabatrin (31%), ACTH (27%), pyridoxine (31%), levetiracetam (31%), benzodiazepines (23%), topiramate (23%), and carbamazepine (23%). In more than 20% of individuals, two or more ASMs were used in combination. About 25% of affected individuals were refractory to ASM therapy [Balagura et al 2022]. In individuals who became seizure-free, ASMs were discontinued between one month and 5.5 years after treatment began [Deprez et al 2010, Romaniello et al 2015, Sampaio et al 2015]. The longest seizure-free period after discontinuation of ASMs was approximately 11 years [Deprez et al 2010].
In about 1% of affected individuals, the ketogenic diet was used for seizure management. Response to the ketogenic diet ranged from a mild reduction in seizure frequency to no response in early studies [Saitsu et al 2011, Weckhuysen et al 2013]. In a recent study, effects of the ketogenic diet were reported in 12 individuals with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy. Complete or near complete seizure freedom was reported in 33% of those individuals [Nam et al 2022].
Epilepsy surgery was the treatment of choice in two affected individuals: one became seizure-free following corpuscallosotomy [Otsuka et al 2010]; and the other had a significant reduction in seizure frequency following resection of focal cortical dysplasia [Weckhuysen et al 2013]. In another study, epilepsy surgery was performed in one individual with significant improvements in seizures [Balagura et al 2022].
In 30 adults with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy, 80% had refractory seizures and 37% had long periods without seizures [Stamberger et al 2022].
Epilepsy or electroclinical syndromes. Historically, several electroclinical syndromes have been reported in association with pathogenic variants in STXBP1. In a large study of 534 individuals with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy, 26% of individuals had specific electroclinical syndromes, including infantile spasms syndrome (previously termed West syndrome, 15%), Ohtahara syndrome (9%), and Rett syndrome phenotype (2%) [Xian et al 2022].
Infantile spasms syndrome is characterized by tonic spasms with clustering, arrest of psychomotor development, and hypsarrhythmia on EEG. Five of 192 individuals with infantile spasms had
STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy [
Otsuka et al 2010,
Allen et al 2013]. Thirteen individuals with a
STXBP1 pathogenic variant were reported with a clinical phenotype of infantile spasms, either as single case reports or small cohorts of epileptic encephalopathy [
Saitsu et al 2008,
Deprez et al 2010,
Saitsu et al 2010,
Weckhuysen et al 2013,
Di Meglio et al 2015,
Romaniello et al 2015,
Lopes et al 2016].
Early myoclonic epileptic encephalopathy, characterized by myoclonic seizures and burst suppression pattern in sleep on EEG, was identified in two individuals with
STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy [
Saitsu et al 2012,
Kodera et al 2013].
Dravet syndrome is characterized by fever-induced refractory seizures with age of onset usually within the first year of life. EEG patterns typically show generalized spike-wave activity as seizures progress. Three of 80 individuals with Dravet syndrome were identified with
STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy [
Carvill et al 2014].
Lennox-Gastaut syndrome is characterized by multiple seizure types, particularly tonic and myoclonic refractory epilepsy. EEG shows slow background and spike-wave bursts at frequencies less than 2.5 per second. One of 115 individuals with Lennox-Gastaut syndrome was identified with
STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy [
Allen et al 2013].
Rett syndrome
phenotype. Three individuals with Rett syndrome phenotype have been identified with an
STXBP1 pathogenic variant [
Olson et al 2015,
Romaniello et al 2015,
Lopes et al 2016]. Rett syndrome, a progressive neurodevelopmental disorder, is characterized by apparently normal motor and cognitive development during the first six to 18 months of life, followed by a short period of developmental stagnation, then rapid regression in language and motor skills, followed by long-term stability. During the phase of rapid regression, repetitive and stereotypic hand movements replace purposeful hand use. Additional findings include fits of screaming and inconsolable crying, autistic features, panic-like attacks, bruxism, episodic apnea and/or hyperpnea, gait ataxia and apraxia, tremors, seizures, and acquired microcephaly.
Electroencephalography (EEG) abnormalities have been reported in the majority of affected individuals. The two most common EEG abnormalities were burst suppression pattern (42 affected individuals) and hypsarrhythmia (37 affected individuals) [Saitsu et al 2012, Allen et al 2013, Kim et al 2013, Di Meglio et al 2015, Sampaio et al 2015, Allen et al 2016, Guacci et al 2016, Yamamoto et al 2016].
Other EEG abnormalities included focal and multifocal discharges, spike-and-slow waves, polyspike waves, theta and delta waves, paroxysmal activity, and low-amplitude fast rhythms. Background activity was frequently described as slow or poorly organized.
Movement disorders. Reported movement disorders in individuals with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy include hypomimia, bradykinesia, tremor, ataxia, dyskinesia, dystonia, or choreoathetosis. In 30 adults, movement disorders were present in 87%. The most common types were hypomimia (83%), bradykinesia (63%), and tremor (56%) [Stamberger et al 2022]. Tremor and ataxia were present in about 40% of individuals older than age 11 years [Xian et al 2022].
Neurobehavioral disorders include autism spectrum disorder, autistic-like features, hyperactivity, and self-aggressive behaviors. In a natural history study of adults with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy, significant behavioral issues were reported in 65% of adults, including aggressive behavior, hyperactivity, self-mutilation, compulsive symptoms, and (rarely) psychotic episodes. Autism spectrum disorder or autistic features were present in 42% of adults [Stamberger et al 2022]. Significant sleep problems have included either problems with initiation or maintenance of sleep in 20% of individuals [Stamberger et al 2022].
Gastrointestinal manifestations. In 47% of individuals gastrointestinal manifestations were reported, including constipation, poor weight gain, and gastroesophageal reflux disease. Gastrostomy tube feeding was needed in 13% of individuals [Stamberger et al 2022].
Microcephaly was reported in fewer than ten individuals [Kwong et al 2015, Allen et al 2016, Stamberger et al 2016, Yamamoto et al 2016].
Other
Brain MRI findings were reported in more than 75% of affected individuals. In about half of these individuals, brain MRI showed various abnormalities, including diffuse cerebral atrophy, delayed myelination, or thinning of the corpus callosum. Brain MRI findings in 29 individuals with STXBP1 encephalopathy with epilepsy showed 76% had normal brain MRIs. Cerebral atrophy was present in 14% of individuals. Nonspecific brain MRI features were found such as right parietal gyral asymmetry and FLAIR hyperintensities (n=1), a small infarction (n=1), small hippocampi with incomplete rotation (n=1), and suspected temporal myelination defect (n=1). One adult had a normal brain MRI at age four years and age 13 years, but mild cerebral atrophy was identified in adulthood [Stamberger et al 2022].