Publications by authors named "Mariasavina Severino"

Background And Objectives: Temporal lobe epilepsy (TLE) is commonly associated with mesiotemporal pathology and widespread alterations of gray and white matter structures. Evidence supports a progressive condition, although the temporal evolution of TLE is poorly defined. In this ENIGMA-Epilepsy study, we aim to investigate structural alterations in gray and white matter across the adult lifespan in patients with TLE by charting both gray and white matter changes and explore the covariance of age-related alterations in both compartments.

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encodes a subunit of the BLOC-one-related complex (BORC), which is known to mediate the kinesin-dependent anterograde movement of lysosomes. Using whole-exome sequencing, we identified 12 cases from seven families carrying bi-allelic variants, including four loss-of-function and two missense variants. Carriers of homozygous loss-of-function variants presented with prenatally lethal arthrogryposis multiplex congenita, brain malformations, and neuropathological evidence of diffuse neuroaxonal dystrophy.

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To outline the long-term neuropsychological profile of a pediatric cohort with Opsoclonus-Myoclonus-Ataxia Syndrome (OMAS), and evaluate whether volumetric brain abnormalities correlate with clinical findings years after onset. Twelve patients diagnosed with OMAS between 2008 and 2020 (6 males, mean age 9.6 years, median follow-up 5.

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Perforator stroke (PS) is a subtype of perinatal arterial ischemic stroke (PAIS), in which injuries occur in the territory of the perforator branches of the main cerebral arteries. This study aims to explore the incidence, timing, risk factors, and clinical presentation of PS in both preterm and full-term neonates. We retrospectively analyzed data about all the neonatal brain MRIs carried out in our hospital from March 2012 to March 2023.

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Introduction: Arteriovenous cerebral high-flow shunts include the vein of Galen aneurysmal malformation (VGAM) and vein of Galen dilatation, which are considered secondary to arteriovenous malformations or arteriovenous fistulas. These entities are often sporadic but are found in association with variants of the and genes (capillary malformation-arteriovenous malformation, CMAVM; OMIM #608354) or and genes (hereditary hemorrhagic telangiectasia, HHT; OMIM #187300). The clinical phenotypes associated with these conditions are highly variable, with incomplete penetrance and mostly dependent on the hemodynamic consequences (including heart failure and cerebral hemorrhage) or management complications rather than anatomical vascular variations .

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FLVCR2 is a highly conserved member of the major facilitator superfamily (MFS), the largest superfamily of solute carriers that are involved in the transport of small molecules across lipid bilayers. The loss of the murine ortholog Mfsd7c, an endothelial transporter in brain blood vessels, causes brain angiogenic growth deficiency and lethality. Recessive FLVCR2 variants cause proliferative vasculopathy and hydranencephaly-hydrocephaly syndrome (PVHH), also known as Fowler syndrome.

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Background And Purpose: Low grade tumors (LGT) are the most frequent central nervous system lesions observed in children. Despite the high-throughput research, differentiating LGT from tumor- like lesions (TLL) and providing an accurate differential diagnosis based on conventional MRI remains a challenge. For this reason, advanced MR sequences are routinely investigated and applied in clinical practice.

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Importance: A leading cause of surgically remediable, drug-resistant focal epilepsy is focal cortical dysplasia (FCD). FCD is challenging to visualize and often considered magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) negative. Existing automated methods for FCD detection are limited by high numbers of false-positive predictions, hampering their clinical utility.

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Biallelic variants in NADH (nicotinamide adenine dinucleotide (NAD) + hydrogen (H))-ubiquinone oxidoreductase 1 alpha subcomplex 13 have been linked to mitochondrial complex I deficiency, nuclear type 28, based on three affected individuals from two families. With only two families reported, the clinical and molecular spectrum of NADH-ubiquinone oxidoreductase 1 alpha subcomplex 13related diseases remains unclear. We report 10 additional affected individuals from nine independent families, identifying four missense variants (including recurrent c.

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Background: Sturge-Weber Syndrome (SWS) is a rare, sporadic neurocutaneous disorder affecting the skin, brain, and eyes, due to somatic activating mutations in GNAQ or, less commonly, GNA11 gene. It is characterized by at least two of the following features: a facial capillary malformation, leptomeningeal vascular malformation, and ocular involvement. The spectrum of clinical manifestations includes headache, seizures, stroke-like events, intellectual disability, glaucoma, facial asymmetry, gingival hyperplasia, etc.

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Objective: High Angular Resolution Diffusion Imaging (HARDI) models have emerged as a valuable tool for investigating microstructure with a higher degree of detail than standard diffusion Magnetic Resonance Imaging (dMRI). In this study, we explored the potential of multiple advanced microstructural diffusion models for investigating preterm birth in order to identify non-invasive markers of altered white matter development.

Approach: Rather than focusing on a single MRI modality, we studied on a compound of HARDI techniques in 46 preterm babies studied on a 3T scanner at term-equivalent age and in 23 control neonates born at term.

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Retinoblastoma (RB) proteins are highly conserved transcriptional regulators that play important roles during development by regulating cell-cycle gene expression. RBL2 dysfunction has been linked to a severe neurodevelopmental disorder. However, to date, clinical features have been described in only six individuals carrying five biallelic predicted loss-of-function (pLOF) variants.

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Article Synopsis
  • Growth hormone deficiency can either be congenital (present at birth) or acquired (developing later), with acquired cases often linked to issues in the hypothalamic-pituitary axis.
  • Brain MRI is crucial for diagnosing these deficiencies since it can reveal important structural abnormalities and assess prognosis.
  • The article focuses on how neuroradiologists evaluate pediatric growth hormone deficiency by examining common findings in MRI scans of the pituitary, along with a summary of normal pituitary development and imaging techniques.
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Arterial ischemic stroke (AIS) in children has a high mortality and life-long disability rate in surviving patients. Diagnostic delays are longer and risk factors are different compared with AIS in the adult population. Congenital heart disease, cervical arterial dissection, and intracranial arteriopathies are the main causes of AIS in children.

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The Response Assessment in Pediatric Neuro-Oncology (RAPNO) Working Group is an international, collaborative network of experts dedicated to pediatric central nervous system (CNS) tumors that was created in 2011. Since then, six RAPNO articles with imaging guidelines for response assessment in diverse pediatric tumor subgroups have been published, namely: 1) medulloblastomas and leptomeningeal seeding tumors (2018), 2) pediatric high-grade gliomas (2020), 3) pediatric low-grade gliomas (2020), 4) diffuse intrinsic pontine gliomas (2020), 5) pediatric intracranial ependymomas (2022) and 6) pediatric craniopharyngiomas (2023). The purpose of this article is to review all current available RAPNO criteria using a systematized and comparative approach centered on the role of neuroradiologists and supported by neuroimaging examples.

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  • Duplication of the pituitary gland is a rare condition, typically associated with various craniofacial malformations; this study reviewed ten patients to explore imaging features and potential causes of these anomalies.
  • The imaging review focused on identifying the duplicated pituitary stalk and gland, along with noting distinct features of the hypothalamic region and associated abnormalities in the brain and spinal cord.
  • The findings revealed normal imaging of the pituitary structures but several significant malformations and genetic mutations in the patients, indicating a complex interplay of developmental issues related to this anomaly.
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  • Pediatric brain tumors are the second most common tumors after leukemia, with an incidence of 6.13 per 100,000 annually.
  • Conventional MRI and CT scans are essential for diagnosing, planning surgery, and evaluating treatment, but they have limitations in providing detailed histopathological information.
  • New advanced MRI techniques and molecular imaging methods, like PET scans, are enhancing diagnosis and prognosis, while radiomics and radiogenomics offer innovative ways to tailor treatment strategies based on individual biomarkers.
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  • * In this study, three affected patients with congenital hydrocephalus and intestinal obstruction showed brain malformations and intestinal aganglionosis, accompanied by changes in nerve activity.
  • * Our research identified four new harmful variants of the KIF26A gene, which were analyzed using protein modeling; these variants destabilize the protein structure, highlighting the broader implications of KIF26A-related disorders.
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Dissecting biological pathways highlighted by Mendelian gene discovery has provided critical insights into the pathogenesis of Parkinson's disease (PD) and neurodegeneration. This approach ultimately catalyzes the identification of potential biomarkers and therapeutic targets. Here, we identify as a novel gene implicated in parkinsonism and childhood neurodegeneration.

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Article Synopsis
  • Brain malformations are diverse abnormalities in brain development that affect neural structure and connectivity, often impacting brain size.
  • Effective prenatal detection of these malformations relies on a solid grasp of embryology and developmental anatomy at different stages of pregnancy.
  • This review aims to simplify the process of identifying and characterizing these structural brain issues by examining various neuroimaging techniques, such as prenatal neurosonography and MRI, and incorporating insights from post-mortem imaging throughout different developmental stages.
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Objectives: To present a case series of novel variants in patients presenting with genetic epileptic and developmental encephalopathy.

Background: CHD2 gene encodes an ATP-dependent enzyme, chromodomain helicase DNA-binding protein 2, involved in chromatin remodeling. Pathogenic variants in CHD2 are linked to early-onset conditions such as developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, drug-resistant epilepsies, and neurodevelopmental disorders.

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Purpose: Incomplete partition type II (IP-II) is characterized by specific histological features and radiological appearance. It may occur in isolation or in association with an enlarged vestibular aqueduct (EVA). Among those with IP-II and EVA, a subset has a diagnosis of Pendred syndrome.

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  • * A study examined 28 patients from 18 families with loss of function (LOF) variants, revealing a spectrum of neurological and developmental issues including global developmental delay, intellectual disabilities, microcephaly, and behavioral abnormalities.
  • * Research using fruit flies showed that mutations in the RBF gene mirrored symptoms seen in patients, affecting brain morphology and movement, and highlighted the importance of ongoing RBL2 expression in mature neurons for normal locomotion, suggesting potential therapeutic avenues.
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Brain magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is a noninvasive imaging modality that utilizes powerful magnets and radio waves to generate detailed images of the brain, making it a valuable tool for investigating malformations of cortical development (MCD). Various MRI techniques, including 3D T1-weighted, multiplanar thin-sliced T2-weighted, and 3D fluid-attenuated inversion recovery (FLAIR) sequences, can provide high-resolution images with excellent spatial and contrast resolution, allowing for a detailed visualization of cortical anatomy and abnormalities. Almost all MCD can be detected and characterized using MRI.

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Malformations of cortical development (MCDs) are a diverse group of disorders that result from abnormal neuronal migration, proliferation, and differentiation during brain development. Head computed tomography (CT) has limited use in the diagnosis of MCDs and should be reserved for selected cases with specific indications or when magnetic resonance imaging is not available or contraindicated. CT can detect brain calcifications associated with MCDs, thus helping in the differential diagnosis between acquired and genetic MCDs or in the identification of different genetic patterns.

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