from Section 3 - Specific Syndromes and Diseases
Published online by Cambridge University Press: 27 January 2022
This chapter focuses on the syndromes that are associated with antibodies that target proteins of the inhibitory synapses. Two antibodies are directed against intracellular presynaptic proteins, including glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD), a key enzyme in the synthesis of GABA, and amphiphysin, which is involved in the presynaptic reuptake of neurotransmitters. Both antibodies are associated with stiff-person syndrome (SPS), which results in rigidity in proximal muscles of legs, abdomen, and lower back, impaired gait, muscles spasms, exaggerated startle responses to acoustic or tactile stimuli, and anxiety and task-specific phobias. Three antibodies are directed against cell surface receptors, including GABAaR and GABAbR, and the glycine receptor (GlyR). Encephalitis with prominent seizures is the common presentation of patients with antibodies against GABAaR or GABAbR, whereas antibodies against GlyR associate with an SPS variant named progressive encephalomyelitis with rigidity and myoclonus (PERM). In addition, this chapter includes the antibodies against dipeptidyl-peptidase-like protein 6 (DPPX), an auxiliary subunit of the Kv4.2 potassium channels that is not restricted to inhibitory synapses, but patients with this disorder frequently show CNS hyperexcitability and sometimes clinical features similar to PERM.
To save this book to your Kindle, first ensure no-reply@cambridge.org is added to your Approved Personal Document E-mail List under your Personal Document Settings on the Manage Your Content and Devices page of your Amazon account. Then enter the ‘name’ part of your Kindle email address below. Find out more about saving to your Kindle.
Note you can select to save to either the @free.kindle.com or @kindle.com variations. ‘@free.kindle.com’ emails are free but can only be saved to your device when it is connected to wi-fi. ‘@kindle.com’ emails can be delivered even when you are not connected to wi-fi, but note that service fees apply.
Find out more about the Kindle Personal Document Service.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Dropbox.
To save content items to your account, please confirm that you agree to abide by our usage policies. If this is the first time you use this feature, you will be asked to authorise Cambridge Core to connect with your account. Find out more about saving content to Google Drive.