Skip to main content
Log in

Electrophysiological findings of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in heterozygotes

  • Clinical Investigations
  • Published:
Graefe's Archive for Clinical and Experimental Ophthalmology Aims and scope Submit manuscript

Abstract

Nineteen obligate heterozygotes, 8 individuals at risk of being heterozygote, and 10 patients afflicted with four different forms of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis were examined electrophysiologically. The group of obligate heterozygotes was compared to age-matched control groups. Statistically significant differences were found between scotopic b-wave amplitudes, P-ERG amplitudes, and EOG light peaks of the obligate carriers of the juvenile type and the control subjects. The photopic L-ERGs and the latencies of the VEPs were mostly within the normal range. The findings represent the first evidence of functional ophthalmological changes in obligate carriers of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis and demonstrate that heterozygotes with certain hereditary autosomal recessive diseases may manifest subtle functional signs.

This is a preview of subscription content, log in via an institution to check access.

Access this article

Price excludes VAT (USA)
Tax calculation will be finalised during checkout.

Instant access to the full article PDF.

Similar content being viewed by others

References

  1. Arden GM, Carter RM, Hogg C, Siegel IM, Margolis S (1979) A gold foild electrode: extending the horizons for clinical electroretinography. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 18:421–426

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  2. Boers GHJ, Smals AGH, Trijbels FJM, Fowler B, Bakkeren JAJM, Schoonderwaldt RC, Kleijer WJ, Kloppenborg PWC (1985) Heterozygosity for homocystinuria in premature peripheral and cerebral occlusive arterial disease. N Engl J Med 12:709–715

    Google Scholar 

  3. Christomanou H, Martinius J, Jaffe S, Betke K (1980) Biochemical, genetic, psychometric, and neuropsychological studies in heterozygotes for various lipidoses. Hum Genet 55:103–110

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  4. Christomanou H, Jaffe S, Martinius J. Cap C, Betke K (1981) Biochemical, genetic, psychometric, and neuropsychological studies in heterozygotes of a family with globoid cell leukodystrophy (Krabbe's disease). Hum Genet 58:179–183

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  5. Ernst W, Moore AT (1987) Heterogeneity, anomalous adaptation and incomplete penetrance in autosomal dominant retinities pigmentosa. Adv Biosci 6:115–128

    Google Scholar 

  6. Goebel HH, Fix JD, Zeman W (1974) The fine structure of the retina in neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis. Am J Ophthalmol 77:25–39

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  7. Goebel HH, Zeman W, Damaske E (1977) An ultrastructural study of the retina in the Jansky-Bielschowsky type of neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinoses. Am J Opthalmol 83:70–79

    Google Scholar 

  8. Goebel HH, Zeman W, Patel VK, Pullarkat RK, Lenard HG (1979) On the ultrastructural diversity and essence of residual bodies in neuronal ceroid-lipofuiscinosis. Mech Ageing Dev 10:53–70

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  9. Goebel HH, Koppang N, Zeman W (1979) Ultrastructure of the retina in canine neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis. Ophthalmic Res 11:65–72

    Google Scholar 

  10. Goebel HH, Köhnecke B, Koppang N, Armstrong D (1982) Ultrastructural studies on the retinal pigment epithelium in the neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinoses. Ophthalmic Pediatr Genet 3:29–37

    Google Scholar 

  11. Griff ER, Steinberg RH (1982) Origin of the light peak: in vitro study of gekko gekko. J Physiol 331:637–652

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  12. Groneberg A, Teping C (1980) Topodiagnostic von Sehstörungen durch Ableitung retinaler and kortikaler Potentiale auf Umkehr-Kontrastmuster. Ber Dtsch Ophthalmol Ges 77:409–417

    Google Scholar 

  13. Ikeda K, Goebel HH (1979) Ultrastructural pathology of human lymphocytes in neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis. Brain Dev 1:285–292

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  14. Lake BD, Cavanagh NPC (1978) Early-juvenile Batten's disease. J Neurol Sci 36:265–271

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  15. Maffei L, Fiorentini A, Pirchio M, Spinelli D, Porchiatti V (1981) The ERG in response to alternating gratings in patients with disease of the peripheral visual pathway. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 24:490–493

    Google Scholar 

  16. Newman EA, Odette LL (1984) Model of electroretinogram b-wave: a test of the K-hypothesis. J Neurophysiol 51:164–182

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  17. Nilson SEG, Armstrong D, Koppang N, Person P, Milde K (1983) Studies on the retina and the pigment epithelium in hereditary canine ceroid-lipofuscinosis. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 24:77–84

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  18. Polak BCP, Lith FHM van, Delleman JW, Balen ATM van (1983) Carrier detection in tapetoretinal degeneration in association with medullar cystic disease. Am J Ophthalmol 95:487–494

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  19. Stambolian D, Scorpino-Myers V, Eagle RC Jr, Hodes B, Harris H (1986) Cataracts in patients heterozygous for galactokinase deficiency. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci 27:429–433

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  20. Zeman W, Dyken P (1969) Neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis (Batten's disease) — Relationship to amaurotic family idiocy. Pediatrics 44:570–583

    PubMed  Google Scholar 

  21. Zetterström B (1951) The ERG of children during the first year of life. Acta Ophthalmol 29:295–301

    Google Scholar 

  22. Zrenner E, Baker CL, Hess RF, Olson B (1986) Current source density analysis of linear and non-linear components of the primate electroretinogram. Invest Ophthalmol Vis Sci [Suppl] 27:242

    Google Scholar 

Download references

Author information

Authors and Affiliations

Authors

Additional information

This study was supported by the Deutsche Retinitis Pigmentosa Gesellschaft and the Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft.

Rights and permissions

Reprints and permissions

About this article

Cite this article

Gottlob, I., Leipert, K.P., Kohlschütter, A. et al. Electrophysiological findings of neuronal ceroid lipofuscinosis in heterozygotes. Graefe's Arch Clin Exp Ophthalmol 226, 516–521 (1988). https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02169198

Download citation

  • Received:

  • Accepted:

  • Issue Date:

  • DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/BF02169198

Keywords

Navigation