Researchers identify mutation in Mirror Motion Syndrome
A new genetic mutation identified by Montreal researchers may be responsible for mirror movement syndrome, according to a study published in the scientific journal Science Advances.
Mirror Motion Syndrome is an inherited neurological disorder that manifests itself in involuntary movements from an early age, mainly in the arms and hands. In affected individuals, the right hand involuntarily reproduces the movements of the left hand and vice versa.
The disorder can also affect the lower limbs but to a lesser extent.
"This makes people much less dexterous than the average person, obviously," said professor Frédéric Charron, who heads the Molecular Biology of Neuronal Development Research Unit at the Clinical Research Institute of Montreal. "If you think about playing billiards, for example, where one hand is not supposed to move at all, and the other hand is supposed to move, there are all sorts of movements that don't go very well."
It is well known that the right side of the brain controls the left side of the body, and vice versa. In a nutshell, mirror movement syndrome occurs when the electrical wire that runs from one side of the brain to the other side of the body splits and takes a diversion to the wrong side, causing these involuntary movements.
Charron, Dr. Myriam Srour of the Montreal Children's Hospital and researchers Sabrina Schlienger and Patricia Yam have identified a new gene and mechanism responsible for this dysfunction.
They were able to reproduce the problem in genetically modified mice in the laboratory. These mice, Charron said, have difficulty moving normally, for example, when asked to walk up a ladder, which they should be able to do quite easily.
The intensity of the problem varies from person to person, but it is easy to imagine that this disorder can greatly interfere with the patients' daily lives, from dressing to playing sports and that it can cause pain in the arms during prolonged activities. For example, the patient may clutch the table with the left hand to prevent it from moving while signing with the right.
"It becomes unbearable for them, at some point, to make this effort constantly," said Charron.
Mirror movement syndrome is a rare disease, but its incidence is somewhat more pronounced in Quebec, possibly because of the founder effect. The new findings are the result of a study of a family that has been affected for four generations.
The identification of the genes involved in the syndrome is an important first step towards rapid and efficient diagnosis. Patients with a rare disease, Charron recalled, often have to wait a long time for a diagnosis.
"It is stressful for them to be told that we don't know exactly what they have," he said. "But it gives them some peace of mind to have a diagnosis, to hear that they have such and such a mutation known to cause mirror movements, that their condition is going to stay like that and that it's not neurodegenerative."
The discovery of this mutation could also one day lead to the development of new therapies that would address the problem before birth. But since mirror movement syndrome is not a fatal disease, Charron said, care would have to be taken to ensure that the consequences of intervention would not be greater than the problem itself.
This report by The Canadian Press was first published in French on May 15, 2023.
CTVNews.ca Top Stories
Canada to launch 'national action plan' to fight auto theft
The federal government is launching what it calls its 'national action plan' to combat auto thefts, which will include stronger penalties for thieves, and increased information sharing between police agencies, government officials and border enforcement.
U.S. Supreme Court rejects appeal from former Guantanamo detainee Omar Khadr
The U.S. Supreme Court on Monday rejected an appeal by a Canadian-born former Guantanamo detainee who was seeking to wipe away his war crimes convictions, including for killing a U.S. soldier in Afghanistan.
What is BORG drinking, and why is it a dangerous trend? An expert explains
If you've been to a party lately and haven't seen someone drinking a BORG, you're likely not partying with college students.
Iran's president and foreign minister die in helicopter crash at moment of high tensions in Mideast
Iranian President Ebrahim Raisi and the country's foreign minister were found dead Monday hours after their helicopter crashed in fog, leaving the Islamic Republic without two key leaders as extraordinary tensions grip the wider Middle East.
Michael Cohen says he stole from Trump's company as defence presses key hush money trial witness
Former Donald Trump attorney Michael Cohen admitted Monday to jurors in the Republican's hush money trial that he stole tens of thousands of dollars from Trump's company as defence lawyers seized on the star witness' misdeeds to attack his credibility.
The world's best airline is paying staff a bonus of 8 months' salary
Singapore Airlines will reward its employees with a bonus worth nearly eight months of salary, a person familiar with the matter told CNN on Friday.
Woman, 35, in critical condition after her truck collided with a Via Rail train near Montreal
A 35-year-old woman is in critical condition after the pick-up truck she was driving was struck by a Via Rail passenger train Monday morning in Quebec's Monteregie region.
Investors watching posts from 'Crypto King' in the wake of fraud, money laundering charges
Former investors of the self-styled “Crypto King” say they are watching his social media accounts and worried his displays of wealth are signs he’s spending their money, even now, as another large expense tied to Aiden Pleterski has triggered a previously unreported lawsuit.
Almost 2 months after it destroyed Baltimore's Key Bridge, the Dali cargo ship has been moved
The cargo ship Dali is being moved from the site of its catastrophic collision with the Francis Scott Key Bridge in a crucial step toward fully reopening the busy Port of Baltimore.