Evidence map›Paper›PMID 36869887›Full record

ArticleJournal of neurology2023

Neuromuscular junction involvement in inherited motor neuropathies: genetic heterogeneity and effect of oral salbutamol treatment.

Grace McMacken, Roger G Whittaker, Ruth Wake, Hanns Lochmuller, Rita Horvath

Open access · hybridAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neurology, 2023. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 9 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
9citing papers in PubMed
1.6field-weighted citation impact, top 18% of its field
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

9 citing papers in PubMed, 11 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Trial
  2. Article
  3. Junctions in Jeopardy: the neuromuscular junction is a selective pathological target in Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease.Mammalian genome : official journal of the International Mammalian Genome Society · 2026
    Review
  4. Article
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  6. Observational
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4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors at 4 institutions in 2 countries.

Grace McMackenDepartment of Neurology, Royal Victoria Hospital, Belfast Health and Social Care Trust, Belfast, UK.
Roger G WhittakerTranslational and Clinical Research Institute, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Ruth WakeJohn Walton Muscular Dystrophy Research Centre, Institute of Genetic Medicine, Newcastle University, Newcastle Upon Tyne, UK.
Hanns Lochmuller *Division of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Children's Hospital of Eastern Ontario Research Institute, The Ottawa Hospital and Brain and Mind Research Institute, University of Ottawa, Ottawa, Canada.
Rita Horvath *Department of Clinical Neurosciences, John Van Geest Centre for Brain Repair, University of Cambridge School of Clinical Medicine, Level 3 A Block, Box 165, Cambridge Biomedical Campus, Cambridge, CB2 0QQ, UK. rh732@medschl.cam.ac.uk.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-9841-170X
Newcastle University · GBBelfast Health and Social Care Trust · GBUniversity of Cambridge · GBUniversity of Ottawa · CA

Funding

European Research Council 309548Medical Research Council MR/N025431/1Medical Research Council MR/S005021/1Medical Research Council MR/V009346/1Wellcome TrustWellcome Trust 109915/Z/15/ZWellcome Trust 201064/Z/16/Z
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectivesInherited defects of the neuromuscular junction (NMJ) comprise an increasingly diverse range of diseases. Several recently identified genes highlight the overlap between peripheral neuropathies and congenital myasthenic syndromes (CMS). The beta-2 adrenergic receptor agonist salbutamol has been shown to provide symptomatic benefit in CMS, while improving structural defects at the NMJ. Based on these findings, we identified cases of motor neuropathy with NMJ dysfunction and assessed the effect of salbutamol on motor function.

methodsCases of motor neuropathy with significant NMJ dysfunction, were identified using repetitive nerve stimulation and single fibre electromyography. Oral salbutamol was administered for 12 months. Repeat neurophysiological and clinical assessments were undertaken at baseline, 6 months and 12 months.

resultsSignificant defects of neuromuscular transmission were identified in 15 patients harbouring a range of genetic defects, including mutations in GARS1, DNM2, SYT2 and DYNC1H. No clear benefit on motor function was seen following the administration of 12 months of oral salbutamol; however, there was a significant improvement in patient reported fatigue. In addition, no clear effect on neurophysiological parameters was seen in patients treated with salbutamol. Side-effects due to off-target beta-adrenergic effects were significant in the patient cohort.

conclusionThese results highlight the involvement of the NMJ in several subtypes of motor neuropathies, including subtypes of neuropathy due to deficits in mitochondrial fusion-fission, synaptic vesicle transport, calcium channels and tRNA synthetases. Whether the NMJ dysfunction is simply due to muscle reinnervation or a pathology unrelated to denervation is unknown. The involvement of the NMJ may represent a novel therapeutic target in these conditions. However, treatment regimens will need to be more targeted for patients with primary inherited defects of neuromuscular transmission.

Indexed as

Charcot-Marie-Tooth DiseaseMyasthenic Syndromes, CongenitalAlbuterolGenetic HeterogeneityHumansNeuromuscular JunctionAlbuterolCharcot-Marie-Tooth disease (CMT)Distal hereditary motor neuropathy (dHMN)Genetic defectsInherited peripheral neuropathyNeuromuscular junction (NMJ)Neuromuscular transmission (NMT)

Identifiers

PMID36869887
PMCPMC10188419
OpenAlexW4323066978

What OpenQuestion holds

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.