Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41623120›Full record

ArticleAnnals of neurology2026

Fibroblast Transcriptomics in Molecular Diagnostics of a Comprehensive Dystonia Cohort.

Alice Saparov, Ivana Dzinovic, Theresa Brunet, Vicente A Yépez, Florian Hölzlwimmer, Elisabetta Indelicato, Birgit Assmann, Susann Badmann, Diana Ballhausen, Steffen Berweck and 33 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of neurology, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Collaborative Genomics for Dystonia in Central and Eastern Europe: Successes Achieved, New Frontiers Ahead.Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society · 2026
    Article
  2. Neurodevelopmental Disorder with Dystonia and Chorea Linked to De Novo Variants in the Splicing Regulator SRRM4.Movement disorders : official journal of the Movement Disorder Society · 2026
    Article
  3. RNA Sequencing Resolves Cryptic Pathogenic Variants in Mitochondrial Disease.Annals of clinical and translational neurology · 2026
    Article
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

43 authors.

Alice Saparov *Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Ivana Dzinovic *Institute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Theresa BrunetInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-5183-780X
Vicente A YépezSchool of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany.
Florian HölzlwimmerSchool of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany.
Elisabetta IndelicatoCenter for Rare Movement Disorders Innsbruck, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.ORCID 0000-0003-0217-8630
Birgit AssmannMedical Faculty Heidelberg, Center for Pediatric and Adolescent Medicine, Department I, Division of Pediatric Neurology and Metabolic Medicine, Heidelberg University, Heidelberg, Germany.
Susann BadmannInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Diana BallhausenPediatric Metabolic Unit, Pediatrics, Woman-Mother-Child Department, Lausanne University Hospital and University of Lausanne, Lausanne, Switzerland.
Steffen BerweckCenter of Child Neurology, Developmental Medicine, and Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Felix BrechtmannSchool of Computation, Information and Technology, Technical University of Munich, Garching, Germany.
Melanie BruggerInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-6920-8550
Kevork DerderianInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Felix DistelmaierDepartments of General Pediatrics, Neonatology, and Pediatric Cardiology, Medical Faculty and University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich-Heine-University, Düsseldorf, Germany.
Philip HarrerInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Denisa HarvanovaAssociated Tissue Bank, Faculty of Medicine, P. J. Safarik University and L. Pasteur University Hospital in Kosice, Kosice, Slovakia.
Petra HavrankovaDepartment of Neurology, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.ORCID 0000-0002-7731-5129
Ann-Kathrin JaroszynskiInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Miriam KolnikovaDepartment of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, University Hospital Bratislava and National Institute of Children's Diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia.
Robert KopajtichInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Anne KoyDepartment of Pediatrics, Faculty of Medicine and University Hospital Cologne, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany.
Magdalena KrygierDepartment of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Lukas KuncDepartment of Neurology, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Katarina KusikovaDepartment of Pediatric Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Comenius University, University Hospital Bratislava and National Institute of Children's Diseases, Bratislava, Slovakia.ORCID 0000-0001-9076-313X
Oliver MaierCenter of Child Neurology, Developmental Medicine, and Rehabilitation, Children's Hospital of Eastern Switzerland, St. Gallen, Switzerland.
Maria Mazurkiewicz-BełdzińskaDepartment of Developmental Neurology, Medical University of Gdansk, Gdansk, Poland.
Christian MertesInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Ava OberlackInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Timo RoserDivision of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
Alexandra SitzbergerDivision of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
Ugo SorrentinoInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Antonia M StehrInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Katharina VillDivision of Pediatric Neurology and Developmental Medicine and LMU Center for Children with Medical Complexity, Dr. von Hauner Children's Hospital, LMU Hospital, Ludwig-Maximilians-Universität, Munich, Germany.
Matias WagnerInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0002-4454-8823
Holger ProkischInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Sylvia BoeschCenter for Rare Movement Disorders Innsbruck, Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria.
Jan NecpalDepartment of Neurology, Zvolen Hospital, Zvolen, Slovakia.
Robert JechDepartment of Neurology, First Faculty of Medicine and General University Hospital in Prague, Charles University, Prague, Czech Republic.
Juliane WinkelmannInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Elisabeth GrafInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Julien GagneurInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.
Matej SkorvanekDepartment of Neurology, P.J. Safarik University, Kosice, Slovakia.
Michael ZechInstitute of Human Genetics, School of Medicine and Health, Technical University of Munich, Munich, Germany.ORCID 0000-0001-8112-9153

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveGenomic sequencing leaves >50% of dystonia-affected individuals without a diagnosis. Where DNA-oriented approaches remain insufficient, integrating multiomics is essential to advance genome interpretation. Herein, we incorporated RNA sequencing (RNA-seq) data from 167 patients with dystonia across a range of ages and presentations.

methodsWe leveraged an RNA-seq analysis pipeline, focused on the identification of expression and splicing aberrations, on RNA-seq from skin biopsies. The recruited patients had early-onset dystonia in 85.0%, non-focal dystonia in 92.2%, and coexisting features in 76.0%. Thirty-six patient samples with pre-identified variants (36/167, 21.6%) and 131 samples with no previously prioritized diagnostic candidates from genomic sequencing (131/167, 78.4%) were evaluated.

resultsWe found that >80% of dystonia-associated genes were detected by fibroblast RNA-seq. Expression and splicing aberration analyses produced a manageable number of significant RNA defects affecting dystonia-associated genes. The approach was especially successful in validating pathogenic effects of loss-of-function variants, with disease-relevant RNA-underexpression detected for 66.7% (10/15). Studying aberrant expression and splicing in the context of other pre-identified variant types yielded relevant results in 28.6% (6/21 samples). We obtained a 6.9% (9/131) diagnostic uplift for patients without prior candidates, all of whom exhibited combined dystonia with autosomal recessive inheritance. The new diagnoses from RNA-seq and genomic reanalysis were based on previously neglected splice-region (3/9) and deep(er) intronic (6/9) variants. For the observed events, integration of new machine-learning scores predicted corresponding aberrant gene expression in the brain.

interpretationFibroblast-based RNA-seq in our selected cohort improved variant interpretation and offered a modest yield in patients without prior candidate variants. ANN NEUROL 2026;99:1363-1378.

Indexed as

DystoniaFibroblastsTranscriptomeAdolescentAdultChildChild, PreschoolCohort StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedPathology, MolecularRNA-SeqYoung Adult

Identifiers

PMID41623120
PMCPMC13206262

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