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Down syndrome studies; the transition from secondary school to adulthood: Experiences and life outcomes for youth with an intellectual disability and their families

Helen Jenny Keely Leonard Downs Bebbington MBChB MPH BApplSci (physio) MSc PhD MClinPsych/PhD Principal Research Fellow Head, Child Disability

Development of an International Database for a Rare Genetic Disorder: The MECP2 Duplication Database (MDBase)

The natural history of MECP2 duplication syndrome (MDS), a rare X-linked neurodevelopmental disorder with an estimated birth prevalence of 1/150,000 live births, is poorly understood due to a lack of clinical data collected for research. Such information is critical to the understanding of disease progression, therapeutic endpoints and outcome measures for clinical trials, as well as the development of therapies and orphan products.

The Lived Experience of Parents’ Receiving the Diagnosis of CDKL5 Deficiency Disorder for Their Child

CDKL5 deficiency disorder (CDD), a severe developmental and epileptic encephalopathy, is being diagnosed earlier with improved access to genetic testing, but this may also have unanticipated impacts on parents’ experience receiving the diagnosis. This study explores the lived experience of parents receiving a diagnosis of CDD for their child using mixed methods.

Exploring genotype-phenotype relationships in the CDKL5 deficiency disorder using an international dataset

Characterized by early-onset seizures, global developmental delay and severe motor deficits, CDKL5 deficiency disorder is caused by pathogenic variants in the cyclin-dependent kinase-like 5 gene. Previous efforts to investigate genotype-phenotype relationships have been limited due to small numbers of recurrent mutations and small cohort sizes. Using data from the International CDKL5 Disorder Database we examined genotype-phenotype relationships for 13 recurrent CDKL5 variants and the previously analyzed historic variant groupings. We have applied the CDKL5 Developmental Score (CDS) and an adapted version of the CDKL5 Clinical Severity Assessment (CCSA), to grade the severity of phenotype and developmental outcomes for 285 individuals with CDKL5 variants.

Expanding the clinical picture of the MECP2 Duplication syndrome

People with two or more copies of MECP2 gene, located at Xq28, share clinical features and a distinct facial phenotype called MECP2 Duplication syndrome.

Impacts of caring for a child with the CDKL5 disorder on parental wellbeing and family quality of life

Investigate impacts on maternal health and family quality of life in families with a child with the CDKL5 disorder

Transition to adulthood for young people with intellectual disability: the experiences of their families

A number of themes emerged from the qualitative data which included parents' views and concerns about the capacity of their young adult to adapt and change to life in adulthood

Seizure variables and their relationship to genotype and functional abilities in the CDKL5 disorder

Epilepsy is pervasive but not mandatory for the CDKL5 disorder, and genotype and functional abilities were related to seizure frequency

Quantitative and qualitative insights into the experiences of children with Rett syndrome and their families

Early presentation of Rett syndrome, including regression and challenges for families seeking a diagnosis

Determinants of sleep disturbances in Rett syndrome: Novel findings in relation to genotype

Prevalence and determinants of sleep problems in Rett syndrome