Nonmotor Manifestations of Wilson's Disease

Wilson disease (WD) is an autosomal genetic disorder characterized by excessive copper deposition initially in liver (hepatic variant) followed by brain (neuropsychiatric variant) and other organs such as cornea and kidney due to defect in biliary copper excretion. Predominant presentations of neuropsychiatric variant are extrapyramidal motor dysfunctions such as dystonias, Parkinsonism, choreoathetosis, tremor, and ataxias. Nonmotor symptoms (NMS) can appear before clinical disease expression and during ongoing disease process. NMS may cause confusion and delay in clinical diagnosis. In the early stage, presence of asymptomatic or symptomatic evidence of acute or chronic liver disease with or without KF ring in young subjects against the background of family history of liver disease may be indicative of underlying WD. In WD, common NMS are personality disorders, mood changes, psychosis, cognitive abnormalities, sleep disorders, and autonomic disturbances besides few systemic dysfunctions. Cognitive changes can be diagnosed by neuropsychological assessment, MRI, and SPECT study of brain. Nonmotor manifestations can be managed by metal chelator, antipsychotic agents, mood stabilizers, rarely electroconvulsive therapy, and occasional hepatic transplantation.