The Two Faces of Pediatric SCA2

Spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) is an autosomal dominant neurological disease usually described in adults. Expanded CAG repeats in the ATXN2 gene can lead to pediatric onset. This study aims to describe the natural history of SCA2 in children.

We analyzed clinical and genetic data from 22 children with SCA2 across 17 institutions and compared them to 20 previously reported cases.

The phenotype of pediatric SCA2 can be divided into two distinct groups based on CAG repeat size and age. In the infantile group (n = 9), developmental delay and seizures were prominent features, along with cerebellar and cerebral atrophy. In the juvenile group (n = 13), the disease was a cerebellar degeneration similar to adults. A threshold of 88 ± 4 CAG repeats distinguished the infantile group from the juvenile group. Pediatric SCA2 type was independent of parental origin; SCA2 was maternally inherited in 22%, including three infantile presentations.

This large cohort of pediatric SCA2 disease provides the first comprehensive description of its characteristics, which differ from those of SCA7. Indeed, the phenotypic spectrum of SCA7 in children is continuous, while that of SCA2 is bimodal. Although pediatric SCA2 can be difficult to diagnose by genome-wide sequencing, it is a recognizable disease that can be easily diagnosed with a targeted study of the number of CAGs in ATXN2. Genetic counseling for families should consider the significant proportion of maternal transmission.