Published in:
Open Access
01-12-2020 | Case report
Docosahexaenoic acid in ARSACS: observations in two patients
Authors:
Ivana Ricca, Alessandra Tessa, Rosanna Trovato, Giacomo Maria Bacci, Filippo Maria Santorelli
Published in:
BMC Neurology
|
Issue 1/2020
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Abstract
Background
Spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay is a neurodegenerative condition due to mutations in the SACS gene and without a cure. Attempts to treatments are scarce and limited to symptomatic drugs.
Case presentation
Two siblings harboring biallelic variants in SACS underwent oral supplementation (600 mg/die) with docosahexaenoic acid (DHA), a well-tolerated dietary supplement currently used in SCA38 patients. We assessed over a 20 month-period clinical progression using disease-specific rating scales.
Conclusions
DHA was safe over a long period and well-tolerated by the two patients; both showed a stabilization of clinical symptoms, rather than the expected deterioration, warranting additional investigations in patients with mutations in SACS.