Chiari I malformation, delayed gross motor skills, severe speech delay, and epileptiform discharges in a child with FOXP1 haploinsufficiency

Eur J Hum Genet. 2010 Nov;18(11):1216-20. doi: 10.1038/ejhg.2010.96. Epub 2010 Jun 23.

Abstract

Human FOXP2 deficiency has been identified as a cause of hereditary developmental verbal dyspraxia. Another member of the same gene family, FOXP1, has expression patterns that overlap with FOXP2 in some areas of the brain, and FOXP1 and FOXP2 have the ability to form heterodimers. These findings suggest the possibility that FOXP1 may also contribute to proper speech development. However, no such role of FOXP1 has been established to date. Recently, a child was reported who presented with a 3p13-14.1 deletion of four genes, including FOXP1, and a constellation of deficits that included speech delay. In this study, we report the case of a patient with a single deletion of FOXP1. This patient presented with speech and motor developmental delays, a Chiari I malformation, and epileptiform discharges. The nature of the speech deficit is different from the primary oromotor verbal dyspraxia found in patients with FOXP2 deficiency. The patient's developmental deficits may support a role for FOXP1 in the development of verbal and motor skills.

Publication types

  • Case Reports

MeSH terms

  • Abnormalities, Multiple / genetics*
  • Abnormalities, Multiple / pathology
  • Arnold-Chiari Malformation / pathology*
  • Child, Preschool
  • Chromosome Deletion
  • Chromosomes, Human, Pair 3 / genetics
  • Comparative Genomic Hybridization
  • Developmental Disabilities / pathology*
  • Epilepsy / pathology
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors / genetics*
  • Haploinsufficiency*
  • Humans
  • Infant
  • Language Development Disorders / pathology
  • Male
  • Repressor Proteins / genetics*

Substances

  • FOXP1 protein, human
  • Forkhead Transcription Factors
  • Repressor Proteins