Atypical presentation of a novel Presenilin 1 R377W mutation: sporadic, late-onset Alzheimer disease with epilepsy and frontotemporal atrophy

Mutations within Presenilin 1 (PSEN1) represent the most common cause of monogenic Alzheimer Disease (AD). The clinical phenotype is highly variable, even if early onset disease with an autosomal dominant pattern of inheritance and presenting memory deficits usually occur. In the present work, we described the case of a late-onset AD patient, without any positive family history for dementia, and associated with seizures and behavioural symptoms. Structural and functional neuroimaging showed frontotemporal changes without posterior biparietal brain abnormalities. Cerebrospinal analysis was consistent with AD pattern, with decreased A beta 42 and increased Tau and phospho-Tau. A novel pathogenetic mutation within PSEN1 gene was detected within exon 8, leading to a substitution from arginine to tryptophan (AGG > TGG: R377W), affecting a splice junction and protein function. The case herein reported further confirms the heterogeneity of PSEN1 mutations and the need to take into account genetic screening in those cases with atypical presentation.