Skip to main content
OpenTrials
Recruiting

NCT Number: NCT05652101

Hyperekplexia : Adaptative Skills and Neurodevelopmental Trajectory

Hereditary hyperekplexia is a rare neuronal disorder, caused by genetic defects leading to dysfunction of glycinergic neurotransmission.

The clinical presentation is characterized by stiffness and exaggerated startle responses to unexpected stimuli, that appear shortly after birth.

The generalised stiffness can lead to apnea and sudden infant death syndrome.

Several genes are known to be associated with hereditary hyperekplexia. The most frequent are Glycine Receptor Alpha 1 (GLRA1), Glycine Receptor Beta (GLRB) and Solute Carrier Family 6 Member 5 (SLC6A5). They encode for the postsynaptic glycine receptor (GLRA1, GLRB) and the presynaptic glycine transport (SLC6A5). Genetic mutations in these genes lead to dysfunction in the glycinergic inhibitory neurotransmission.

The neurodevelopment was initially described as normal, or as delayed due to the motor difficulties. Global development delay and intellectual disability are reported as well, in the most recent studies.

Nevertheless, the degree of severity of the learning difficulties and the adaptive faculties of the patients is not specified.

Similarly, the efficacy of clonazepam in hyperekplexia is well known, but the evolution of dosage over time and the frequency of complete withdrawal have never been studied.

The primary endpoint of this study is to describe adaptive skills using a standardized questionnaire, Vineland Adaptive Behavior Scale (VABS2).

Secondary endpoints are:

* Neurodevelopmental course study * Description of the evolution of the clinical manifestations over the years * Evaluation of the efficacity of the treatment CLONAZEPAM, initially and over time, and evolution of the dosage * Comparison of clinical and therapeutical characteristics according to the genotype

Recruiting

Interested in participating?

Request Info

Key information

Conditions

Hyperekplexia Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases

Age range

2 year and older

Sex eligibility

All sexes

Study type

Observational

Primary location

Who can participate

Healthy volunteers accepted: No

Only the study team can determine whether someone qualifies for participation.

Inclusion criteria

  • Clinical diagnostic criteria for hyperekplexia (see Thomas et al. BRAIN, 2013):
  • The presence of hypertonia (either hypertonia on examination, axial or segmental, or access of stiffness)
  • Exaggerated reflex startles, to auditory, tactile or visual stimuli
  • The presence of reflex bursts on percussion of the midline
  • Children >2 years and adults
  • No opposition of one of the two parents (or legal representative) or of the adult patient

Exclusion criteria

  • The presence of a cause secondary to the hyperekplexia (traumatic, autoimmune, etc.)
  • The presence of another cause for a delay in psychomotor development (other neurological pathology, serious head trauma, etc.)
  • Pregnant or breastfeeding women
  • Person deprived of liberty by judicial or administrative decision

Treatment and study plan

Collection of medical data

Other

The data collected concerns:

  • Sex
  • Age
  • Socio-professional category of patients or parents / level of education of the parents
  • Family history
  • Neonatal patient data (pregnancy, childbirth)
  • Clinical data (age of onset of symptoms, evolution of these symptoms over the years, psychomotor development, schooling, learning difficulties, rehabilitation)
  • Therapeutic data (treatments tried, their dosage and effectiveness, changes in dosage over the years)
  • Paraclinical examinations (Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI), scanner, Electroencephalography (EEG))
  • Genetic data if available

Vineland Adaptive Behaviour Scales (VABS2) questionnaire

Other

This is a standardized semi structured interview that measures adaptative skills in 4 areas, in the fields of communication, socialization, daily living, and motricity (for children under 7 years). It can be used for children and adults.

Rating: 2 = yes, usually, 1 = sometimes or partly, 0 = no, never, N = not applicable (when a child is not yet of sufficient age, for example), NS = don't know. The results by domain and by sub-domain are given in raw scores which are then transformed into equivalent ages using a grid provided for this purpose.

Primary outcomes

  1. VABS2 total score and specific scores (socialization, communication, daily living and motricity)

    Time frame: maximum 2 months after the inclusion

    The VABS2 measures adaptative scores in the fields of :

    • Communication (receptive, expressive, written)
    • Daily Living Skills (personal, domestic and in community)
    • Socialisation (interpersonal relationships, play and leisure time, coping skills)
    • Motor Skills (gross and fine motor) for children under 7 years.

    The domains are made up of subdomains in which the scores are added to form the domain composite scores. The four domain composite scores then combine to form the adaptive behaviour composite for those individuals aged birth to 6 years 11 months. Three domain composite scores (communication, daily living skills and socialization) combine to form the adaptive behaviour composite for those aged 7 through 90.

    The results are expressed with standard scores, percentile ranks, adaptive levels and age equivalents.

Study contacts

Contact information is provided by the study sponsor or research team.

Diane PINA

CONTACT

[email protected]

0633493731 ext. +33

Laurence LION FRANCOIS, MD,PhD

CONTACT

[email protected]

04 27 85 53 77 ext. +33

Sponsors and collaborators

Lead sponsor

Hospices Civils de Lyon

Other

Registry information

Official study title

Study of Adaptative Skills and Neurodevelopmental Trajectory for Patients With Hyperekplexia (Startle Disease)

Acronym: StarDev

Important dates

Study start
2023
Primary completion
2027
Study completion
2027
First posted
Dec 15, 2022
Registry last updated
Aug 11, 2025

OpenTrials presents study information sourced from ClinicalTrials.gov. The official registry record should be consulted for the latest information.

View the official ClinicalTrials.gov record (opens in a new tab)

This listing is for discovery and informational purposes only. It is not medical advice, does not guarantee that a study is recruiting, and does not determine eligibility. Contact the study team and a qualified healthcare professional when considering participation.

Related clinical trials

Published trials that share one or more normalized conditions with this study.