PROSPAX: an integrated multimodal progression chart in spastic ataxias

• Applicants: Professorin Dr. Elena Irene Rugarli; Professor Dr. Matthis Synofzik
• Subject Area: Clinical Neurology; Neurosurgery and Neuroradiology
• Term: from 2020 to 2024
• Project identifier: Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft (DFG) - Project number 441409627

Spastic ataxias (SPAX) present an expanding group of >100 rare neurodegenerative diseases with joined damage of cerebellum and corticospinal tract (CST). While rapid genetic stratification facilitates current development of molecular therapies, effective trial-planning for SPAX is hampered by a lack of valid outcome measures and natural history studies. Uniting all major European ataxia and spastic paraplegia networks, and building on our prior networks and pilot data-sets, PROSPAX will establish a paradigmatic IRDiRC-guided integrated trial-ready model of disease progression and mechanistic evolution in SPAX, which will allow to track and understand selective as well as overlapping dysfunction of the cerebellum and CST. In a 2-year transatlantic natural history study we will longitudinally validate clinician- and patient-reported, digital and molecular outcomes. In addition, PROSPAX will improve on existing and develop new outcome parameters that show superior sensitivity to change. These include a novel clinical SPAX composite score, a smartphone mHealth toolbox combining remote assessment of daily living by wearable sensors with app-based patient-entered outcomes (SPAX.app), and multimodal MRI radiomics with an innovative machine learning approach for multisite MRI analysis, including in particular the infratentorial space. Longitudinal validation of targeted fluid biomarker candidates will be complemented by single-cell multi-omic studies in mouse which will allow to identify shared pathways and vulnerabilities between cerebellar and corticospinal neurons and will unravel new molecular biomarkers. By focusing on the two most prevalent recessive SPAX (SPG7, ARSACS), PROSPAX will create a paradigmatic trial-readiness pathway for charting disease progression and multimodal outcome measures that will be applicable to many of the >100 SPAX diseases alike.

• DFG Programme: Research Grants
• International Connection: Canada, France, Italy, Netherlands, Turkey, United Kingdom
• Cooperation Partners: Professorin Dr. Nazli Basak; Professor Dr. Bernard Brais; Professorin Rita Horvath, Ph.D.; Professor Dr. Filippo Santorelli; Professorin Dr. Sophie Tezenas du Montcel; Professor Dr. Bart van de Warrenburg