EDITORIAL New territory opened by periodic paralysis associated with mitochondrial DNA mutation Robert L. Ruff, MD, PhD Science is an exploration of knowledge. Early world indirectly altered. In the previously discussed disor- Stephen Cannon, MD, maps did not recognize large land masses until some- ders of skeletal membrane excitability, including PhD one first observed them. The report by Auré et al.1 periodic paralysis, the pathophysiology could be describes new territory in the field of periodic paral- explained by direct alterations of the operations of ysis and other disorders of skeletal muscle membrane mutated ion channels. Episodes of periodic paralysis Correspondence to excitability. The muscle membrane has to balance on resulted from membrane depolarization that was a Dr. Ruff:
[email protected] a knife edge between excessive excitability manifest by direct consequence of altered channel function. Auré conditions such as myotonia, and inexcitability, as et al.1 did not find any of the previously recognized – Neurology® 2013;81:1806–1807 occurs intermittently in periodic paralysis.2 4 Under- channelopathy mutations associated with periodic standing disorders of altered muscle membrane excit- paralysis. Instead, they found consistent mutations of ability is important because the knowledge gained mitochondrial DNA. They identified the MT-ATP6 leads to increased understanding of how excitable m.9185T.C p.Leu220Pro mutation that was previ- membranes function and may suggest ways of treat- ously associated with Leigh syndrome. In addition, ing membrane disorders that can involve many tis- they also discovered the MT-TL1 m.3271T.Cmuta- sues, including brain, peripheral nerve, and skeletal tion that caused MELAS (mitochondrial encephalop- and cardiac muscle.