Study on Moebius Syndrome and Congenital Facial Weakness Disorders
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ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: NCT02055248 |
Recruitment Status :
Completed
First Posted : February 5, 2014
Last Update Posted : January 26, 2023
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Background:
- Moebius syndrome limits the ability to make facial expressions like smile, frown or blink - and move the eyes laterally. It can also cause speech, swallowing or breathing difficulties and affect parts of the body, such as the limbs, jaw, muscles, or the heart. Some individuals with Moebius can have intellectual impairment or behavior problems. Researchers want to study the clinical features of individuals with Moebius or related disorders and explore the genetic and/or environmental causes of these conditions.
Objective:
- To learn more about the genetics and clinical characteristics of Moebius syndrome and other Congenital Facial Weakness disorders.
Eligibility:
- People ages 2 to 80 years with congenital facial weakness, isolated or combined with other congenital anomalies, and their family members.
Design:
- Participants with Moebius syndrome or other congenital facial weakness disorder will be evaluated at the NIH Clinical Research Center over 3 to 5 days and undergo the following procedures:
- Medical and family history and physical examination, including body measurements and vital signs.
- Blood or saliva will be collected for genetic tests and to evaluate liver, kidney, heart and hormonal
functions.
- Eye examination, including having a video taken of their eyes moving.
- Hearing evaluation.
- Speech and language assessment, including swallowing studies.
- Dental exam.
- Detailed neurological evaluation, including electromyogram/nerve conduction and blink reflex study.
- Rehabilitation medicine evaluation, including muscle and tongue strength testing and assessment of balance.
- Neurocognitive and behavioral testing and questionnaires to assess quality of life and copying mechanisms.
- Imaging studies of their head, by magnetic resonance and diffusion tensor imaging -MRI/DTI. Participants
will lie on a table that slides into a metal cylinder that takes images of internal body structures using
magnets. Child participants may be sedated.
- Some adults may have additional X-rays of their head or limbs, if there are abnormal findings.
- Medical photographs of the face and affected body parts may be taken.
- Other specialized tests or consultations, as indicated.
- Participants can choose to have a skin biopsy taken.
- A follow-up visit will be offered to participants for review of genetic test findings and possibly additional clinical tests, as indicated.
Family members of the patients will have a medical and family history and physical examination. Blood or saliva will be obtained for genetic studies.
Condition or disease |
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Brain Disorders Birth Defects Craniofacial Differences |
Study Type : | Observational |
Actual Enrollment : | 207 participants |
Observational Model: | Cohort |
Time Perspective: | Cross-Sectional |
Official Title: | Study on Moebius Syndrome and Other Congenital Facial Weakness Disorders |
Actual Study Start Date : | May 20, 2014 |
Actual Primary Completion Date : | April 29, 2020 |
Actual Study Completion Date : | April 29, 2020 |

Group/Cohort |
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Subjects with Moebius or related syndromes and their family me
Subjects with Moebius or related syndromes and their family members and healthy volunteers.
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- Employ genetic studies to study the molecular bases underlying congenital facial weakness syndromes. [ Time Frame: One visit only ]Employ genetic studies, including comparative genomic hybridization, candidate gene testing and/or whole exome and genome sequencing to study the molecular bases underlying these syndromes. Our hypothesis is that disease-causing mutations will be present in the proteincoding regions of the genome, as germline or somatic mutations. In the future whole genome sequencing may be considered.
- Characterize the phenotype of patients with typical Moebius syndrome [ Time Frame: One visit only ]To characterize the phenotype of patients with typical Moebius syndrome, defined as uni- or bilateral facial and uni- or bilateral abducens nerve palsy and patients with atypical Moebius-like phenotypes that include facial weakness, including Moebius-Poland, Moebius-Robin or Moebius-Kallmann syndromes, Carey-Fineman-Ziter syndrome, Hereditary Congenital Facial Paresis (HCFP), oculoauriculovertebral dysplasia (Goldenhar syndrome), among others, and determine the prevalence of associated malformations. Our primary hypothesis is that oculomotor, neuromuscular, skeletal or imaging endophenotypes will help categorize the various groups more accurately and inform subsequent genetic studies.
- Obtain brain-imaging studies including DTI/tractography [ Time Frame: one time only ]Obtain brain-imaging studies including DTI/tractography in a large cohort of patients with congenital malformations associated with facial weakness to explore anomalies in brain and brainstem structure and associated white matter anomalies and fiber tract connectivity, together with a careful delineation of patients' neurocognitive andbehavioral phenotype. Results from this distinct developmental disorder will be compared to data from normal children and children with non-syndromic autism.
- Study the neurocognitive, behavioral, and quality of life outcomes of individuals with congenital facial weakness [ Time Frame: one time only ]Study the neurocognitive, behavioral, and quality of life outcomes of individuals with these syndromes, and provide proper genetic counseling about management, prognosis, and recurrence risk to affected families

Choosing to participate in a study is an important personal decision. Talk with your doctor and family members or friends about deciding to join a study. To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contacts provided below. For general information, Learn About Clinical Studies.
Ages Eligible for Study: | 2 Years to 80 Years (Child, Adult, Older Adult) |
Sexes Eligible for Study: | All |
Accepts Healthy Volunteers: | No |
Sampling Method: | Non-Probability Sample |
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INCLUSION CRITERIA:
- Subject is 2-80 years, any gender, race or ethnic group, inclusive.
- Subject has a diagnosis of congenital facial palsy, isolated or combined with other congenital anomalies, based on MPIs review of prior medical records and interview with patient and/or patient physicians.
- Subject is a family member of a patient with a diagnosis of congenital facial palsy, isolated or combined with other congenital anomalies.
- Subject has the ability to travel to the NIH Clinical Center for admissions.
- Subject or subject s legal guardian is able to provide written informed consent.
EXCLUSION CRITERIA:
- Subject has severe respiratory difficulties (i.e., requiring a tracheostomy or other assistive device to maintain respiration) or other disease manifestation that would interfere with the ability to comply with the requirements of this protocol and/or pose a severe anesthesia risk.
- Subject has a psychiatric illness or neurological disease that would interfere with the ability to comply with the requirements of this protocol. This includes, but is not limited to, uncontrolled/untreated psychotic depression, bipolar disorder, schizophrenia, substance abuse or dependence, antisocial personality disorder, or panic disorder.
- Subject shows evidence of clinically significant cardiovascular, pulmonary, hepatic, renal, hematological, metabolic, or gastrointestinal disease, or has a condition that requires immediate surgical intervention.
- Subject is pregnant during the study.
- Subject or subject s legal guardian is unable or unwilling to provide consent or assent.
- The principal investigator may decline to enroll a patient for other reasons.

To learn more about this study, you or your doctor may contact the study research staff using the contact information provided by the sponsor.
Please refer to this study by its ClinicalTrials.gov identifier (NCT number): NCT02055248
United States, Maryland | |
National Institutes of Health Clinical Center | |
Bethesda, Maryland, United States, 20892 |
Principal Investigator: | Eirini Manoli, M.D. | National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) |
Publications:
Responsible Party: | National Human Genome Research Institute (NHGRI) |
ClinicalTrials.gov Identifier: | NCT02055248 |
Other Study ID Numbers: |
140055 14-HG-0055 |
First Posted: | February 5, 2014 Key Record Dates |
Last Update Posted: | January 26, 2023 |
Last Verified: | April 11, 2022 |
Congenital Facial Weakness Moebius Cranial Nerve Whole Exome Sequencing Natural History |
Mobius Syndrome Brain Diseases Congenital Abnormalities Asthenia Central Nervous System Diseases Nervous System Diseases |
Facial Nerve Diseases Mouth Diseases Stomatognathic Diseases Cranial Nerve Diseases Abnormalities, Multiple Infant, Newborn, Diseases |