Treatment with l-Arginine improves neuropsychological disorders in a child with Creatine transporter defect
Neurocase, 2008•Taylor & Francis
Creatine transporter deficit (CT1) is an inherited metabolic disorder that causes mental
retardation, epilepsy, speech, language and behavioral deficits. Until now, no treatment has
been proven to be successful for this condition. We describe 1-year follow-up study of a
child, aged 9.6 years, with CT1 defect, on oral supplementation with l-arginine, a precursor
of creatine synthesis. Under supplementation, he showed a noticeable improvement of
neurological, language and behavioral status and an increase of brain creatine and …
retardation, epilepsy, speech, language and behavioral deficits. Until now, no treatment has
been proven to be successful for this condition. We describe 1-year follow-up study of a
child, aged 9.6 years, with CT1 defect, on oral supplementation with l-arginine, a precursor
of creatine synthesis. Under supplementation, he showed a noticeable improvement of
neurological, language and behavioral status and an increase of brain creatine and …
Creatine transporter deficit (CT1) is an inherited metabolic disorder that causes mental retardation, epilepsy, speech, language and behavioral deficits. Until now, no treatment has been proven to be successful for this condition. We describe 1-year follow-up study of a child, aged 9.6 years, with CT1 defect, on oral supplementation with l-arginine, a precursor of creatine synthesis. Under supplementation, he showed a noticeable improvement of neurological, language and behavioral status and an increase of brain creatine and phosphocreatine documented with magnetic resonance spectroscopy. The results suggest that children with CT1 disorder show some residual adaptive plasticity for certain functions even at quite an advanced age. Further trials with higher l-arginine dosages and more protracted treatment are encouraged.
