Mondo Description A very rare, complex form of hereditary spastic paraplegia characterized by a late-onset, slowly progressive spastic paraplegia associated with mild ataxia and dysarthria, upper extremity involvement (i.e. loss of finger dexterity, dysmetria), and mild cognitive impairment, without the presence of nystagmus. A hypomyelinating leukodystrophy and thin corpus callosum is observed in all cases and psychomotor development is normal or near normal. SPG44 is caused by mutations in the GJC2 gene (1q41-q42) encoding the gap junction gamma-2 protein.

Uniprot Description A form of spastic paraplegia, a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by a slow, gradual, progressive weakness and spasticity of the lower limbs. Rate of progression and the severity of symptoms are quite variable. Initial symptoms may include difficulty with balance, weakness and stiffness in the legs, muscle spasms, and dragging the toes when walking. In some forms of the disorder, bladder symptoms (such as incontinence) may appear, or the weakness and stiffness may spread to other parts of the body.