Distinct Brain Drivers and Shared Cerebello–Cortical Input in ADCY5 and SGCE Hyperkinetic Movements

Background Hyperkinetic movement disorders arise from dysfunction within cortico-basal ganglia-cerebellar loops. They frequently involve psychiatric and cognitive symptoms, reflecting impairment of both motor and non-motor domains within these loops. ADCY5 (MxMD-ADCY5) and SGCE (MYC/DYT-SGCE) related movement disorders are childhood-onset monogenic hyperkinetic conditions, both characterized by myoclonus, dystonia, and frequent psychiatric manifestations. Previous evidence suggests predominant basal ganglia involvement in MxMD-ADCY5 and cerebellar involvement in MYC/DYT-SGCE.Objectives The aim was to determine how basal ganglia and cerebellar dysfunction drives cortical dysregulation in hyperkinetic movement disorders.Methods Resting-state functional magnetic resonance imaging (fMRI) was used to examine effective connectivity in motor and non-motor cortico-basal ganglia-cerebellar loops. Findings were validated using leave-one-out cross-validation. Microstructural properties of regions within these loops were assessed with diffusion-weighted imaging, using neurite orientation dispersion and density measures.Results We enrolled 21 patients with MxMD-ADCY5, 24 with MYC/DYT-SGCE, and matched healthy controls. Both patient groups exhibited elevated rates of psychiatric comorbidities. In MxMD-ADCY5, abnormal basal ganglia connectivity influenced the cerebellum, which in turn modulated cortical activity across motor and non-motor loops. Reduced neurite density was observed in the subthalamic nucleus, a relay between basal ganglia and cerebellum. In MYC/DYT-SGCE, the cerebellum showed predominant influence on cortical activity, with downstream modulation of basal ganglia activity, but no microstructural alterations were detected. Cross-validation largely confirmed the connectivity patterns' reliability.Conclusion Abnormal cortical modulation in both disorders converges on a shared cerebellar-cortical pathway, with basal ganglia influences in MxMD-ADCY5 transmitted via the cerebellum to the cortex, and cerebellar contributions in MYC/DYT-SGCE directly influencing the cortex.