A 15-Year-Old Boy Is Evaluated for Progressive Lower Extremity Weakness

A 15-year-old boy is evaluated for progressive lower extremity weakness.  The patient has had difficulty running and keeping up with peers for the past several years and has sprained his ankles on multiple occasions.  His father also experienced similar symptoms beginning at the same age and became wheelchair bound.  Physical examination shows weakness and atrophy of the distal lower extremity muscles.  There is bilateral pes cavus deformity.  Ankle reflexes are absent, and sensation to vibration is also absent in the feet.  Abnormal function of which of the following is the most likely cause of this patient's condition?

A) Muscle dystrophin
B) Myelin protein
C) Ryanodine receptors
D) Synaptic vesicles
E) Tau protein

Correct Answer:

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