What is Spinal Muscular Atrophy? – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a group of hereditary diseases that progressively destroys motor neurons—nerve cells in the brain stem and spinal cord that control essential skeletal muscle activity such as speaking, walking, breathing, and swallowing, leading to muscle weakness and atrophy.  Motor neurons control movement in the arms, legs, chest, face, throat, and tongue. When there … [Read more…]

What is Rett syndrome? – Causes, Symptoms, Treatment

Rett syndrome is a neurodevelopmental disorder that affects girls almost exclusively. It is characterized by normal early growth and development followed by a slowing of development, loss of purposeful use of the hands, distinctive hand movements, slowed brain and head growth, problems with walking, seizures, and intellectual disability. The disorder was identified by Dr. Andreas … [Read more…]

What is progressive supranuclear palsy?

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is an uncommon brain disorder that affects movement, control of walking (gait) and balance, speech, swallowing, vision, mood and behavior, and thinking. The disease results from damage to nerve cells in the brain. The disorder’s long name indicates that the disease worsens (progressive) and causes weakness (palsy) by damaging certain parts … [Read more…]

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation – Treatment, Prevention

Post-Stroke Rehabilitation/Stroke is a medical emergency that requires immediate attention. In the United States, about 800,000 people each year suffer a stroke and approximately two-thirds of these individuals survive and require rehabilitation. The goals of rehabilitation are to optimize how the person functions after a stroke and the level of independence, and to achieve the … [Read more…]