Muscular Dystrophy (Print Version)

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Muscular Dystrophy

URL of this page: http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/musculardystrophy.html

Also called: Also called: MD

Muscular dystrophy (MD) refers to a group of more than 30 inherited diseases that cause muscle weakness and muscle loss. Some forms of MD appear in infancy or childhood, while others may not appear until middle age or later. The different muscular dystrophies vary in who they affect and the symptoms. All forms of MD grow worse as the person's muscles get weaker. Most people with MD eventually lose the ability to walk.

There is no cure for muscular dystrophy. Treatments include physical and speech therapy, orthopedic devices, surgery and medications. Some people with muscular dystrophy have mild cases that worsen slowly. Others cases are disabling and severe.

National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Start Here

Muscular Dystrophy(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/parent/medical/bones/muscular_dystrophy.html
Muscular Dystrophy: Hope Through Research(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/md/detail_md.htm
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/trastornos/distrofia_muscular.htm

Overviews

Major Characteristics of the Nine (9) Muscular Dystrophies(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/fa-md-9.html
Muscular Dystrophy(Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research) - http://www.mayoclinic.com/print/muscular-dystrophy/DS00200/DSECTION=all&METHOD=print
Muscular Dystrophy (MD)(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/md/md.htm

Latest News

Stem Cells Hold Promise for Muscular Dystrophy(07/10/2008, HealthDay) - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/news/fullstory_66819.html

Diagnosis/Symptoms

Accurate and Affordable Diagnosis of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/news_and_events/news_articles/news_article_dmd_test.htm
Creatine Kinase Test(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q71ss-cktest.html
Electromyography and Nerve Conduction Velocities(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q75ss.html
Muscle Biopsies(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q74ss.html
Symptoms of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)(Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research) - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/PageServer?pagename=und_symptoms

Treatment

Steroids / Nutritional Supplements / Antibiotics(Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research) - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/PageServer?pagename=tc_supplements

Coping

Emotional Issues(Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research) - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/PageServer?pagename=emo_index
Learning to Live with Neuromuscular Disease: A Message for Parents(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/learning/
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-learning/

Disease Management

Breathe Easy: Respiratory Care for Children with Muscular Dystrophy(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/breathe/
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-breathe/
Physical Therapy(Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research) - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/PageServer?pagename=tc_physical

Specific Conditions

Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophies (DMD and BMD)(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/fa-dmdbmd.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-fa-dmdbmd-what.html
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) (Also Known as Pseudohypertrophic)(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/disease/dmd.html
Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy (DBMD)(Centers for Disease Control and Prevention) - http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/duchenne/index.htm
Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/fa-fshd.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-fa-fshd.html
Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD)(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/fa-lgmd-qa.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-fa-lgmd-qa.html
Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/fa-mmd-qa.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-fa-mmd-qa.html
Rare Muscular Dystrophies: Congenital, Distal, Emery-Dreifuss and Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophies(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/fa-rareMD.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-fa-pococomunesMD.html

Related Issues

101 Hints to "Help-with-Ease" for Patients with Neuromuscular Disease(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/101hints/
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-101hints/
Educational Issues(Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research) - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/PageServer?pagename=edu_index
Frequently Asked Questions about the Use of Splints and Bracing(Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research) - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/PageServer?pagename=tc_splintsfaq
Frequently Asked Questions about Wheelchairs(Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research) - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/PageServer?pagename=tc_wheelchairsfaq
Seating Requirements for Young Men with DMD(Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research) - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/PageServer?pagename=tc_seating_req

Tutorials

What Is Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy?(Dolan DNA Learning Center) - Requires Flash Player - http://www.yourgenesyourhealth.org/dmd/whatisit.htm

Clinical Trials

ClinicalTrials.gov: Muscular Dystrophies(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Muscular+Dystrophies%22
ClinicalTrials.gov: Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Muscular+Dystrophy,+Duchenne%22

Genetics

Genetics Home Reference: Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=duchenneandbeckermusculardystrophy
Genetics Home Reference: Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=emerydreifussmusculardystrophy
Genetics Home Reference: Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=fukuyamacongenitalmusculardystrophy
Genetics Home Reference: Laing distal myopathy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=laingdistalmyopathy
Genetics Home Reference: Myotonic dystrophy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=myotonicdystrophy
Learning about Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy(National Human Genome Research Institute) - http://www.genome.gov/19518854
Learning about Myotonic Dystrophy(National Human Genome Research Institute) - http://www.genome.gov/25521207

Research

Gene Therapy and Muscular Dystrophies(American Academy of Neurology) - http://www.neurology.org/cgi/content/full/71/4/e6
Gene Transfer Successful in Mouse Model of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/Spotlight_on_Research/2008/Gene_Mouse_MD.asp
MDA Research Advances Rapidly(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/resdev.html
Muscular Dystrophy Coordinating Committee(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/find_people/groups/mdcc/
Research Approaches for a Therapy of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy(Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research) - Links to PDF - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/site/DocServer/2008_Research_Approaches.pdf?docID=5741
Scientists Identify Cell Differences That Enable Muscle Repair(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/Spotlight_on_Research/2007/satellite_cells.asp
Sex of Adult Mouse Muscle Stem Cells Affects Their Muscle Regeneration Efficiency(National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases) - http://www.niams.nih.gov/News_and_Events/Spotlight_on_Research/2007/cell_sex_and_stem_cell.asp

Journal Articles

References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

Article: Dehydroepiandrosterone for myotonic dystrophy type 1. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18678823&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Clinical use of creatine in neuromuscular and neurometabolic disorders. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18652078&tool=MedlinePlus
Article: Optimizing exon skipping therapies for DMD. - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18646569&tool=MedlinePlus
Muscular Dystrophy -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=(muscular+dystrophies[majr]+OR+(neuromuscular+diseases[majr]+AND+muscular+dystrophies[mh]))+AND+english[la]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+(jsubsetk[text]+OR+review[pt]+OR+guideline[pt]+OR+clinical+trial[pt]+OR+patient+education+handout[pt])+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt]+OR+case+reports[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus

Directories

Muscular Dystrophy Association Clinics and Services(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/clinics/

Organizations

Muscular Dystrophy Association - http://www.mda.org/
Also available in Spanish http://www.mdaenespanol.org/
National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://www.niams.nih.gov/Portal_En_Espanol/
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
Parent Project for Muscular Dystrophy Research - http://www.parentprojectmd.org/

Newsletters/Print Publications

Quest(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/Quest/q_curr.html

Children

Everybody's Different Nobody's Perfect(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/nobody/
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-nobody/index.html
Meaning of Muscular Dystrophy(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/kid/health_problems/bone/muscular_dystrophy.html

Teenagers

Muscular Dystrophy(Nemours Foundation) - http://kidshealth.org/teen/diseases_conditions/bones/muscular_dystrophy.html
Also available in Spanish http://kidshealth.org/teen/en_espanol/enfermedades/muscular_dystrophy_esp.html

You may also be interested in these MedlinePlus related pages:

Bones, Joints and Muscles - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/bonesjointsandmuscles.html
Genetics/Birth Defects - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/geneticsbirthdefects.html

The primary NIH organization for research on Muscular Dystrophy is the National Institute of Arthritis and Musculoskeletal and Skin Diseases - http://www.niams.nih.gov/

Date last updated: September 29 2008

Topic last reviewed: September 22 2008