Also called: Also called: SMA
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disease that attacks nerve cells, called motor neurons, in your spinal cord. These neurons communicate with your voluntary muscles - the ones you can control, like in your arms and legs. As you lose the neurons, your muscles weaken. This can affect walking, crawling, breathing, swallowing and head and neck control.
SMA runs in families. Parents usually have no symptoms, but still carry the gene. Genetic counseling is important if the disease runs in your family.
There are many types of SMA, and some of them are fatal. Life expectancy depends on the type you have and how it affects your breathing. There is no cure. Medicines and physical therapy help treat symptoms.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Spinal Muscular Atrophy
(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sma/sma.htm
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Understanding Spinal Muscular Atrophy(Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy) - http://www.fsma.org/FSMACommunity/understandingsma/
Also available in Spanish http://www.fsma.org/FSMACommunity/understandingsma/spanishunderstandingbook/
- Quick Facts about Spinal Muscular Atrophy(Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy) - http://www.fsma.org/FSMACommunity/understandingsma/quickfacts/
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Spinal Muscular Atrophy(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sma/detail_sma.htm
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Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)(Muscular Dystrophy Association) - http://www.mda.org/publications/fa-sma-qa.html
Also available in Spanish http://www.mda.org/espanol/esp-fa-sma-qa.html
- About Kennedy's Disease: KD Symptoms(Kennedy's Disease Association) - http://www.kennedysdisease.org/about_symptoms.html
- 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
- Hidden Twist...Scoliosis(Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy) - http://www.fsma.org/FSMACommunity/MedicalIssues/Orthopedic/links/index.cfm?ID=2847&blnShowBack=False&idContentType=1500
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Kennedy's Disease(National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/kennedys/kennedys.htm
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ClinicalTrials.gov: Muscular Atrophy, Spinal(National Institutes of Health) - http://clinicaltrials.gov/search/open/condition=%22Muscular+Atrophy,+Spinal%22
- About Kennedy's Disease: Genetic Counseling/Inheritance(Kennedy's Disease Association) - http://www.kennedysdisease.org/about_counseling.html
- Genetics and Diagnosis of SMA (Spinal Muscular Atrophy)(Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy) - Links to PDF - http://www.fsma.org/UploadedFiles/ForMedia/Materials/sma_genetics.pdf
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Genetics Home Reference: Spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spinalandbulbarmuscularatrophy
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Genetics Home Reference: Spinal muscular atrophy(National Library of Medicine) - http://ghr.nlm.nih.gov/condition=spinalmuscularatrophy
References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)
- Article: Understanding the experience of living with spinal muscular atrophy: a... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18727341&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Natural history of SMA IIIb: muscle strength decreases in a... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18725590&tool=MedlinePlus
- Article: Rapid prenatal diagnosis of spinal muscular atrophy by denaturing high-performance... - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=Retrieve&db=pubmed&dopt=AbstractPlus&list_uids=18720039&tool=MedlinePlus
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy -- see more articles - http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/sites/entrez?cmd=search&db=pubmed&term=muscular+atrophy,spinal[majr]+AND+humans[mh]+AND+english[la]+NOT+(letter[pt]+OR+editorial[pt])&doptcmdl=summary&cmd_current=Limits&pmfilter_EDatLimit=last+1+Year&tool=MedlinePlus
- Glossary of Terms Related to SMA(Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy) - http://www.fsma.org/FSMACommunity/MedicalIssues/HospitalStays/GlossaryofSMATerms/
- Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy - http://www.fsma.org/
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Muscular Dystrophy Association - http://www.mda.org/
Also available in Spanish http://www.mdaenespanol.org/
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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
Also available in Spanish http://espanol.ninds.nih.gov/
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy Foundation - http://www.smafoundation.org/
- Spinal Muscular Atrophy(Children's Hospital of Philadelphia) - http://www.chop.edu/consumer/your_child/condition_section_index.jsp?id=-9273
- Muscular Dystrophy - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/musculardystrophy.html
- Neuromuscular Disorders - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/neuromusculardisorders.html
- Brain and Nerves - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/brainandnerves.html
- Genetics/Birth Defects - http://www.nlm.nih.gov/medlineplus/geneticsbirthdefects.html
The primary NIH organization for research on Spinal Muscular Atrophy is the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke - http://www.ninds.nih.gov/