Muscular Dystrophy Research Paper

There are more than thirty forms of muscular dystrophy. Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the most common and serve form among children. It accounts for more than 50% of all cases of muscular dystrophy. Duchenne Muscular dystrophy is a serve form of muscular dystrophy caused by a genetic defection. It is a progressive neuromuscular disorder affecting one in 3600 boys though it is rare for girls to inherit the genetic condition. The genetic disorder targets and causes muscle degeneration and can result in premature death in some cases.

SYMTOMPS
Lewis P. Rowland in the anthology Gene Expression in muscle stated "if a boy is affected with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), the condition can be observed clinically from the moment he takes his first …show more content…
Toe walking is a compensatory adaptation to knee extensor weakness. The child will experience frequent falls and fatigue, quickly tiring. Affected children tire more easily and have less energy and strength than normal children. Resulting in difficulty with running, hopping, jumping and progressive difficulty walking. Children with DMD will have a higher risk of neurobehavioral disorders like ADHD, learning disorders like dyslexia, and non-progressive weaknesses in specific cognitive like short-term verbal memory. Believed to be the result of absent or dysfunctional dystrophin in the brain. Eventual loss of ability to walk will follow as a boy’s ability to walk completely disintegrates by twelve years of age. Then may be essentially paralyzed from the neck down by the age of 21. Skeletal deformities and poor posture can be …show more content…
Progressive proximal muscle weakness of the legs and pelvis associated with loss of muscle mass.
2. Weakness spreads to the arms, neck, and other areas.
3. Early signs may include pseudohypertrophy (enlargement of calf and deltoid muscles), low endurance, and difficulties in standing without help or an inability to walk upstairs.
4. As the condition progresses, muscle tissue experiences wasting and is eventually replaced by fat and fibrotic tissue (fibrosis).
5. By age 10, braces may be required to aid in walking but most patients are wheelchair dependent by age 12.
6. Later symptoms may include abnormal bone development that lead to skeletal deformities, including curvature of the spine.
7. Due to progressive deterioration of muscle, loss of movement occurs, eventually leading to paralysis.

Symptoms start to appear at the ages of two to three but may be visible in early infancy. The average life expectancy for individuals afflicted with DMD is around 25 with most symptoms appearing before the age of six.

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