Gourt > Health > Conditions and Diseases > Neurological Disorders > Muscle Diseases > Stiff Person Syndrome
Stiff person syndrome (SPS) (or occasionally, stiff-man syndrome) is a rare neurologic disorder of unknown etiology. SPS was first described by Moersch and Woltman at the Mayo Clinic in 1956 .
Those with the illness experience progressive, fluctuating tonic contractions of all muscles, particularly the axial musculature. An inability to walk and general paralysis quickly follow; death usually occurs six to twelve months after diagnosis.
Treatment is mostly palliative with muscle relaxants such as benzodiazepines, which lose their effectiveness as the illness progresses. Because many patients with SPS have circulating antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase, an autoimmune cause the disease has been postulated. In the absence of double-blind, placebo-controlled class A trials to determine treatment efficacy, some authorities recommend humane trials of immunosuppressive therapy, plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulin infusion.
More on [ Stiff person syndrome ]
Spinal Cord
Rare Disorders :: Conditions and Diseases
Schizophrenia and Bipolar Disorder Share Genetic Roots
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 15:45:00 -0400
A trio of genome-wide studies -- collectively the largest to date -- have pinpointed a vast array of genetic variation that cumulatively may account for at least one third of the genetic risk for schizophrenia. One of the studies traced schizophrenia and bipolar disorder, in part, to the same chromosomal neighborhoods.
Imaging Technique Allows Researchers to Monitor Protein Changes in Mouse Tumors
Wed, 01 Jul 2009 12:05:00 -0400
A new imaging technique can monitor, in living mice, the HER2 protein found in above-normal amounts in many cases of breast cancer as well as some ovarian, prostate and lung cancers. This new approach, once validated in mice and pending further experiments, could provide a real-time noninvasive method for identifying tumors in humans who express HER2 and who would be candidates for targeted therapy directed against this protein. It may also provide real-time information that will help clinicians optimize treatment for individual patients. The study, published in the July 2009 issue of The Journal of Nuclear Medicine, was conducted by researchers at the National Cancer Institute (NCI) and the National Institute of Biomedical Imaging and Bioengineering, both parts of the National Institutes of Health.
Dynasty: Influenza Virus in 1918 and Today
Tue, 30 Jun 2009 09:10:00 -0400
The influenza virus that wreaked worldwide havoc in 1918-1919 founded a viral dynasty that persists to this day, according to scientists from the National Institute of Allergy and Infectious Diseases (NIAID), part of the National Institutes of Health. In an article published online on June 29 by the New England Journal of Medicine, authors Anthony S. Fauci, M.D., Jeffery K. Taubenberger, M.D., Ph.D., and David M. Morens, M.D., argue that we have lived in an influenza pandemic era since 1918, and they describe how the novel 2009 H1N1 virus now circling the globe is yet another manifestation of this enduring viral family.
CNN.com - Health
Police: Hospital worker swiped shots, spread hep C
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 18:18:42 -0400
A former hospital employee may have exposed hundreds or thousands of surgical patients to hepatitis C when she replaced clean needles filled with the powerful painkiller fentanyl with her own dirty needles filled with saline solution.
Health.com picks top beach, lake getaways
Fri, 03 Jul 2009 13:47:40 -0400
We know your summer vacation time is precious: You want to land where you can truly relax, breathe fresh air, get in some exercise and eat well -- without breaking the bank. That's why we teamed up with a panel of travel and health experts to help us find the healthiest of the nation's most popular beach and lake towns.
MCW HealthLink - An article about Stiff-person syndrome, a rare progressive neurological disorder.
Meta Description: [ Stiff-person syndrome is a rare progressive
neurological disorder characterized by constant painful contractions and spasms of
voluntary muscles, particularly the muscles of the back and upper legs.
]
NORD: Stiff Person Syndrome - Offers synonyms, a general discussion and further resources.
Meta Description: [ National Organization for Rare Disorders is dedicated to helping people with rare, orphan diseases. Rarediseases.org contains information on the prevention, treatment and cure of rare diseases. ]
Stiff-Person Syndrome - Information sheet compiled by National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke.
Meta Description: [ Stiff-person (stiff-man syndrome) information sheet compiled by NINDS. ]
Stiffman Syndrome - Also known as Stiff Person Syndrome or Moersch-Woltman. A rare, progressive neurological disease with symptoms of severe spasm, rigidity and falls. Find information and a personal story.
Meta Description: [ A rare progressive neurological disorder characterized by severe spasm, rigidity, and falls.
I was diagnosed in 1994. ]
| Nostalgic Box | |
| Next Video | |
