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Brain Diseases

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

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Spinal Muscular Atrophy Overview

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a group of hereditary neuromuscular diseases that damage and destroy nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. This damage affects a person’s ability to move their arms, legs, face, chest, and throat and impacts their skeletal muscle activity related to speaking, walking, breathing, and swallowing. SMA is a progressive disease and, over time, the muscles weaken, develop twitching and atrophy, or decrease in mass due to immobility.

Keep reading to learn more about spinal muscular atrophy, including risk factors, symptoms, treatment, and ongoing research efforts.

What is Spinal Muscular Atrophy?

10,000+

People affected in the U.S.

1 in 50

People are carriers of the disease

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Risk Factors

Spinal muscular atrophy affects between 10,000 and 25,000 children and adults in the U.S. and approximately one in every 50 people is a carrier of the disease. SMA is a hereditary disease, and except in rare cases, is inherited when a person receives one mutated gene from each parent.

The most common form of this disease is caused by an abnormal or missing gene. This gene, called survival motor neuron gene 1 (SMN1), produces a protein essential to the health and function of motor neurons. These connect the spinal cord with the nervous system and transmit impulses controlling muscle movement. Less common forms of SMA are caused by defects in other genes.

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Signs and Symptoms

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Diagnosis

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Treatments

Spinal Muscular Atrophy Research Efforts

Disease Resources

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