Derrick A.

Mason

What is Muscular Dystrophy? Muscular Dystrophy is a group of inherited disorders that cause muscle weakness and wasting or decrease in size. There are nine major types of muscular dystrophy: Becker Muscular Dystrophy (BMD) Congenital Muscular Dystrophy (CMD) Distal Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) Emery-Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy (EDMD) Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FMD) Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD) Myotonic Muscular Dystrophy (MMD) Oculopharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy (OMD) Weakness Duck-like gait Lack of coordination Falling with difficulty getting up Muscles appear larger and stronger but are weaker than normal Later symptoms: Muscle loss severe enough to require use of a wheelchair by age 9 to 12 Severe distortion of the body Recurrent respiratory infections Treatments Statistics The muscular dystrophies are the most common form of hereditary disease. The most common form of muscular dystrophy is DMD, followed by FMD and MMD. DMD has the second highest incidence of all inherited diseases, approximately 1 in 3300 live male births BMD affects 1 in 18000 live male births CMD affects 1 per 10,000 births There currently is no cure for muscular dystrophy and treatment plans are geared toward managing symptoms so patients can live as long, full and active lives as possible. People with muscular dystrophy are encouraged to: Keep their bodies as strong and healthy as possible by engaging in regular activities and physical therapy. Bed rest and long periods of inactivity actually make the disease worse. Physical therapy can help a child or adult to maintain as much strength and flexibility as possible. Braces on the hands and legs can help with mobility and to keep stiff joints from contracting permanently. Treatment in some cases may include medications such as Corticosteroid, which may help to slow progression of the disease. Genetic counselling may benefit families who have muscular dystrophy in the family.

Possible Causes Inherited. Muscular Dystrophy is a genetic abnormality. It can be carried by a female who does not have symptoms, but passes it on to male children. In other cases, it may be passed by one or both parents. In still other cases, there is no family history. Signs & Symptoms Early Symptoms:

Innovative Teaching Strategies Parent/Student/Teacher meetings

Check into IEP or other special plan that may need to be administered Address muscular dystrophy in the classroom to promote student sensitivity Encourage active classroom participation to help boost self-confidence Extended time for projects, assignments, and exams Cooperative learning groups

Medical Discoveries A preclinical study led by researchers at Childrens National Medical Center has found that a new oral drug shows early promise for the treatment of DMD. The results show that the drug, VBP15, decreases inflammation and protects and strengthens muscle without the harsh side effects linked to current treatments with glucocorticoids such as prednisone. A researcher in the Faculty of Medicine & Dentistry at the University of Alberta improved DMD symptoms in non-human lab models, using a new drug cocktail. The drug combination targets the hot spot of the gene mutation, making the condition less severe. The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) in Tucson says researchers have successfully used stem cells to treat dogs with a form of the disease that's similar to a type found in humans. Researchers used a special kind of stem cell that they isolated from muscle biopsies of living donors.

Current Laws MD Cares Act - Muscular Dystrophy Community Assistance Research and Education Amendments of 2001 provides for research with respect to various forms of muscular dystrophy including Duchenne, Becker, Limb-girdle, Congenital, Facioscapulohumeral, Myotonic, Oculopharyngeal, Distal and Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophies. Assistive Technology iPad: iPad can record lectures at school or college, saving you from taking notes. Vocally Infinity 3: With the Vocally Infinity 3, you can dial any phone with just your voice. PC technology: The voice recognition software Dragon NaturallySpeaking 12 allows you to speak into a microphone and control your PC without ever lifting a finger. Environmental controls: A USB-UIRT, which allows you to broadcast infrared (IR) signals from your personal computer. Combined with a program called Girder, the USB-UIRT can learn the IR codes of any remote controlled device. Wheelchair driving: Now there are all kinds of interesting ways you can drive wheelchairs, but the most popular is the ASL mini-proportional joystick.

Family & Community Services Muscular Dystrophy Association 3300 E. Sunrise Drive, Tucson, AZ 85718 www.mdausa.org National institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke www.ninds.nih.gov P.O Box 5801 Bethesda MD. 20894 (301) 496-5751 Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy www.parentprojectmd.org th 401 Hackensack Avenue, 9 floor Hackensack, NJ 07601 (201) 250-8440 References
Griffith, H. W., & Moore, S. W. (2012). Complete guide to symptoms, illness & surgery (Rev. 6th ed.). New York, NY: Penguin Group (USA) Incorporated. Muscular Dystrophy. (2013, November 25). Centers for Disease Control and Prevention. Retrieved February 8, 2014, from http://www.cdc.gov/ncbddd/musculardystrophy/index.html MDA | Muscular Dystrophy Association. (n.d.). Muscular Dystrophy Association. Retrieved February 9, 2014, from http://mda.org/ El-Bohy, A., & Wong, Brenda L,M.B.B.S., M.R.C.P. (2005). The diagnosis of muscular dystrophy. Pediatric Annals, 34(7), 525-30. Retrieved from

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