Monthly Topic For The Abler Blog: For The Month Of September:
Stiff Person Syndrome
Author Note: I am in no a professional of any kind. I am strongly against self-diagnosis, and encourage my audience to please seek the professional advice of their own trusted medical professional and any other trusted professional depending on the topic at hand. The Abler Blog ONLY PROVIDES LIMITED GENERAL INFORMATION, and ALWAYS CITES WHERE THEY FIND THEIR RESOURCES AND OR INFORMATION.
FOUNDER OF THE ABLER BLOG-
JESSICA NIZIOLEK
Resources Used: National institute Of Neurological Disorders And Stroke
What Is Stiff Person Syndrome (SPS)?
This is a rare neurological progressive disorder. With time this condition can cause issues with their posture, such as becoming hunched over. This condition can also cause stiff muscles in their arms, legs, and in their trunk. They may also develop as sensitivity to noises, touch, and emotional distress. This can trigger the person(s) to experience spasms.
As time progresses a person with this condition, may become too disabled to walk/move. They also fall frequently because they no longer have the reflexes to stop themselves from falling. Because of this people can become afraid to go outside their homes, because of the outside nosies and the risk of falling and causing the person to experiencing serious injuries.
Who is More Likely To Be Diagnosed With This Condition?
This condition can effect twice as many women than men. It is also often linked to other autoimmune conditions such as type1 diabetes, thyroiditis, vitiligo, and pernicious anemia.
Is There A Cure For SPS?
There is currently no cure for this condition, scientists found that this condition is an autoimmune response that leads the brain and spinal cord to not respond in normal fashion.
How Is SPS Diagnosed And Treated?
This condition is often mis diagnosed as other conditions such as, MS, Parkinson’s , anxiety, etc. In order to get an accurate diagnosis of SPS, blood work must be done. To be more specific blood that measures the person’s level of glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies. Most people with SPS have elevated (higher) levels of GAD antibodies. Antibody titers are important for the diagnosis of SPS. A titer is a laboratory test that measures the presence and amount of antibodies in blood. Elevated GAD titers, up to 10 times above normal, also are seen in diabetes but in SPS the titers are very high (at least 10 times above the range seen in diabetes) or are present in the spinal fluid.
The Treatment:
With appropriate treatment, SPS symptoms may be kept under control. Several symptoms improve with oral diazepam (an anti-anxiety and muscle relaxant drug) or with drugs that alleviate muscle spasms, such as Baclofen or Gabapentin.
A study funded by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) showed that intravenous immunoglobulin (IVIg) treatment is effective in reducing stiffness, sensitivity to noise, touch, and stress and for improving gait and balance for people with SPS. IVIg contains immunoglobulins (natural antibodies produced by the immune system) derived from thousands of healthy donors.
How Can Help A Loved One Or Myself With This Condition?
Consider becoming a volunteer for future clinical trials. For any further information on this or any other rare disease/condition please go here:
https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/
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