Men with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) were found to have abnormally small nerves in the limbs, especially the arms, as measured by ultrasound, a study showed. These findings support the use of ultrasound as an additional tool to identify SBMA and improve selection for genetic testing, the…
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a rare genetic condition characterized by the progressive loss of motor neurons, the specialized nerve cells that control voluntary movement, leading to muscle weakness and wasting. The most common forms of SMA — types 0, 1, 2, 3, and 4 — are mostly caused by mutations…
People of Indigenous descent in Canada seem to have the highest prevalence of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) of any populations in the world, according to a new study. Compared to an SBMA prevalence of one to two per 100,000 in the general population, it’s 14.7 per 100,000 people…
Increasing the levels of brain-derived neurotrophic factor (BDNF) — a molecule involved in the communication between nerve cells and muscle — specifically in muscle delayed symptom onset and slowed disease progression in a mouse model of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), a study has found. BDNF’s benefits…
Berberine, a plant-derived compound often used in Chinese medicine, is able to clear the toxic protein clumps found in neurodegenerative diseases such as spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and frontotemporal dementia, an early study in motor neurons suggests. The study, “…
Although a disease of motor neurons, nerve cells of the spinal cord and brainstem, the earliest signs of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) are in skeletal muscles, according to data from a mouse study. These findings suggest that changes in muscle strength and contraction are early disease…
Blood levels of biomarkers of muscle mass and damage — rather than nerve cell damage — are significantly altered in people with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA) and in a mouse model of the disease, a study has found. Data also highlighted that the levels of creatinine,…
High-intensity training can improve fitness and may be performed safely by patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), a small pilot study suggests. According to patients, high-intensity training (HIT) did not increase their muscle fatigue and was preferred to other workouts. Although more studies are needed to understand the long-term…
A global dysregulation affecting multiple signaling cascades operating inside motor neurons may be the underlying cause of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), results of a mouse study reveal. The findings of the study, “Gene expression analysis reveals early dysregulation of disease pathways and links Chmp7 to pathogenesis of…
Leuprorelin acetate may be a promising therapy to minimize swallowing dysfunction in patients with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy (SBMA), a study finds. The study, “Efficacy and safety of leuprorelin acetate for subjects with spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy: pooled analyses of two randomized-controlled trials,” was published in the…