While effective treatment is lengthening life and improving its quality, children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 often have abnormal spinal curvatures like scoliosis that require long-term care, a study highlights. “Novel therapies have made this [SMA] a treatable condition, resulting in increased life expectancy,” the researchers, all…

An algorithm that takes into account clinical measures of motor symptom severity alongside data on factors like age and height may help predict the risk of scoliosis in people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who have received disease-modifying treatment. “We trained a scoliosis classifier, demonstrating how data give rise…

Researchers have developed an artificial intelligence (AI)-based algorithm to help predict the presence of scoliosis in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) patients based on clinical features routinely collected at the doctor’s office. “Our predictive model … could augment clinical decision-making in the future by offering quantified probabilities of scoliosis…

Being diagnosed with a progressive neuromuscular condition like spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) often brings a range of physical challenges that significantly impact both the people with the disease and their loved ones. One of these challenges is scoliosis. According to the American Association of Neurological Surgeons,…

Disease-modifying therapies (DMTs) may slow the progression of an abnormal curvature of the spine in people with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2, a study reported. For those patients treated early, especially ones with no or minimal scoliosis, these findings were particularly significant, according to “Early treatment of…

Severe scoliosis — an abnormal curvature of the spine — was significantly associated with older age and limited motor abilities in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2 who had not received disease-modifying therapies, a study showed. These findings establish characteristics of untreated scoliosis progression on SMA type…

Note: This column includes thoughts about suicide. Resources for help are listed at the end of the column. On a brown and white display cabinet in my living room are two framed pictures of me. One was taken in a professional studio when I was about 6 years old. I’m…

Despite its well-reported benefits in motor function, Spinraza (nusinersen) may not be as effective at preventing or easing nonmotor complications, such as facial deformities, feeding problems, and scoliosis, in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1. Given that all these complications may affect the child’s lung function…

Surgery to correct kyphoscoliosis — a combination of two types of abnormal curvature of the spine — allows the successful delivery of Spinraza (nusinersen) into the spinal canal of children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1, a case series study shows. However, post-surgery complications occurred in all four described…

Children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) who have spine deformities or weak trunk muscles are more likely than others to have substantial limits to functional abilities and life activities, a study in patients ages 6 months to 15 years reported. Strengthening trunk muscles through regular exercise and physical therapy…