Spinal muscular atrophy

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Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a neuromuscular condition, which causes degeneration of the anterior horn cells of the spinal cord, resulting in weakness of the muscles.

Spinal Muscular Atrophies in children are a group of three inheritable conditions defined on the basis of the severity of the symptoms displayed, with Type 1 being the most severe and Type 111 the mildest. It mainly affects the proximal muscles (those closest to the body). Characteristically, the legs are more severely affected than the arms.

SMA which starts in childhood affects 4 in every 100,000 people.

Type 1V describes Spinal Muscular Atrophy which starts in adulthood, with symptoms usually beginning after the age of 35. Adult SMA is characterised by very slow progression. There is also an adult form (Kennedy's Syndrome), which occurs only in males.