Author Archives: Joana Carvalho, PhD

Adults with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) usually do not experience weakness or impairment of any sort in the muscles controlling their eye movements, a recent study reported. When such impairments are present, they should prompt physicians to re-evaluate their initial diagnosis and consider the possibility that a patient may…

[et_pb_section fb_built=”1″ admin_label=”section” _builder_version=”3.22″][et_pb_row admin_label=”row” _builder_version=”3.25″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”][et_pb_column type=”4_4″ _builder_version=”3.25″ custom_padding=”|||” custom_padding__hover=”|||”][et_pb_text admin_label=”Text” _builder_version=”3.27.4″ background_size=”initial” background_position=”top_left” background_repeat=”repeat”]Lung function in people with earlier-onset forms of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) tends to decline gradually throughout childhood and stabilizes in early adulthood, according to data from a population-based natural history 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…

Spinal fusion surgery — a procedure to fuse two or more spine vertebrae — is more successful at reducing spine curvature in children with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 1 and 2  if they have previously been given growth-friendly spinal implants, a study reports. But the…

Young children given a single injection of Zolgensma into the spinal canal continue to show gains in motor function and safety, new interim data from the STRONG trial in spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) type 2 patients up to age 5 show. These findings from the open-label Phase 1/2 clinical…