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Currently there is no cure for myotubular or centronuclear myopathies. Treatment often focuses on trying to maximize functional abilities and minimize medical complications, and involvement by physicians specializing in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, and by physical therapists and occupational therapists.
Medical management generally involves efforts to prevent pulmonary complications, since lung infections can be fatal in patients lacking the muscle strength necessary to clear secretions via coughing. Medical devices to assist with coughing help patients maintain clear airways, avoiding mucous plugs and avoiding the need for tracheostomy tubes.
Monitoring for scoliosis is also important, since weakness of the trunk muscles can lead to deviations in spinal alignment, with resultant compromise of respiratory function. Many patients with congenital myopathies may eventually require surgical treatment of scoliosis.
Fukuyama congenital muscular dystrophy has a poor prognosis. Most children with FCMD reach a maximum mobility at sitting upright and sliding. Due to the compounded effects of continually worsening heart problems, impaired mental development, problems swallowing and additional complications, children with FCMD rarely live through adolescence, the disorder proves fatal by age 20.
A 2006 study followed 223 patients for a number of years. Of these, 15 died, with a median age of 65 years. The authors tentatively concluded that this is in line with a previously reported estimate of a shortened life expectancy of 10-15 years (12 in their data).
Congenital dSMA has a relatively stable disease course, with disability mainly attributed to increased contractures rather than loss of muscle strength. Individuals frequently use crutches, knee, ankle, and/or foot orthoses, or wheelchairs. Orthopaedic surgery can be an option for some patients with severely impaired movement. Physical therapy and occupational therapy can help prevent further contractures from occurring, though they do not reverse the effects of preexisting ones. Some literature suggests the use of electrical stimulation or botulinum toxin to halt the progression of contractures.
Currently this sub-type of muscular dystrophy has no cure and no "definitive" treatment exists. Treatment offers preventative tactics to delay muscle breakdown and increase life expectancy. Stretching and physical therapy can increase mobility. Treatment also includes correcting skeletal abnormalities through orthopedic surgery and other orthopedic techniques. Antiepileptic medication is administered to help prevent seizures. ACE inhibitors and beta blockers help treat heart conditions, and respiratory assistance is more than likely needed at some point for the affected individual
The overall incidence of myotubular myopathy is 1 in 50,000 male live births. The incidence of other centronuclear myopathies is extremely rare, with there only being nineteen families identified with CNM throughout the world. The symptoms currently range from the majority who only need to walk with aids, from a stick to a walking frame, to total dependence on physical mobility aids such as wheelchairs and stand aids, but this latter variety is so rare that only two cases are known to the CNM "community".
Approximately 80% of males with a diagnosis of myotubular myopathy by muscle biopsy will have a mutation in MTM1 identifiable by genetic sequence analysis.
Many patients with myotubular myopathy die in infancy prior to receiving a formal diagnosis. When possible, muscle biopsy and genetic testing may still be helpful even after a neonatal death, since the diagnostic information can assist with family planning and genetic counseling as well as aiding in the accurate diagnosis of any relatives who might also have the same genetic abnormality.
In terms of the management of spinal and bulbar muscular atrophy, no cure is known and treatment is supportive. Rehabilitation to slow muscle weakness can prove positive, though the prognosis indicates some individuals will require the use of a wheelchair in later stages of life.
Surgery may achieve correction of the spine, and early surgical intervention should be done in cases where prolonged survival is expected. Preferred nonsurgical treatment occurs due to the high rate of repeated dislocation of the hip.
No specific treatment is available. Management is only supportive and preventive.
Those who are diagnosed with the disease often die within the first few months of life. Almost all children with the disease die by the age of three.
In 1991 the FSH Society was founded by two individuals with FSHD, Daniel Perez and Stephen Jacobsen. The FSH Society raised funding to provide seed grants for FSHD research, advocated for the field to standardize the name of the disease as "facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy" and "FSHD", and co-wrote the MD-CARE Act, passed into law in 2001, which for the first time mandated federal resources, including National Institutes of Health funding, for all muscular dystrophies. The FSH Society has grown into the world's largest grassroots organization advocating for patient education and scientific and medical research.
The prognosis of this sub-type of MD indicates that the affected individual may eventually have feeding difficulties. Surgery, at some point, might be an option for scoliosis.
Scoliosis which is a sideways curve of the persons vertebrate, is determined by a variety of factors, including the degree (mild or severe), in which case if possible a brace might be used by the individual
In 2007 the FSHD Global Research Foundation was established to increase the amount of funding available to research bodies. The Foundation has identified 13 priority areas of interest for FSHD research.
In terms of treatment for neuromuscular diseases (NMD), "exercise" might be a way of managing them, as NMD individuals would gain muscle strength. In a study aimed at results of exercise, in muscular dystrophy and Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, the later benefited while the former did not show benefit; therefore, it depends on the disease Other management routes for NMD should be based on medicinal and surgical procedures, again depending on the underlying cause.
Treatment for MSS is symptomatic and supportive including physical and occupational therapy, speech therapy, and special education. Cataracts must be removed when vision is impaired, generally in the first decade of life. Hormone replacement therapy is needed if hypogonadism is present.
Treatment for Ullrich congenital muscular dystrophy can consist of physical therapy and regular stretching. Respiratory support may be needed at some point by the affected individual.
Though cardiac complications are not a concern in this type of CMD, in regards to respiratory issues ventilation via a tracheostomy is a possibility in some cases.
In terms of the management of congenital muscular dystrophy the American Academy of Neurology recommends that the individuals
need to have monitoring of cardiac function, respiratory, and gastrointestinal. Additionally it is believed that therapy in speech, orthopedic and physical areas, would improve the persons quality of life.
While there is currently no cure available, it is important to preserve muscle activity and any available correction of skeletal abnormalities (as scoliosis).Orthopedic procedures, like spinal fusion, maintains/increases the individuals prospect for more physical movement.
The treatment (management) of Emery–Dreifuss muscular dystrophy can be done via several methods, however secondary complications should be consider in terms of the progression of EDMD, therefore cardiac defibrillators may be needed at some point by the affected individual. Other possible forms of management and treatment are the following:
- Orthopaedics
- Surgery
- Monitor/treat any cardiac issues
- Respiratory aid
- Physical therapy
Duchenne muscular dystrophy is a rare progressive disease which eventually affects all voluntary muscles and involves the heart and breathing muscles in later stages. As of 2013, the life expectancy is estimated to be around 25, but this varies. With excellent medical care males are often living into their 30s.
In rare cases, people with DMD have been seen to survive into their forties or early fifties, with proper positioning in wheelchairs and beds, and the use of ventilator support (via tracheostomy or mouthpiece), airway clearance, and heart medications. Early planning of the required supports for later-life care has shown greater longevity for people with DMD.
Curiously, in the mdx mouse model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy, the lack of dystrophin is associated with increased calcium levels and skeletal muscle myonecrosis. The intrinsic laryngeal muscles (ILMs) are protected and do not undergo myonecrosis. ILMs have a calcium regulation system profile suggestive of a better ability to handle calcium changes in comparison to other muscles, and this may provide a mechanistic insight for their unique pathophysiological properties. The ILM may facilitate the development of novel strategies for the prevention and treatment of muscle wasting in a variety of clinical scenarios.
Currently no cure or specific treatment exists to eliminate the symptoms or stop the disease progression. A consistent diet planned with the help of a dietitian along with exercises taught by a speech therapist can assist with mild symptoms of dysphagia. Surgical intervention can also help temporarily manage symptoms related to the ptosis and dysphagia. Cutting one of the throat muscles internally, an operation called cricopharyngeal myotomy, can be one way to ease symptoms in more severe cases.
Physical therapy and specifically designed exercises may assist with proximal limb weakness, though there is still no current definitive data showing it will stop the progress of the disease. Many of those affected with the proximal limb weakness will eventually require assistive devices such as a wheelchair. As with all surgical procedures, they come with many risk factors. As the dysphagia becomes more severe, patients become malnourished, lose significant weight, become dehydrated and suffer from repeated incidents of aspiration pneumonia. These last two are often the cause of death.
There is a variety of research under way targeted at various forms of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. Among the methods thought to hold promise for treatment include gene transfer therapy, which works by inserting in cells of defective genes with a healthy gene.
According to a review by Bengtsson et al. some success with AAV-mediated gene therapies (for different disorders) have increased interest in researchers, with CRISPR/Cas9 and exon-skipping helping these therapeutic goals along. Limb-girdle muscular dystrophies has many different types which are due to different gene mutations. LGMD2D is caused by a mutation in the α-sarcoglycan gene.Future treatment could be had by gene therapy through recombinant adeno-associated vectors.
Conversely, according to a review by Straub, et al. there are several research issues that need to be targeted, the rareness of the disease, our poor understanding of the mechanism of LGMD2, and absence of patient cohorts, consequently biomarkers for individuals with LGMD2 are lacking. The review goes on to state that animal models for LGMD2 have been used to analyse therapeutic medications. Also adding that while prednisone has been used and has had positive effects on affected LGMD2 individuals there is still no evidence of its effectiveness in trials that are placebo-controlled
Since December 2016, autosomal recessive proximal spinal muscular atrophy can be treated with nusinersen. No cure is known to any of the remaining disorders of the spinal muscular atrophies group. The main objective there is to improve quality of life which can be measured using specific questionnaires. Supportive therapies are widely employed for patients who often also require comprehensive medical care involving multiple disciplines, including pulmonology, neurology, orthopedic surgery, critical care, and clinical nutrition. Various forms of physiotherapy and occupational therapy are frequently able to slow down the pace of nerve degeneration and muscle wasting. Patients also benefit greatly from the use of assistive technology.
In most cases, between the age of 2 and 4 oculomotor signals are present. Between the age of 2 and 8, telangiectasias appears. Usually by the age of 10 the child needs a wheel chair. Individuals with autosomal recessive cerebellum ataxia usually survive till their 20s; in some cases individuals have survived till their 40s or 50s.
Treatment for limb-girdle muscular dystrophy can take the form of exercise and physical therapy which are advised to maintain as much muscle strength and joint flexibility as possible, there are few studies corroborating the effectiveness of exercise. Physical therapy and exercise "may" prevent the rapid progression of the disease rather than halt or reverse it. Calipers, as an example, may be used to maintain mobility and quality of life. Careful attention to lung and heart health is required, corticosteroids in LGMD 2C-F individuals, shows some improvement
Additionally individuals can follow "management" that follows:
- Occupational therapy
- Respiratory therapy
- Speech therapy
- Neutralizing antibody to myostatin should not be pursued
In terms of the prognosis of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy in its mildest form, affected individuals have near-normal muscle strength and function. LGMD isn't typically a fatal disease, though it may eventually weaken the heart and respiratory muscles, leading to illness or death due to secondary disorders. The frequency of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy ranges from 1 in 14,500 (in some instances 1 in 123,000)
Congenital distal spinal muscular atrophy is caused by a mutation of the "TRPV4" gene found on the 12q23-12q24.1. The mutation causes an affected individual to have lower levels of "TRPV4" expression. This deficiency can lead to abnormal osmotic regulation. Congenital dSMA is genetically heterogeneous, meaning a mutation on this gene can cause a plethora of other phenotypically related or phenotypically unrelated diseases depending on the region that is mutated.
Bethlem myopathy is an autosomal dominant myopathy, classified as a congenital form of muscular dystrophy, that is caused by a mutation in one of the three genes coding for type VI collagen. These include COL6A1, COL6A2, and COL6A3.
Modern "volume ventilators/respirators," which deliver an adjustable volume (amount) of air to the person with each breath, are valuable in the treatment of people with muscular dystrophy-related respiratory problems. The ventilator may require an invasive endotracheal or tracheotomy tube through which air is directly delivered, but for some people, noninvasive delivery through a face mask or mouthpiece is sufficient. Positive airway pressure machines, particularly bilevel ones, are sometimes used in this latter way. The respiratory equipment may easily fit on a ventilator tray on the bottom or back of a power wheelchair with an external battery for portability.
Ventilator treatment may start in the mid- to late teens when the respiratory muscles can begin to collapse. If the vital capacity has dropped below 40% of normal, a volume ventilator/respirator may be used during sleeping hours, a time when the person is most likely to be underventilating (hypoventilating). Hypoventilation during sleep is determined by a thorough history of sleep disorder with an oximetry study and a capillary blood gas (see pulmonary function testing).
A cough assist device can help with excess mucus in lungs by hyperinflation of the lungs with positive air pressure, then negative pressure to get the mucus up. If the vital capacity continues to decline to less than 30 percent of normal, a volume ventilator/respirator may also be needed during the day for more assistance. The person gradually will increase the amount of time using the ventilator/respirator during the day as needed. However, there are also people with the disease in their 20's who have no need for a ventilator.