Muscular Dystrophy

Paper Summary:

The paper explains that Duchenne muscular dystrophy is caused by an absence of the protein dystrophin. The paper discusses how this causes the muscle tissue to break down and weaken. The paper relates how, sadly, there is no cure for muscular dystrophy. Because of the current absence of a cure, treatment is mostly aimed at controlling the symptoms and maintaining the quality of life of the individual suffering from the disease. The paper notes that one promising advance in the cure for muscular dystrophy is the research done in the area of gene therapy.

From the Paper:

"Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne (1806-1875), a French neuroscientist, is credited with the official description of Muscular Dystrophy in the late 1860s. Duchenne's interest in electrophysiology and the development of techniques in neuromuscular stimulation led him to research and eventually learn to diagnose cases of what would eventually become the disease referred to as Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (Enerson). Though, as of 1999, there are over thirty distinct kinds of Muscular Dystrophy, which are separated into nine categories, Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is the more commonly known form of the disease (MDA)."

Sample of Sources Used:

• Bushby, Katharine. Muscular Dystrophy: Methods and Protocol. Totowa, NJ: Humana P, 2001.
• Emery, Allan. Muscular Dystrophy: The Facts. Oxford: Oxford UP, 2000.
• "Emery-Dreifuss Muscular Dystrophy." Muscular Dystrophy Association. 2005. < http://www.mdausa.org/disease/edmd.aspx>. 1 Aug 2006.
• Enerson, Ole Daniel. "Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne de Boulogne." Who Named It. < http://www.whonamedit.com/doctor.cfm/950.html>. 1 Aug. 2006.
• "NINDS Muscular Dystrophy Information Page." National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. 25 May 2006. 1 Aug. 2006. <http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/md/md.htm>.

More papers on Muscular Dystrophy:

• Essay # 72760 : "Muscular Dystrophy"
• Essay # 60740 : "Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy"
• Essay # 16771 : "Muscular Dystrophy"

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