What is hereditary spastic paralysis?

What is hereditary spastic paralysis?

Hereditary spastic paraplegia is a general term for a group of rare inherited disorders that cause weakness and stiffness in the leg muscles. Symptoms gradually get worse over time. It’s also known as familial spastic paraparesis or Strümpell-Lorrain syndrome.

How many types of hereditary spastic paraplegia are there?

The hereditary spastic paraplegias (HSP) are a large group of inherited neurologic disorders that share the primary symptom of difficulty walking due to muscle weakness and muscle tightness (spasticity) in the legs. There are more than 80 different genetic types of HSP.

Is Hereditary spastic paraplegia a disability?

The long-term prognosis for people diagnosed with HSP varies: Some become very disabled, while others experience only mild disability. Some may eventually need the help of a cane, walker, or wheelchair.

How is hereditary spastic paraplegia inherited?

In some forms of HSP, it can also depend on the sex of the child and/or the parent. There are three different modes of inheritance: autosomal dominant, autosomal recessive, or X-linked. Most forms of HSP are autosomal dominant. Autosomal means the HSP gene is located on one of the autosomal chromosomes.

Is spastic paraplegia a type of cerebral palsy?

Introduction. Spastic diplegia presenting in infancy is common to both cerebral palsy (CP) and hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP).

Is spastic paraplegia dominant or recessive?

In most cases, spastic paraplegia type 7 is inherited in an autosomal recessive pattern , which means both copies of the gene in each cell have mutations.

Can hereditary spastic paraplegia affect the arms?

People with this form of spastic paraplegia can also have ataxia; a pattern of movement abnormalities known as parkinsonism; exaggerated reflexes (hyperreflexia) in the arms; speech difficulties (dysarthria); difficulty swallowing (dysphagia); involuntary movements of the eyes (nystagmus); mild hearing loss; abnormal …

Is Hereditary spastic paraplegia life threatening?

The prognosis for individuals with HSP varies Some individuals are very disabled and others have only mild disability. The majority of individuals with uncomplicated HSP have a normal life expectancy.

Does exercise help spasticity?

Spasticity involves rigid muscles and muscle stiffness that stems from miscommunication between the brain and muscles after a neurological injury. Exercise is a great treatment for spasticity because it sparks neuroplasticity and helps repair the communication between the brain and muscles.

Is spasticity a symptom of MS?

Muscle stiffness and spasms are common MS symptoms, and are often described as ‘spasticity’. Muscle spasms or stiffness can affect between 40% and 80% of people with MS at some time. For most people, these are occasional symptoms.

What does spasticity in legs feel like?

Spasticity may be as mild as the feeling of tightness of muscles or may be so severe as to produce painful, uncontrollable spasms of extremities, usually of the legs. Spasticity may also produce feelings of pain or tightness in and around joints, and can cause low back pain.