Essay On Angelman Syndrome

1597 Words4 Pages

Jonathan Juste
4/21/14
Hum. Bio
Analysis of Angelman Syndrome
In 1965, Dr. Harry Angelman, an English physician, first described three children with characteristics now known as the Angelman syndrome. Angelman syndrome is a neuro-genetic disorder that is usually diagnosed at a very young age, and it happens within 1 in every 15,000 births. Angelman syndrome have symptoms that can be easily mistaken with cerebral palsy or autism. Symptoms of the disorder include developmental delay, lack of speech, seizures, walking and balance disorders, sleep disturbances, hyperactivity, and frequent laughter or smiling. If a baby or child is diagnosed with Angelman syndrome they will require life-long care due to the fact that there is no cure. Due to having similarities with autism and cerebral palsy, Angelman syndrome is often misdiagnosed. Misdiagnoses are a prevalent problem today which can also lead to late diagnoses as well. When this happens, the lost time may cause inflicted individuals to lose opportunities for early intervention programs, life-altering treatments, resources, and customized personal support.
So how does one know if their child has Angelman? Usually when people have Angelman syndrome, they seem to be be normal at birth. As we all should already know, We each have two number 15 chromosomes, one inherited from both our mother and father. The Angelman syndrome gene (UBE3A) is located at chromosome 15, band q12, as depicted. In the brain, the Angelman gene is primarily expressed from the maternally inherited chromosome 15. There are four known genetic mechanisms that cause Angelman syndrome.
The most common way of getting Angelman syndrome is through chromosome deletion. This is responsible for about 68% of all cases o...

... middle of paper ...

...t behavior, and abnormal physical movements. Despite the positive outlooks one must remember that the seizures do take a toll on a person’s health and although the brain in most cases is able to withstand seizure problems without any neuro-degeneration events or any morphologic changes; those with AS should expect to see life expectancy drop anywhere from 10-15 years. With that being said, that still gives anyone afflicted a maximum of 65-70 years if treated correctly which can be considered a good thing because there are other disorders that can do a lot more damage.
In sum, Angelman syndrome is a rarity, and researchers are working very diligently to gain more information on how it works, treatment options, and also an eventual cure. Until then, children and adults will continue to live on receiving treatments and therapies in order to deal with the symptoms.

More about Essay On Angelman Syndrome

Open Document