Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration

Pantothenate kinase-associated neurodegeneration or Hallervorden Spatz disease is a rare disease. People with this disease have dementia, or extreme forgetfullness, and their face my twitch. Hallervorden-Spatz disease is degenerative brain disease, meaning the longer a person has it the worse the effects become. Scientists think it is caused by a build up of too much Iron in the brain. 

 Symptoms 

The effects of the disease usually start at a young age and often result in a quick death. Some effects include:

 Shaking of the arms and legs
 Weakness
 Muscle spasms

Related pages
 ICD G 23.0

Other websites
 Defining Mutation Found in Hallervorden-Spatz Syndrome
 1H MR Spectroscopy and Relaxometry for the Determination of Iron and Metabolite Concentrations in Hallerworden-Spatz Syndrome Patients 
 Zumrova Alena et al. 2005. First cases in the Czech Republic of the Hallervorden-Spatz Disease resulting from mutation in the Pantothenate Kinase 2 Gene Neuroendocrinology Letters No.3:26

Category:Diseases and disorders of the brain