Definition

Kennedy's disease is a rare genetic neurodegenerative disorder that affects the motor neurons (cells that are important for normal function of the brain and spinal cord). It is a progressive disorder that leads to increasing severity of motor dysfunction and subsequent deterioration of muscle strength, muscle tone, and motor coordination. It was first described by the American physician William R. Kennedy in 1966.

Description

As Kennedy's disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder, affected individuals have physical, mental, and emotional impacts. Physically, the neurological degenerative process results in muscle weakness and eventual muscle wasting that can affect the patient's ability to walk or move. Kennedy's disease is also called spinal bulbar muscular atrophy, or SBMA, because both the spinal and bulbar neurons are affected.

Demographics

Kennedy's Disease is inherited...