Re: Le Roy, NY, USA: Unusual outbreak of Tourette-like symptoms in 12 students at Junior-Senior High School
Re: Le Roy, NY, USA: Unusual outbreak of Tourette-like symptoms in 12 students at Junior-Senior High School
NINDS Sydenham chorea - (SD) via Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS)
What is Sydenham Chorea?
Sydenham chorea (SD) is a neurological disorder of childhood resulting from infection via Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS), the bacterium that causes rheumatic fever. SD is characterized by rapid, irregular, and aimless involuntary movements of the arms and legs, trunk, and facial muscles. It affects girls more often than boys and typically occurs between 5 and 15 years of age. Some children will have a sore throat several weeks before the symptoms begin, but the disorder can also strike up to 6 months after the fever or infection has cleared. Symptoms can appear gradually or all at once, and also may include uncoordinated movements, muscular weakness, stumbling and falling, slurred speech, difficulty concentrating and writing, and emotional instability. The symptoms of SD can vary from a halting gait and slight grimacing to involuntary movements that are frequent and severe enough to be incapacitating. The random, writhing movements of chorea are caused by an auto-immune reaction to the bacterium that interferes with the normal function of a part of the brain (the basal ganglia) that controls motor movements. Due to better sanitary conditions and the use of antibiotics to treat streptococcal infections, rheumatic fever, and consequently SD, are rare in North America and Europe. The disease can still be found in developing nations. - ninds.nih.gov
What is the prognosis?
Most children recover completely from SD, although a small number will continue to have disabling, persistent chorea despite treatment. The duration of symptoms varies, generally from 3 to 6 weeks, but some children will have symptoms for several months. Cardiac complications may occur in a small minority of children, usually in the form of endocarditis. In a third of the children with the disease, SD will recur, typically 1 ? to 2 ? years after the initial attack. Researchers have noted an association between recurrent SD and the later development of the abrupt onset forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, tic disorders, and autism, which they call PANDAS, for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcus infection. Further studies are needed to determine the nature of the association and the biological pathways that connect streptococcal infection, autoimmune response, and the later development of these specific behavioral disorders. - ninds.nih.gov
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sydenham/sydenham.htm#Organizations
The link above came from a comment posted in the News 7 - WKBW concerning the LeRoy Students (link to WKBW article is below).
http://wnymedia.net/offsite/?offsite_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wkbw.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F137165078.html
Commenting on the article above, Commenter Tammie Heazlit States:
"I believe its the same disease I had when I was young and it took the Drs two years to diagnose.Certainly manifests the same and the medical community had the same response. I believe it could be Sydenhams Chorea. Its starts with a low level bacterial infection that doesn't clear up, autoimmune related, and affects the central nervous system. It tends to affect girls more than boys. The infection can be below the typical level of detection and so escapes notice. It could have been contracted at the school initially and would easily escape notice. At the very least it needs to be ruled out."
Re: Le Roy, NY, USA: Unusual outbreak of Tourette-like symptoms in 12 students at Junior-Senior High School
NINDS Sydenham chorea - (SD) via Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS)
What is Sydenham Chorea?
Sydenham chorea (SD) is a neurological disorder of childhood resulting from infection via Group A beta-hemolytic streptococcus (GABHS), the bacterium that causes rheumatic fever. SD is characterized by rapid, irregular, and aimless involuntary movements of the arms and legs, trunk, and facial muscles. It affects girls more often than boys and typically occurs between 5 and 15 years of age. Some children will have a sore throat several weeks before the symptoms begin, but the disorder can also strike up to 6 months after the fever or infection has cleared. Symptoms can appear gradually or all at once, and also may include uncoordinated movements, muscular weakness, stumbling and falling, slurred speech, difficulty concentrating and writing, and emotional instability. The symptoms of SD can vary from a halting gait and slight grimacing to involuntary movements that are frequent and severe enough to be incapacitating. The random, writhing movements of chorea are caused by an auto-immune reaction to the bacterium that interferes with the normal function of a part of the brain (the basal ganglia) that controls motor movements. Due to better sanitary conditions and the use of antibiotics to treat streptococcal infections, rheumatic fever, and consequently SD, are rare in North America and Europe. The disease can still be found in developing nations. - ninds.nih.gov
What is the prognosis?
Most children recover completely from SD, although a small number will continue to have disabling, persistent chorea despite treatment. The duration of symptoms varies, generally from 3 to 6 weeks, but some children will have symptoms for several months. Cardiac complications may occur in a small minority of children, usually in the form of endocarditis. In a third of the children with the disease, SD will recur, typically 1 ? to 2 ? years after the initial attack. Researchers have noted an association between recurrent SD and the later development of the abrupt onset forms of obsessive-compulsive disorder, attention deficit/hyperactivity disorder, tic disorders, and autism, which they call PANDAS, for Pediatric Autoimmune Neuropsychiatric Disorders Associated with Streptococcus infection. Further studies are needed to determine the nature of the association and the biological pathways that connect streptococcal infection, autoimmune response, and the later development of these specific behavioral disorders. - ninds.nih.gov
http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/sydenham/sydenham.htm#Organizations
The link above came from a comment posted in the News 7 - WKBW concerning the LeRoy Students (link to WKBW article is below).
http://wnymedia.net/offsite/?offsite_url=http%3A%2F%2Fwww.wkbw.com%2Fnews%2Flocal%2F137165078.html
Commenting on the article above, Commenter Tammie Heazlit States:
"I believe its the same disease I had when I was young and it took the Drs two years to diagnose.Certainly manifests the same and the medical community had the same response. I believe it could be Sydenhams Chorea. Its starts with a low level bacterial infection that doesn't clear up, autoimmune related, and affects the central nervous system. It tends to affect girls more than boys. The infection can be below the typical level of detection and so escapes notice. It could have been contracted at the school initially and would easily escape notice. At the very least it needs to be ruled out."
