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Diseases » Metachromatic Leukodystrophy » Glossary

Glossary for Metachromatic Leukodystrophy

Alzheimer's Disease: Dementia-causing brain disease mostly in seniors and the elderly.
Brain conditions: Medical conditions that affect the brain
Cognitive impairment: General loss of mental or cognitive ability
Death: The cessation of life
Dementia: Various mental impairment conditions.
Familial infantile metachromatic leukodystrophy - late infantile: An infantile form of an inherited biochemical disorder involving a deficiency of an enzyme called cerebroside sulfatase. The enzyme deficiency causes cerebroside sulfate to build up within the body and causes damage to the nervous system including the brain. The late infantile form of this disease is much more common than the juvenile or adult form.
Genetic Disease: Any disease that is handed down to oneself through the chromosomes of ones parents
Leukodystrophy: A very rare group of metabolic diseases where chemical anomalies affect the development or maintenance of the protective coating around nerves (myelin sheath). The brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves may be involved. The range and severity of symptoms is determined by the chemical involved but one of the main symptoms for all the leukodystrophies is a gradual loss of previously acquired mental or physical skills.
Muscle rigidity: The occurrence of resistance to passively moving a muscle
Muscle weakness: A condition which is characterized by an inability of the muscles to function at their full strenght
Peripheral neuropathy: Peripheral neuropathy is the term for damage to nerves of the peripheral nervous system, which may be caused either by diseases of the nerve or from the side-effects of systemic illness.
Speech abnormalities: difficulty in speaking and articulation of words and communication
Sphingolipidosis: A group of diseases involving the abnormal metabolism and storage of a substance called sphingolipid. Symptoms will vary depending on the disease. Examples of diseases from this group include gangliosidosis, Gaucher's disease and Niemann-Pick disease.
Spinal Cord Disorders: Any condition that affects the spinal cord