rare ... see also overview of Stiff-Person Syndrome.
Stiff-Person Syndrome is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Stiff-Person Syndrome, or a subtype of Stiff-Person Syndrome, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Ophanet, who are a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when if affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Stiff-Person Syndrome as a "rare disease". More information about Stiff-Person Syndrome is available from Orphanet
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the prevalence and/or incidence of Stiff-Person Syndrome.
Various theories attempt to explain the origin of personality disorders. Genetic factors influence the biological basis of brain function as well as basic personality structure. In turn, personality structure affects how a person responds to life experiences and interacts with the social environment. Over time, each person develops distinctive ways of perceiving the world and of feeling, thinking, and behaving.
Some researchers suspect that poor regulation of the areas controlling emotion within the brain increases the risk of a personality disorder, especially when combined with such factors as abuse, neglect, or separation. For a biologically predisposed person, the major developmental challenges of adolescence and early adulthood may trigger a personality disorder.
Social theories hold that disorders reflect learned responses, having much to do with reinforcement, modeling, and aversive stimuli as contributing factors. According to psychodynamic theories, personality disorders reflect deficiencies in ego and superego development and are related to poor mother-child relationships characterized by unresponsiveness, overprotectiveness, or early separation.
Personality disorders are common and affect 10% to 15% of the population in the United States. Gender influences presence; for example, antisocial and obsessive-compulsive personality disorders are more common in men, whereas borderline, dependent, and histrionic personality disorders are more prevalent in women.
Source: Professional Guide to Diseases (Eighth Edition), 2005
The term 'prevalence' of Stiff-Person Syndrome usually refers to the estimated population of people who are managing Stiff-Person Syndrome at any given time. The term 'incidence' of Stiff-Person Syndrome refers to the annual diagnosis rate, or the number of new cases of Stiff-Person Syndrome diagnosed each year. Hence, these two statistics types can differ: a short-lived disease like flu can have high annual incidence but low prevalence, but a life-long disease like diabetes has a low annual incidence but high prevalence. For more information see about prevalence and incidence statistics.
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