Neurológia pre prax 1/2022

Spinal muscular atrophy in childhood – actual treatment options

Spinal muscular atrophy caused by the SMN1 gene is a degenerative disease of alfa motor neurons in the anterior horn of the spinal cord. Clinically, it is characterized by progressive muscular weakness. It is a rare disease with a 1/10,000 incidence. Since 2016 it has been a causally treatable disease. Nowadays there are already three causal drugs based on gene therapy: nusinersen (Spinraza), risdiplam (Evrysdi) and onasemnogene abeparvovec (Zolgensma). The most important factor determining effectiveness is the promptness in starting the therapy, due to this there is an acute need of early diagnosis. Therapy of symptomatic patiens is never able to cure them. In case of an early diagnosis and prompt therapy it can mildly improve motor abilities but it mostly stabilizes the patient. For symptomatic patients the multidisciplinary care provided in neuromuscular centres is therefore still essential.

Keywords: spinal muscular atrophy, nusinersen, risdiplam, onasemnogen abeparvovec, Neuromuscular Centre