By: Isabelle Masloski and Will Michels Period 4

 Muscular Dystrophy is an inherited disorder where your muscles weaken and tissue is loss.  It continually gets worse over time.

 Guillaume Benjamin Amand Duchenne discovered Muscular Dystrophy.  It was discovered in the 1860’s in Paris.  He described 7 progressive muscle weakness in 13 young boys.  It was later called Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy after Benjamin.

 Difficulty using one or more muscle groups  Muscle weakness that slowly gets worse  Frequent Falling  Loss in muscle size  No cure  Treatment is used to prevent symptoms.  Physical therapy can help keep muscle strength  Braces improve mobility  Staying active is key, bed rest could make the disease worse

 Doctors use your past medical records and physical examines to determine if someone has muscular dystrophy and what type.  Some types are: Becker muscular dystrophy Duchenne muscular dystrophy(most common in children) Emery-Dreifuss muscular dystrophy Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy Myotonic dystrophy(most common in adults)  A Muscle Biopsy or DNA blood tests can affirm the diagnosis.

 It is passed down through families by an affected gene.  Different types are passed down different ways.  Limb-girdle dystrophy is autosomal recessive  Duchenne dystrophy is a defective gene carried by the female and transmitted to the male.  Each type affects a different gene.

 1 in 3 thousand children are born with Duchenne muscular disease.  Average lifespan for those with Duchenne MD is about 20 years, but those with Becker MD can have a normal lifespan.

 Van Wyk, Andre. "10 Muscular Dystrophy Facts." Health24. N.p., 26 June Web. 23 February  Kaneshiro, Neil. Ed. "Muscular Dystrophy." The New York Times. N.p., 21 February Web. 23 February  Neurol, Can J. "Duchenne De Boulogne: a pioneer in neurology and medical photography." NCBI. N.p., August Web. 23 February 2013