On May 21 and 28, world-leading neuromuscular experts shared important advances and new data at the 2021 International Congress on Neuromuscular Diseases. Here’s a recap of the event:
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More to Consider when Managing SMA Patients?
Two experts in neuromuscular disease shared their latest insights and perspectives on assessing and treating patients with SMA.
Symposium 1: A novel assessment of swallowing in SMA
In this session, Prof. Sansone presented recent insights on the importance of swallowing function as a key consideration for patients with SMA and the need to measure it with equal importance as respiratory function.
Symposium 2: What matters? Setting treatment expectations in SMA type 1
In this session, Prof. Servais discussed ‘what matters’ in type 1 SMA, and highlighted the importance of setting appropriate treatment expectations for motor function in this patient group.
Meet the faculty
Prof. Valeria Sansone
MD, PhD
NeuroMuscular Omnicentre (NEMO)
Milan, Italy
Prof. Laurent Servais
MD, PhD
Muscular Dystrophy UK (MDUK), MDUK Oxford Neuromuscular Centre University of Oxford, Oxford, UK and University of Liege Liege, Belgium
More Resources about SMA for Healthcare Professionals
Which genes are responsible for the SMA phenotype? Learn from Dr. Eduardo Tizzano about how SMA is a disease involving two genes.
Several motor function scales have been developed that are useful in quantifying the natural history of spinal muscular atrophy (SMA).1-3 Learn about the importance of measuring the progression of the disease.
1. Glanzman AM, et al. The Children’s Hospital of Philadelphia Infant Test of Neuromuscular Disorders (CHOP INTEND): test development and reliability. Neuromuscul Disord 2010;20(3):155-161.
2. De Sanctis R., et al. Developmental milestones in type I spinal muscular atrophy, Neuromuscular Disorders. Volume 26, Issue 11, 2016, 754-759.
3. Mercuri E, et al. Patterns of disease progression in type 2 and 3 SMA: implications for clinical trials. Neuromuscul Disord 2016;26(2):126-131.
