S Rudnik-Schöneborn, H H Goebel, W Schlote, S Molaian, H Omran, U Ketelsen, R Korinthenberg, D Wenzel, H Lauffer, M Kreiss-Nachtsheim, B Wirth, K Zerres
OBJECTIVE: Classic infantile spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is believed to be a purely motor disorder, affecting neurons of the spinal anterior horn and nuclei of the lower cranial nerves. Other organ malformations or peripheral nerve involvement have been regarded as exclusion criteria for infantile SMA. Whether SMN protein deficiency can also lead to loss of sensory neurons has not been systematically addressed. METHODS: The authors evaluated the sural nerve biopsies of 19 patients with infantile SMA of varying severity...
March 25, 2003: Neurology