scholarly journals Experiences of caregivers of boys with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

2021 ◽  
Vol 38 (3) ◽  
pp. 221-238
Author(s):  
Ximena Palacios-Espinosa ◽  
Ángela Victoria Vera-Márquez ◽  
Heidi Mateus ◽  
Martha Liliana Dávalos Serrano ◽  
Jennifer Gracia-Ruiz ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Thematic Analysis ◽  
Neuromuscular Disease ◽  
Young Men ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Phenomenological Approach ◽  
Physical Deterioration ◽  
The Family ◽  
Key Topics

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a neuromuscular disease that leads to progressive and fatal physical deterioration. The progression of this disease requires frequent or permanent care that implies high levels of demand for the caregivers of children who have developed DMD. Certainly, this disease affects diagnosed children and their caregivers as well. The support from the health system is scarce for both, which translates into an intense burden for the mothers and women of the family who care the person diagnosed with DMD during their lifetime. This qualitative study with phenomenological approach aimed to analyze the meaning of the experience of being a caregiver for boys and young men living with DMD in Colombia. After obtaining their informed consent, caregivers were interviewed and a thematic analysis of their narratives was performed to determine three key topics that endow their experiences with meaning: (1) finding out about the disease, (2) living according to the needs of boys and young men, and (3) providing a new meaning to life. The results show that the meaning of DMD is strongly associated with intense suffering and psychological stress, with a high negative burden, especially during the initial years after diagnosis. The study suggests that it is important to assimilate and process these experiences and findings to learn how to live with DMD and identify the certainty of a child’s premature death.

Psychological Processes Associated with Premature Death in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy

1983 ◽  
Vol 52 (1) ◽  
pp. 165-166 ◽  
Author(s):  
Kenneth M. Carlson ◽  
Roger A. Brumback
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Family Relationships ◽  
Systems Approach ◽  
Disease Process ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Psychological Processes ◽  
Progressive Deterioration ◽  
Psychological Disturbances ◽  
The Family

Intrafamilial and professional-family relationships are adversely affected by the progressive deterioration and inevitable death of a child with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Professionals dealing with these families need to (1) develop an integrated, family systems approach to the dystrophic child's situation, (2) give the dystrophic child permission to “experiment” with life, and (3) provide straightforward information regarding the disease process to the dystrophic child and the family. More studies of the psychological disturbances in Duchenne muscular dystrophy and of possible intervention techniques are necessary.

scholarly journals Respiratory Telerehabilitation of Boys and Young Men with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy in the COVID-19 Pandemic

2021 ◽  
Vol 18 (12) ◽  
pp. 6179
Author(s):  
Agnieszka Sobierajska-Rek ◽  
Łukasz Mański ◽  
Joanna Jabłońska-Brudło ◽  
Karolina Śledzińska ◽  
Eliza Wasilewska ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Physical Therapy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Healthcare System ◽  
Online Survey ◽  
Young Men ◽  
The Mean ◽  
Respiratory Exercises

Background: The COVID-19 pandemic forced reorganization of the multidisciplinary healthcare system for Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Digital solutions seem to be optimal for providing rehabilitation at this time. The aim of this study was to investigate whether it is possible to conduct respiratory physical therapy with the use of telerehabilitation in Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Methods: The study was conducted during an online conference for families with DMD. During the physical therapy panel we showed the video with the instructions of respiratory exercises. All participants (n = 152) were asked to fill in the online survey evaluating the quality, acceptance, and understanding of the instructions. Results: The survey was filled in by 45 (29.6%) participants. The mean rating of satisfaction was 4.70/5, and for intelligibility was 4.78/5. Thirty-seven (82.2%) patients declared that they had performed the exercises, all caregivers declared that it was possible to perform the proposed exercises a few times a week or daily, and only two respondents replied to invitations to individual online sessions. Conclusions: Findings from the study show that respiratory telerehabilitation may be implemented for DMD patients; however, the interest in digital rehabilitation among caregivers of DMD boys in Poland is low. The reasons for this situation require further research.

scholarly journals Monitoring disease activity noninvasively in the mdx model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

2018 ◽  
Vol 115 (30) ◽  
pp. 7741-7746 ◽  
Author(s):  
Antonio Filareto ◽  
Katie Maguire-Nguyen ◽  
Qiang Gan ◽  
Garazi Aldanondo ◽  
Léo Machado ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Disease Progression ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Response To Therapy ◽  
Luciferase Reporter ◽  
Luciferase Expression ◽  
Muscle Degeneration ◽  
Reporter Strain ◽  
Novel Treatments

Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a rare, muscle degenerative disease resulting from the absence of the dystrophin protein. DMD is characterized by progressive loss of muscle fibers, muscle weakness, and eventually loss of ambulation and premature death. Currently, there is no cure for DMD and improved methods of disease monitoring are crucial for the development of novel treatments. In this study, we describe a new method of assessing disease progression noninvasively in the mdx model of DMD. The reporter mice, which we term the dystrophic Degeneration Reporter strains, contain an inducible CRE-responsive luciferase reporter active in mature myofibers. In these mice, muscle degeneration is reflected in changes in the level of luciferase expression, which can be monitored using noninvasive, bioluminescence imaging. We monitored the natural history and disease progression in these dystrophic report mice and found that decreases in luciferase signals directly correlated with muscle degeneration. We further demonstrated that this reporter strain, as well as a previously reported Regeneration Reporter strain, successfully reveals the effectiveness of a gene therapy treatment following systemic administration of a recombinant adeno-associated virus-6 (rAAV-6) encoding a microdystrophin construct. Our data demonstrate the value of these noninvasive imaging modalities for monitoring disease progression and response to therapy in mouse models of muscular dystrophy.

scholarly journals Laminin-111 protein therapy enhances muscle regeneration and repair in the GRMD dog model of Duchenne muscular dystrophy

2019 ◽  
Vol 28 (16) ◽  
pp. 2686-2695 ◽  
Author(s):  
Pamela Barraza-Flores ◽  
Tatiana M Fontelonga ◽  
Ryan D Wuebbles ◽  
Hailey J Hermann ◽  
Andreia M Nunes ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscle Strength ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Muscle Disease ◽  
Muscle Pathology ◽  
Mdx Mouse ◽  
Protein Therapy ◽  
Muscle Fibrosis ◽  
Dog Model

Abstract Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is a devastating X-linked disease affecting ~1 in 5000 males. DMD patients exhibit progressive muscle degeneration and weakness, leading to loss of ambulation and premature death from cardiopulmonary failure. We previously reported that mouse Laminin-111 (msLam-111) protein could reduce muscle pathology and improve muscle function in the mdx mouse model for DMD. In this study, we examined the ability of msLam-111 to prevent muscle disease progression in the golden retriever muscular dystrophy (GRMD) dog model of DMD. The msLam-111 protein was injected into the cranial tibial muscle compartment of GRMD dogs and muscle strength and pathology were assessed. The results showed that msLam-111 treatment increased muscle fiber regeneration and repair with improved muscle strength and reduced muscle fibrosis in the GRMD model. Together, these findings support the idea that Laminin-111 could serve as a novel protein therapy for the treatment of DMD.

scholarly journals Reversal of cardiac and skeletal manifestations of Duchenne muscular dystrophy by cardiosphere-derived cells and their exosomes in mdx dystrophic mice and in human Duchenne cardiomyocytes

2017 ◽  
Author(s):  
Mark A. Aminzadeh ◽  
Russell G. Rogers ◽  
Kenneth Gouin ◽  
Mario Fournier ◽  
Rachel E. Tobin ◽  
...  
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Mouse Model ◽  
Cardiac Function ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Next Generation ◽  
Skeletal Myopathy ◽  
Genetic Deficiency ◽  
Dystrophic Mice

Genetic deficiency of dystrophin leads to disability and premature death in Duchenne muscular dystrophy, affecting the heart as well as skeletal muscle. Here we report that cardiosphere-derived cells (CDCs), which are being tested clinically for the treatment of Duchenne cardiomyopathy, improve cardiac and skeletal myopathy in the mdx mouse model of DMD and in human Duchenne cardiomyocytes. Injection of CDCs into the hearts of mdx mice augments cardiac function, ambulatory capacity and survival. Exosomes secreted by human CDCs reproduce the benefits of CDCs in mdx mice and in human Duchenne cardiomyocytes. The findings further motivate the testing of CDCs in Duchenne patients, while identifying exosomes as next-generation therapeutic candidates.

scholarly journals Pathological Alterations in the Gastrointestinal Tract of a Porcine Model of DMD

2021 ◽  
Author(s):  
Xiaodong Zhou ◽  
Hongsheng Ouyang ◽  
Daxin Pang ◽  
Renzhi Han ◽  
Xiaochun Tang
Keyword(s):  
Skeletal Muscle ◽  
Gastrointestinal Tract ◽  
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Muscular Dystrophy ◽  
Nuclear Transfer ◽  
Porcine Model ◽  
Premature Death ◽  
Absorption Capacity ◽  
Gastrointestinal Dysfunction ◽  
Dystrophin Expression

Abstract Patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) develop severe skeletal and cardiac muscle pathologies, which result in premature death. Therefore, the current therapeutic efforts are mainly targeted to correct dystrophin expression in skeletal muscle and heart. However, it was reported that DMD patients may also exhibit gastrointestinal and nutritional problems. How the pathological alterations in gastrointestinal tissues may contribute to the disease are not fully explored. Here we employed the CRISPR/Cas9 system combined with somatic nuclear transfer technology (SCNT) to establish a porcine model of DMD and explored their pathological alterations. We found that genetic disruption of dystrophin expression led1 to morphological gastrointestinal tract alterations, weakened the gastrointestinal tract digestion and absorption capacity, and eventually led to malnutrition and gastric dysfunction in the DMD pigs. This work provides important insights into the pathogenesis of DMD and highlights the need to consider the gastrointestinal dysfunction as an additional therapeutic target for DMD patients.

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