Introduction to Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Spinal Muscular Atrophy

Neuromuscular disorders that present in the newborn period with hypotonia and weakness can be caused by various conditions that affect the central nervous system (brain or spinal cord), peripheral nervous system, or skeletal muscle. Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is characterized by degeneration of the anterior horn cells in the spinal cord and motor nuclei in the lower brainstem, which results in progressive muscle weakness and atrophy.