Leukoencephalopathy Research Paper

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Leukoencephalopathy with neuroaxonal spheroids is a type of leukoencephalopathy that is caused by subacute dementia and can be inherited. Typically seen in children, this disease mimics that of multiple sclerosis. Leukoencephalopathy is a broad term used to describe diseases that affect the white matter in the brain. The brain is composed of two types of matter, white matter and gray matter. White matter carries nerve impulses between neurons, and according to BioMed Central it also connects the gray matter to the different regions of the brain. The corpus callosum is a portion of the brain composed primarily of white matter, dividing the brain into two hemispheres it becomes a means of communication between the separate hemispheres.

Symptoms
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MS is a disease that damages the myelin sheath the covers neurons affecting the overall communication of the nervous system. Since similar damage occurs in leukoencephalopathy with neuroaxonal spheroids it easy to understand why symptoms might mimic those of MS. The disruption of communication between the nervous system consequently result in the scarcity of cognition, sensation, and motor movement.

Some of these symptoms include blurred or double vision, muscle spasms, difficulty walking, or swallowing, changes in mood, depression, fatigue, vertigo or dizziness, headaches, problems with speech and breathing, tremor headache and hearing loss. The challenge with this disease is most of the symptoms correlate with several different types of disease. Similar symptoms are seen in other different types of leukodystrophies.

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