Write An Essay On Battens's Disease

Imagine that you have a perfectly healthy child then one day their milestone starts to go in reverse. They could walk one day and then the next they are stumbling around. One day they could see and the next they are having trouble seeing. Now imagine that your child has a ticking time clock of death over their head. For some parents this is a reality my cousin Donya was one of those parents. Her youngest child was diagnosed at the young age of four with a terrible monster of a disease called Battens Disease. Battens is a disease that robs not just children of the joy life it also robs the parents. Battens Disease also known as Neuronal Ceroid Lipofuscinoses is a disease of the nervous system that has a normal onset during childhood. It is …show more content…
With that is the underproduction of enzymes. It is believed that it is a specific enzyme that digests membrane production. With both of these problems a yellow pigment called ceroid lipofuscin will build up in the brain. In a person who is not affected by Battens has a slow accumulation of the ceroid pigment. However those affected with Battens has a rapid and destructive accumulation of the pigment. Besides that there is still little understanding behind the specific reason or the biochemical mechanism that is involved in …show more content…
In which they are looking for a buildup of the ceroid pigment mention in the last paragraph. There are other ways it can be diagnosed however. One of those other ways is through a blood or urine test. In which they are looking for elevated levels of a chemical called dolichol. This can be found in the urine of many Batten’s patients. Another way is through an electroencephalogram or an EEG. This is used to record the electrical currents within the brain. This will let doctors see the telltale signs of the disease. Lastly is through brain scans. This can help doctors see changes in the brains