Guide To The Causes And Treatments For Isaac's Syndrome

Isaacs' syndrome is a rarely-occurring neuromuscular disorder caused by continual firing and overexcitability of the peripheral nerve axons necessary to activate muscle fibers. The symptoms continue even when an individual is asleep or under general anesthesia. Typical symptoms include progressive muscle stiffness, twitching and contracting muscles, an increase in sweating, cramping, and delayed relaxation in the muscles. It's also common for individuals to experience muscle pain and weakened reflexes. The typical onset occurs between the ages of fifteen and sixty years old, though most cases develop symptoms before the patient is forty years old. There isn't a cure for the disorder, but there are treatments to help ease the symptoms, particularly when causes are considered.

Autoimmune-Related

When Isaacs' syndrome is acquired rather than hereditary, the condition is usually autoimmune-related. In autoimmune cases, the cause is usually antibodies that attack the potassium channels found in the motor nerve. There are a number of neurological conditions caused by antibodies attacking potassium channels; Isaacs' syndrome is just one of them. Studies have shown about twenty percent of individuals with acquired Isaacs' syndrome also have a tumor in their thymus gland. This tumor, called a thymoma, can interfere with autoimmune functions. An individual's thymus gland creates a variety of specialized cells that play a part in autoimmune issues. Some patients acquire the disease after they have radiation therapy or recover from an infection. In some cases, the condition occurs in conjunction with another autoimmune disease like myasthenia gravis, which leads to weakness in the skeletal muscles.

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