World Duchenne Awareness Day is an international observance day celebrated every year on September 7 to raise awareness of Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD and BMD) and the significance of early diagnosis and daily treatment around the world.
Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is an extreme sort of muscular dystrophy. It is an X-linked recessive genetic disorder related to mutations in the dystrophin gene. DMD was named after Guillaume-Benjamin Duchenne, a French neurologist who found and was the first to define the disease.
DMD influences generally males because of its mode of legacy (one out of 3,500 infant boys is influenced), however females with a single copy of the defective gene sometimes show mild symptoms. The first symptoms of muscular dystrophy ordinarily start around age 4 and intensify rapidly. By the age of 12, most boys with DMD can’t walk.
Common issues related to Duchenne muscular dystrophy incorporate scoliosis, issues with breathing because of weak breathing muscles, cardiomyopathy, and intellectual disability. The average life expectancy is 26, yet with phenomenal consideration and treatment, a few patients may live into their 30s or 40s.
On World Duchenne Awareness Day, Duchenne Parent Organizations will arrange activities to raise awareness on this uncommon disease and build a superior future for the patients influenced by it.
World Duchenne Awareness Day 2020: Theme
Every year, a special theme that deserves more consideration is introduced. The educational theme during the World Duchenne Awareness Day 2020 is ‘Duchenne and the Brain’ as a similar protein that is absent in the muscle causing muscle breakdown, is likewise absent in the brain. This is causing issues, for example, learning difficulties or behavioral issues, for example, ADD, ADHD, OCD, and autism. For many families in everyday life, this is causing more worries and stress than physical issues.
This vital neurological aspect of DMD/BMD was at that point perceived in 1861 when Duchenne de Boulogne first portrayed this neuromuscular condition. In the most recent decades, be that as it may, the vast majority of the efforts have focused on improving results identified with muscle weakness. Brain involvement got less consideration.
What is DMD/BMD
Duchenne and Becker muscular dystrophy (DMD and BMD) are two muscle-wasting conditions. Mutations in the dystrophin gene cause both. A specific aspect of the DNA is missing, copied, or changed, so the code can’t be read correctly by the body. This prompts the nonappearance of the dystrophin protein, which plays an essential role in the muscle and brain. Without dystrophin, muscle cells effectively get harmed, prompting the lost these cells and, subsequently, muscle function.
This can likewise occur in the brain, where dystrophin is absent too. Where Duchenne people have a total absence of dystrophin, individuals influenced by Becker muscular dystrophy have lower levels or a shorter version of this protein.
World Duchenne Awareness Day is celebrated under the patronage of the European Parliament. It expects to raise awareness of the disorder, as well as to spread data about physical therapy and different treatments that help to maximize the quality of life.
