What is AAI in Down syndrome?

Atlanto-axial instability (AAI) is a condition that affects the bones in the upper spine or neck under the base of the skull. The joint between the upper spine and base of the skull is called the atlanto-axial joint. In people with Down syndrome, the ligaments (connections between muscles) are “lax” or floppy.

How do you assess atlantoaxial instability?

The patient is asked to slowly flex the head performing a slight cervical nod, at the same time the examiner presses posteriorly on the patient’s forehead. A sliding motion of the head in relation to the axis indicates atlantoaxial instability.

Is atlantoaxial subluxation an example of hypotonia?

Signs. New-onset focal weakness might be an early sign of myelopathy due to atlantoaxial instability. Children with Down syndrome are hypotonic, and may remain hypotonic even with compression of the spinal cord.

Is hypotonia a neurological disorder?

Hypotonia (decreased muscle tone) is a symptom rather than a condition. It can be caused by a number of underlying problems, which can either be neurological or non-neurological. Neurological conditions are those that affect the nerves and nervous system.

Can cervical instability Be Fixed?

Cervical instability is a medical condition in which loose ligaments in your upper cervical spine may lead to neuronal damage and a large list of adverse symptoms. If you have cervical instability, you may be experiencing migraines, vertigo, or nausea. Fortunately, this condition is treatable, though not curable.

How is Craniocervical instability treated?

Your Craniocervical Instability Treatment Options

Physical therapy to strengthen the upper neck muscles.
Curve restoration.
Upper cervical chiropractic.
Prolotherapy – This is an injection of substances that cause a brief inflammatory reaction that can cause ligaments to tighten or get stronger.

What are the symptoms of craniocervical instability?

Symptoms of Craniocervical Instability:

neck pain.
central or mixed sleep apnea.
facial pain or numbness.
balance problems.
muscle weakness.
dizziness and vertigo.
vision problems.
reduced gag reflux and difficulty swallowing.

Is cervical instability a disability?

If you think you qualify because your severe neck pain and problems meet the requirements of this listing because of cervical spine listing, the SSA may not even have to consider how your activities are limited by your neck pain and problems. You may automatically be approved for Social Security disability benefits.

Can cervical instability cause pots?

Cervical instability created autonomic myopathy or autonomic neuropathy, that is nerve damage that blocks or interferes with the messages sent between the brain and the heart and blood vessels, can lead to a variety of serious symptoms including postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS).

Is Craniocervical instability serious?

Neurological manifestations in hEDS – “abnormal stretching of or pressure on peripheral nerves” At our center, we see many complex and very complex cervical instability cases in people diagnosed with Ehlers Danlos hypermobility (hEDS) type. These are very serious cases.

Does pots lower life expectancy?

Symptoms tend to be worse on standing or prolonged sitting and exacerbated by heat, food, and alcohol. Life expectancy is thought to be unaffected, but disability is considerable and equivalent to that found in congestive heart failure and chronic obstructive pulmonary disease.

What is the life expectancy of someone with dysautonomia?

Early on, it has symptoms similar to Parkinson’s disease. But people with this condition usually have a life expectancy of only about 5 to 10 years from their diagnosis.

What triggers dysautonomia?

Triggers of dysautonomia The symptoms of dysautonomia can be triggered by specific situations or actions, such as alcohol consumption, hot environments, dehydration, stress and tight clothing.

Can you live long with pots?

POTS is a serious condition that can significantly affect the quality of life, but it’s not usually life-threatening. There is no permanent cure or standardized treatment protocol available for POTS, but various treatment options are available to manage the disease conservatively.

What it feels like to have dysautonomia?

Many dysautonomia patients have difficulty sleeping. Their physical symptoms, like racing heart rate, headache, and dizziness, combined with psychological stressors, like worry, anxiety, and guilt, get in the way of a restful night’s sleep.

What are the 15 types of dysautonomia?

There are at least 15 different types of dysautonomia. The most common are neurocardiogenic syncope and postural orthostatic tachycardia syndrome (POTS)….Neurocardiogenic syncope

dehydration.
stress.
alcohol consumption.
very warm environments.
tight clothing.

What does coat hanger feel like?

In people who have neurogenic orthostatic hypotension or orthostatic intolerance, they can complain of pain, or like a charley horse kind of sensation, in the back of the neck and shoulder areas in the distribution that’s like a coat hanger. And it goes away when the person is lying down. That’s an important symptom.

What causes atlantoaxial instability in Down syndrome?

Children with Down syndrome are at increased risk of developing compression of the spinal cord called atlantoaxial instability. This problem is caused by a combination of low tone, loose ligaments and bony changes. The spinal cord can be pressed by the bones and cause nerve damage.

What percentage of Down syndrome population has atlantoaxial instability?

Atlantoaxial instability (AAI) affects 10–20% of individuals with Down syndrome (DS). The condition is mostly asymptomatic and diagnosed on radiography by an enlarged anterior atlanto-odontoid distance.

How is AAI diagnosed?

“In its mildest form, AAI is asymptomatic and is diagnosed using X-rays…” Symptomatic AAI results from subluxation (excessive slippage) that is severe enough to injure the spinal cord, or from dislocation at the atlantoaxial joint. “Approximately 15% of youth with Down syndrome have AAI.

What are symptoms of CCI?

The symptoms of CCI include headaches, usually upper neck pain near the skull, dizziness or imbalance, visual disturbances, brain fog, rapid heart rate, and others.

What causes Down syndrome?

Down syndrome is a genetic disorder caused when abnormal cell division results in an extra full or partial copy of chromosome 21. This extra genetic material causes the developmental changes and physical features of Down syndrome.

Does Down syndrome get worse with age?

Adults with Down syndrome experience “accelerated aging,” meaning they will age faster than the general population. It is expected that adults with Down syndrome will show physical, medical, and cognitive signs of aging much earlier than what is expected for their age.

What is the mental age of a person with Down syndrome?

7 individuals with Down syndrome (mean mental age = 8.18 +/- 2.73 years; mean chronological age = 29.8 +/- 5.4 years) and a group of 9 typically developing children, matched for mental age, (mean mental age = 8.40 +/- 1.73 years; mean chronological age = 7.2 +/- 1.2 years) were given a version of Cooper and Shepherd’s …

Are people with Down syndrome more likely to get dementia?

Advances in function, well-being and life span for people with Down syndrome have revealed an additional health risk: As they age, individuals affected by Down syndrome have a greatly increased risk of developing a type of dementia that’s either the same as or very similar to Alzheimer’s disease.

Does Down syndrome affect memory?

Individuals with Down syndrome also show impaired explicit long-term memory for verbal information, and may also have particular problems in explicit long-term memory for visual-object associations.

Does Down syndrome cause Alzheimer’s?

Yes, it appears that people with Down syndrome are at greater risk for developing Alzheimer’s disease. According to the Down Syndrome Society, Alzheimer’s disease is diagnosed in about 30 percent of people with Down syndrome in their 50s and in about 50 percent of those in their 60s.