What is stiff-person syndrome? – CBC
Experts say rare disorder only affects 1 or 2 people in a million, and is often not recognized
Dec 08, 2022
A rare neurological disorder that affects about one or two people per million is in the spotlight in the wake of an emotional social media post by pop star Céline Dion, who described her challenges with stiff-person syndrome.
Dion, 54, says she’s been forced to cancel shows after years of struggling with muscle spasms and other health problems related to the debilitating neurological condition.
Because of its rarity, very few experts can speak knowledgeably on the disorder.
Johns Hopkins Medicine, a facility in Baltimore, Md., has a Stiff Person Treatment Center. In a video explainer on the facility’s website, Dr. Scott Newsome, a neurologist at Johns Hopkins Medicine, says the syndrome is a very rare but “devastating” autoimmune disease. There’s no clear cause, and the disorder is still being researched.
Read more: https://www.cbc.ca/news/health/stiff-person-syndrome-celine-dion-neurological-auto-immune-1.6678582
