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Canavan's Disease

Canavan's Disease


Canavan's disease which is also called spongy brain degeneration is not a very
common disease.   This disease affects about 1 in 30,000 to 40,000 children, and
in the Ashkenazic Jewish community it affects 1 in 3,5000 children.   The disease
destroys the insulating sheath, called myelin surrounding the nerve cells.   This
degeneration is so extensive that it inhibits the brain's electrical signals
from sweeping the nerve processes properly. Children with the disease cannot
walk, talk, or even sit.   With this knowledge obtained from reading the DNA,
they can now complete prenatal testing on who parents who may carry the mutation.
It also helps to understand the biology of the brain's white matter.