Hereditary spastic paraplegia
Please note that the links contained on this search results page may take you
to sites outside of the NIH. (See Disclaimer under Site Policies for details.)
Hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP) is group of hereditary, degenerative, neurological disorders that primarily affect the upper motor neurons. Upper motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord deliver signals to the lower motor neurons which in turn, carry messages to the muscles. In HSP, upper motor neurons slowly degenerate so the muscles don’t receive the correct messages causing progressive spasticity (increased muscle tone/stiffness) and weakness of the legs leading to difficulty walking. As degeneration continues, symptoms worsen.[1]
References
-
Fink. Primary Upper Motor Neuron Disorders Chart. Spastic Paraplegia Foundation (SPF) Web site. 2004 Available at: http://sp-foundation.org/chart.htm. Accessed October 12, 2007.
For more information about Hereditary spastic paraplegia click on the boxes below:
Click arrows to expand or collapse a Resource Section.
Show All Resources
Hide All Resources
- More Detailed Information (Found: 5 Resources)
Links where you can find more general information, comprehensive resources, selected full text journal articles, and news updates
- General
-
Genetics Home Reference (GHR) contains a condition summary on Hereditary spastic paraplegia. Click on the link to go to GHR and review this summary.
-
MedlinePlus, a Web site designed by the National Library of Medicine Web site to help you research your health questions, provides more information about this topic. Click on the link to view this information.
-
The National Institute of Mental Health (NIMH) is dedicated to understanding, treating, and preventing mental illnesses through basic research on the brain and behavior, and through clinical, epidemiological, and services research. Click on the link to view information on this topic.
-
PubMed is a searchable database of medical literature and lists journal articles that discuss Hereditary spastic paraplegia. Click on the link to view a sample search on this topic.
- Management Guidelines
-
GeneReviews provides current, expert-authored, peer-reviewed, full-text articles describing the application of genetic testing to the diagnosis, management, and genetic counseling of patients with specific inherited conditions. Click on the link to view the article on this topic.
- Support Groups (Found: 8 Resources)
Groups providing a wide range of services, supportive resources, and information
- Umbrella Organizations
- Disease-Specific Organizations
- Live Chat
-
The National Organization of Rare Disorders (NORD) has partnered with Inspire.com to launch an online community for people with rare diseases called The NORD Rare Disease Community. This community connects medical patients, family members, caregivers, and professionals. Click on The NORD Rare Disease Community to learn more.
-
RareShare is an online social hub dedicated to patients, families and healthcare professionals affected by rare medical disorders. Click on RareShare to learn more.
- Clinical Trials & Research (Found: 1 Resource)
Resources where you may find research studies and clinical trials
-
CRISP is a searchable database of federally funded biomedical research projects conducted at universities, hospitals, and other research institutions. Although these projects may not conduct studies on humans, you may want to contact the investigators to learn more. To search for studies click on the link and enter the disease name in the enter search terms box and click the and button below the box. Then click Submit Query.
- Services (Found: 1 Resource)
Links to Web sites that offer services, such as tools to locate specialists, specialty clinics, genetic services, and genetic testing laboratories
- Genetic Services
-
We recommend that you discuss this information and your concerns with a genetics professional. The following online resources can help you find a genetics professional in your community:
* GeneClinics - A searchable directory of US and international genetics and prenatal diagnosis clinics. To locate genetics clinics in the United States, go to the following link and click on 'Clinic Directory' to find a genetic service close to you.
* ResourceLink - A database of genetics counseling services, searchable by location, name, institution, type of practice, or specialty. Hosted by the National Society of Genetic Counselors.
- NLM Gateway
A tool to search across multiple resources offered on the National Library of Medicine's Website
-
The NLM Gateway allows users to search across multiple resources offered on the National Library of Medicine's Web site. Some of these resources may be duplicated in the list of links above. Click on the link to go to the NLM Gateway, and search by condition name.