- Damages the ability of nerve cells (neurons) in the brain to send and receive messages.
Neurons: a special cell that transmits nerve impulses.
- Leukodystrophies disrupt the growth or maintenance of the myelin sheath, which is the covering that protects nerves and promotes the efficient transmission of nerve impulses.
Leukodystrophies: a group of rare genetic disorders that affect the central nervous system
Myelin sheath: The insulating envelope of myelin that surrounds the core of a nerve fiber or axon and that facilitates the transmission of nerve impulses
- Infants usually do not develop motor skills such as turning over, controlling head movement, and sitting without support.
- weak muscle tone (hypotonia), an unusually large head size (macrocephaly), and irritability. Feeding and swallowing difficulties, seizures, and sleep disturbances may also develop.
Hypotonia: the amount of tension or resistance to stretch in a muscle
Macrocephy: an inherited condition in which a family is predisposed to having a larger head circumference.