The full form of SMA disease is Spinal Muscular Atrophy.
Understanding Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA)
Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a genetic disorder that affects motor neurons. These are specialized nerve cells within the spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement.
- Motor Neuron Impact: SMA primarily targets these motor neurons.
- Muscle Weakness and Atrophy: When motor neurons are affected, they can't effectively send signals to muscles. This leads to muscle weakness and, eventually, atrophy (shrinking) due to inactivity.
Reference: Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a disorder affecting the motor neurons—nerve cells that control voluntary muscle movement. These cells are located in the spinal cord. Because the muscles cannot respond to signals from the nerves, they atrophy — weaken and shrink — from inactivity.
