Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation

Disability and Management

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Rett syndrome is a rare genetic postnatal neurological disorder of the grey matter of the brain that almost exclusively affects females but has also been found in male patients. The clinical features include small hands and feet and a deceleration of the rate of head growth. Repetitive stereotyped hand movements, such as wringing and/or repeatedly putting hands into the mouth, are also noted. People with Rett syndrome are prone to gastrointestinal disorders and up to 80% have seizures. They typically have no verbal skills, and about 50% of affected individuals do not walk. Scoliosis, growth failure, and constipation are very common and can be problematic. The signs of this disorder are most easily confused with those of Angelman syndrome, cerebral palsy and autism. Rett syndrome occurs in approximately 1:10,000 live female births in all geographies, and across all races and ethnicities. Neurological disabilities are caused by damage to the nervous system (including the brain and spinal cord) that results in the loss of some bodily or mental functions. Heart attacks, infections, genetic disorders and lack of oxygen to the brain may also result in a neurological disability. There are many hundreds of categories of neuromuscular disease. Acquired Brain Injury (ABI) and Epilepsy are two of the most common neurological disabilities. Neurological disabilities may affect a person’s capacity to move and manipulate things. A way a person acts, the way in which they process information or how they tolerate and express feelings may also be significantly changed.The effects of many neurological conditions can vary greatly from person to person as well as from time to time for the same person.