Angelman Syndrome Research Paper

Angelman Syndrome (AS) is a genetic disorder that causes speech problems, intellectual impairment, sleeping difficulties, and seizures. This condition causes a very happy, excitable personality in the patient resulting in outbursts of laughter and frequent smiles. In children, AS can also cause hyperactivity. With age, the sleeping problems and excitable behavior subside. Curvature in the spine (scoliosis) can also be caused by Angelman Syndrome. Even with the abundant amount of disabilities that come with having this disorder, the life expectancy of the affected people is almost normal. The cause of Angelman Syndrome is a genetic mutation in chromosome 15. A person without this disorder would get one gene from their mother and one gene from their father. People with Angelman Syndrome, however, only have one of those genes active in parts of the brain, meaning that gene is either severely damaged or completely missing. In some cases, the child inherits two paternal copies of that gene. This is called a parental disomy. There is no known way to actually prevent your child from having Angelman Syndrome, but if you have a family history of AS or …show more content…
The child may require physical therapy and strict bedtime routines for sleep disorders. As the child grows older, ankle braces and physical therapy can help with walking. Adults with AS typically cannot live on their own, but can learn basic household tasks. No research has shown if people with Angelman Syndrome can have children or not. Even with limited information on this topic, the physical and mental disabilities that people with AS suffer from make it almost impossible for them to have a healthy relationship with another person. Currently, there is no known cure for Angelman Syndrome. There is, however, research being conducted on a drug that is typically used to treat cancer. This drug may be proven useful in treating Angelman Syndrome