Leigh's disease, also
known as Sub- Acute Necrotizing Encephalomyelopathy (SNEM) is a rare, neuro-metabolic
disorder affecting the central nervous system.
The inherited disorder usually affects infants between 3 months and 2
years of age; this condition is rarely seen in teenagers and adults. Mutations in mitochondrial DNA cause a failure
of the mitochondria of brain cells, causing a severe dysfunction of parts of
the brain stem and basal ganglia. This
in turn causes a severe degradation of motor skills.
The symptoms of this
condition include rigidity, tremor, tics, convulsions, poor sucking ability,
loss of head control, loss of appetite, vomiting and irritability. In the late
stages of this disease, lactic acidosis causes respiratory and kidney failure as
well as heart problems. This condition
usually causes early death. There is no
treatment for this condition in the modern system of medicine; affected infants
are usually advised a high fat and low carbohydrate diet.
The Ayurvedic herbal
treatment of Leigh’s disease consists in giving Ayurvedic herbal medicines in
high doses in order to normalise the metabolism of brain cells to the maximum
extent possible. Herbal medicines which
have an affinity for the central nervous system and which bring about a
positive immunomodulation of the entire body are used in the management of Leigh’s
disease. Medicines which have a direct
action of modulating the metabolism of the body are also useful in the
management of this condition.
The aim of Ayurvedic
treatment is to reduce damage and improve motor skills to the maximum extent
possible, improve quality of life, and improve life span of affected infants to
the maximum extent possible. Herbal
medicines can be powdered and administered to affected infants and are safe for
long-term use. Ayurvedic herbal
treatment thus has a positive role to play in the management and treatment of Leigh’s
disease.
The writer, Dr. A. A.
Mundewadi, is available as an online Ayurvedic Consultant at www.ayurvedaphysician.com
