Lipid Storage Diseases and CDD
In 2013, the American Psychiatric Association coined a new moniker called autism spectrum disorder (ASD). In doing so, they wrapped multiple neurodevelopmental disorders under one medical umbrella, treating them as similar afflictions with some shared symptoms and causes.
Two of the most well-known disorders that were wrapped under this new umbrella are autism and Asperger’s syndrome. Another isn’t talked about as much but shares many of the same characteristics.
Called childhood disintegrative disorder, or CDD, it is associated with children losing abilities that they had at one point already acquired. After developing typically for the first few years of their life, they suddenly start to regress.
Like other ASD forms, there’s been no single cause that has been identified, though it’s believed that there is a link between the development of CDD and other diseases, including lipid storage diseases.
Below, we’ll discuss the two disorders in more depth and examine the link between the two.
Table Of Contents
What is CDD?
Sometimes called Heller’s syndrome, CDD is a very rare neurodevelopmental disorder that affects roughly one to two in 100,000 children. Children who have the disorder will usually develop at age-appropriate levels for the first two years of their life, acquiring skills with adaptive behavior, social relationships, and nonverbal and verbal communication.
Then, between the ages of 3 and 4, they start to lose some of these abilities that they had already acquired. In some, the regression may happen gradually, while it could be rapid in others.
To be characterized as CDD, a child must lose skills in this way in at least two areas including bladder or bowel control, expressive or receptive language, adaptive behavior, motor skills, play and social skills.
Children who have CDD face many of the same struggles that children with autism do. This includes challenges with repetitive behaviors, social interactions and communication.
What are Lipid Storage Diseases?
Lipid storage diseases are a group of metabolic disorders1 that are inherited from a previous generation. They are characterized by harmful amounts of lipids — or fatty materials — accumulating in various cells and tissues within the body.
In time, the extra fat storage can actually cause permanent damage to tissues and cells, especially in bone marrow, the spleen, liver, peripheral nervous system and the brain.
Like CDD, symptoms can appear early in a child’s life, but they may also not develop until the child becomes a teen or even an adult2. There are neurological complications that often results from lipid storage diseases, including seizures, brain degeneration, learning problems, swallowing and feeding difficulties, muscle tone loss, slurred speed, and hypersensitivity to touch3.
Since there are many types of lipid storage diseases, there is no single prognosis. Some children who have Fabry disease, for instance, don’t survive past age 2. Children who have Gaucher disease, meanwhile, can live much longer into adulthood.
What is the Link Between Lipid Storage Diseases and CDD?
There’s no single cause of CDD that has been identified, nor has there been one for ASD. At the same time, there have been some links identified between CDD and other diseases. This is particularly true if the symptoms of CDD begin later in childhood.
One of the identified causes is lipid storage diseases. The damage that is done to the cells and tissues in the body by the extra accumulation of lips can cause problems in the brain, which can cause children to regress in their development.
The symptoms of lipid storage diseases can vary greatly, especially since there are so many different forms of them, but the symptoms can line up with those of CDD quite well.
As lipid storage diseases are hereditary, they can be identified through medical testing — unlike CDD or ASD by themselves. That being said, this does provide a more in-depth way to potentially detect and diagnose CDD once a lipid storage disease has been identified.
How Are They Treated?
There is no cure for either lipid storage diseases or CDD. There are some enzyme replacement therapies that have been proven effective for some lipid storage diseases, such as Fabry disease and Gaucher disease.
At the same time, most of the treatment that’s done is focused on the symptoms rather than the underlying cause.
Applied behavioral analysis, or ABA therapy, is often considered the gold standard treatment plan for them. It’s an evidence- and science-based approach to learning and behavior that has been used to treat ASD for years now.
ABA therapists create personalized treatment plans that specifically address each patient’s unique strengths and challenges. Through positive reinforcement and repetition, patients are able to learn to build communication, social and daily life skills over time through behavior modification.
Trust Blue Gems ABA with Your Child’s ABA Therapy
While no single cause of lipid storage diseases and CDD has been identified, there is clearly a link between the two. Not every child who has a lipid storage disease will have CDD, and vice versa, but ABA therapy is the widely-recognized treatment for both.
At Blue Gems ABA, our team of experienced BCBAs are dedicated to administering this best-in-class treatment so children on the autism spectrum can live happy and fulfilling lives.
To learn more, please contact us today.
Read More About CDD
- https://bluegemsaba.com/childhood-disintegrative-disorder/
- https://bluegemsaba.com/leukodystrophy-and-cdd/
- https://bluegemsaba.com/tuberous-sclerosis-complex-and-cdd/
- https://bluegemsaba.com/subacute-sclerosing-panencephalitis-and-cdd/
References
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