• Clip
• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Torsion Dystonia >> M – Interview 19 >> M is amazed that specialists took five years to diagnose torsion dystonia.

M was diagnosed with torsion dystonia at 16, five years after developing an unusual gait. As treatment M underwent Deep Brain Simulation, which initially was not successful. With a second opinion, the electrodes were repositioned resulting in more success.

• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Torsion Dystonia >> M – Interview 19 >> For years, M found it difficult to look at pictures of himself. But his successful 2nd operation has made him feel more able-bodied.

M was diagnosed with torsion dystonia at 16, five years after developing an unusual gait. As treatment M underwent Deep Brain Simulation, which initially was not successful. With a second opinion, the electrodes were repositioned resulting in more success.

• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Torsion Dystonia >> M – Interview 19 >> Meeting others with the same condition used to be M’s worst nightmare. Now he feels more ready to share his experiences.

M was diagnosed with torsion dystonia at 16, five years after developing an unusual gait. As treatment M underwent Deep Brain Simulation, which initially was not successful. With a second opinion, the electrodes were repositioned resulting in more success.

• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Torsion Dystonia >> M – Interview 19 >> M had no hesitation in deciding to have brain surgery.

M was diagnosed with torsion dystonia at 16, five years after developing an unusual gait. As treatment M underwent Deep Brain Simulation, which initially was not successful. With a second opinion, the electrodes were repositioned resulting in more success.

• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Torsion Dystonia >> M – Interview 19 >> When M was living on a Kibbutz as a child he suddenly developed an odd gait and he noticed some deformation in his right foot.

M was diagnosed with torsion dystonia at 16, five years after developing an unusual gait. As treatment M underwent Deep Brain Simulation, which initially was not successful. With a second opinion, the electrodes were repositioned resulting in more success.

• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Torsion Dystonia >> M – Interview 19 >> M feels out of his comfort zone when meeting strangers as he worries that they might not see the person behind the disability.

M was diagnosed with torsion dystonia at 16, five years after developing an unusual gait. As treatment M underwent Deep Brain Simulation, which initially was not successful. With a second opinion, the electrodes were repositioned resulting in more success.

• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Torsion Dystonia >> M – Interview 19 >> The electrodes attached to M’s brain may affect his speech.

M was diagnosed with torsion dystonia at 16, five years after developing an unusual gait. As treatment M underwent Deep Brain Simulation, which initially was not successful. With a second opinion, the electrodes were repositioned resulting in more success.

• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Torsion Dystonia >> M – Interview 19 >> M explains how torsion dystonia affected him physically and how he started to walk backwards.

M was diagnosed with torsion dystonia at 16, five years after developing an unusual gait. As treatment M underwent Deep Brain Simulation, which initially was not successful. With a second opinion, the electrodes were repositioned resulting in more success.

• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Torsion Dystonia >> M – Interview 19 >> Information has been easily available for M because his genetic mutation, DYT1, is common among Ashkenazi Jews.

M was diagnosed with torsion dystonia at 16, five years after developing an unusual gait. As treatment M underwent Deep Brain Simulation, which initially was not successful. With a second opinion, the electrodes were repositioned resulting in more success.

• Condition
• Chronic health issues >> Jewish Health >> Jewish Health

Published: September 2011                   Review date: Under review

 

We interviewed 40 people who are of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, and have a health condition that has a higher than average prevalence among people from this population.  The genetic basis of some of these conditions, such as Tay Sachs and Familial Dysautonomia, has been identified, while others, such as Crohn’s disease and Factor 11 Deficiency have no identified genetic basis but are of a higher prevalence among Ashkenazi Jewish people. While at least 20 conditions have been found to be of particular relevance to people of Ashkenazi Jewish descent, we anticipate that more disorders will be identified in the future.

 

The prevalence of these conditions among the Ashkenazi Jewish population is commonly held to be consequence of two processes; founder effect and genetic drift. To find out more about these processes, and full descriptions of the conditions that people talk about on this site, please visit www.jewishgeneticdisordersuk.org.  

 

We have not included experiences of all the conditions here as many of these conditions are rare, but we hope to add more experiences to this resource over time.  To share in people’s experiences of ‘Jewish conditions’, click on the links below.