Corticobasal Degeneration and Receiving Social Security Disability
Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) is a rare progressive neurodegenerative disease. It is marked by nerve cell loss and atrophy of several areas of the brain. This includes the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia. The outer layer (cortex) of the brain is severely affected. This is especially true of the fronto-parietal regions. These are located near the center-top of the head. Deeper regions of the brain are also affected. This includes the basal ganglia. This is where the name corticobasal comes from. Corticobasal degeneration usually progresses slowly. It is the combined loss of brain tissue in all of the affected areas of the brain that causes the signs and symptoms of corticobasal degeneration. Corticobasal degeneration is similar genetically, pathologically and clinically to frontotemporal dementia. Frontotemporal dementia is an umbrella term for a diverse group of uncommon disorders that are a type of dementia that primarily affect the temporal and frontal lobes of the brain. Dementia is a loss of brain function that is a feature of certain diseases. It affects language, behavior, thinking and judgment. Corticobasal degeneration usually occurs when a person is between the ages of 45 and 70. Women are affected more often than men. No one knows what causes corticobasal degeneration. There is no strong evidence at this time that this disease is inherited. There are also no known risk factors like infections or toxins that have been identified at the present time for corticobasal degeneration. There have been studies of brain tissue of people with this disease that show certain characteristic cell changes that involve a brain protein called tau. This may give some help to researchers who are searching for the cause or causes of corticobasal degeneration. The initial signs and symptoms of corticobasal degeneration are usually unilateral (one-sided). As the disease advances, signs and symptoms become bilateral (both sides). Some of the signs and symptoms include:- Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
- Memory loss
- Poor coordination
- Slow, clumsy or shaky movements
- Rigidity or stiffness
- Halting and hesitant speech
- Difficulty with comprehension
- Loss of intellectual ability
- Problems with balance
- Visual-spatial impairment
- Loss of movement control.
