Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) , an X-linked recessive disease, affects around one in 3600-6000 live male births worldwide. Progressive muscular degeneration and non-progressive cognitive deficits are the hallmarks of DMD. The underlying genetic defect alters the dystrophin (DYS) protein , a key component of the dystrophin-glycoprotein complex (DGC) involved in the organization of gamma-aminobutyric acid type A (GABA A) receptors.
DYS deficiency causes neurobehavioral disorders such as attention-deficit/hyperactivity disorder (ADHD), disorders of the autism spectrum, and obsessive-compulsive disorder. In children with DMD , the reported impairments include those related to confrontational naming, verbal fluency, reading, phonological and graphological production, receptive language, expressive language, and verbal learning. These DMD-induced deficits are more pronounced in boys than…
