How does it feel to be fearless? Do you think that there is many benefits? Mistaken Fear instinct that allows a person to save a life, and its absence only harm. It turns out that there is a disease that makes a person fearless in the face of any threat. How people live with the disease Urbach-Vite?
Fear and its meaning
Fear is one of the key ancient instincts, allowing a person to avoid danger. When the us threatened, in the blood produces a large amount of adrenaline and we begin to act on the principle of fight or flight.
In the generation of fear and other emotions plays a special role in the amygdala, a key part of the limbic system. Patients with the disease Urbach-Vite marks the destruction of the tonsils, owing to what, probably, these people cease to experience fear.
For the first time the disease Urbach-Vite was first described in 1929 by doctors by Erich Urbach and Camillo Vite. However, before them in the early 20th century, specialists have described several cases. Some time later, after the discovery of the disease, it was found that the pathology is hereditary. Disease Urbach-Vite is a recessive genetic disease, which is currently still very poorly understood. The exact cause of genetic disorders is still unclear, as well as to estimate the probability of having a child with this diagnosis is also difficult.
Since the first mention there were only about 300 cases of the disease Urbach-Vite all over the world. Despite the fact that the disease can be found on all continents, more than 25% of cases occur in the peoples of South Africa. According to statistics, most patients are Dutch, German origin, and the disease Urbach-Vite sick Khoisan peoples (inhabiting the territory of South Africa).
Disease Urbach-Vite and its symptoms
Because the disease Urbach-Vite is autosomal recessive in nature, people can be carriers (in the presence of dominant and recessive gene) without any symptoms.
The disease begins to manifest itself only when both of the gene are recessive. In this case, the patient may experience various symptoms, primarily, of course, neurological.
However, in addition to the main symptom (absence of fear), in patients with pathology of Urbach-Vite also marked and dermatological symptoms, e.g., skin lesions, scars, papules, wrinkled skin and hoarse voice. These symptoms arise from the fact that the skin and mucous membrane condensed. In some cases, patients with marked and seal brain tissue in the middle temporal lobe, which is fraught with epileptic and other neuropsychiatric disorders.
Despite the existing symptoms, in modern terms (when human life is relatively safe) disease Urbach-Vite, as a rule, does not threaten the patient’s life and reduces its duration.
The history of the SM
For more than 25 years, American scientists from the University of Iowa are watching the mother of three children, which discovered the disease Urbach-Vite. For ethical reasons the identity of the woman did not disclose, and in all the scientific publications devoted to observing it, it is called SM.
SM lives in a very poor area, she was repeatedly threatened and once even nearly killed. However, at such moments, she absolutely does not feel fear. She can smile, if a burglar it seems comical, or to experience the curiosity, but not fear.
Justin Feinstein representing the research group at the University of Iowa, says that the problem likely is that this woman has destroyed the amygdala, which she lost the ability to feel anxiety and fear. This woman understands what it is to be feared, however, the prohibitions of these she does not comply. It’s amazing how she manages to survive and raise three children – said the scientist.
It is noteworthy that SM has no problems with memory or mental development. In General, the whole range of normal emotions, in addition to alarming. Over many years of observations, scientists once tried to scare SM, so far in vain. Showed her horror movies, wound up in the panic room, and even conducted a tour of an abandoned tuberculosis sanatorium, where on the eve of one of the holidays is a show that was supposed to scare people. The funny thing is that I was scared a group of scientists, accompanying SM, and the woman just curiously watching the surrounding action.
The phenomenon of the disease Urbach-Vite SM is also interesting that the woman is not able to identify fear in others. That is, it is very difficult to understand by facial expressions and gestures that the person experiences anxiety.
Associated symptoms:
Cramps (muscle cramps) Subcutaneous seal
Treatment of the disease Urbach-Vite
Treatment of the disease Urbach-Vite does not exist. The absence of fear still cannot be eliminated. At the same time, recent studies show that these patients can still cause a sense of fear, to use the inhalation of air with high carbon dioxide content (about 35%). Perhaps this phenomenon will help scientists in the discovery of other mechanisms of pathology.
Currently, the treatment is carried out only in respect of the dermatological symptoms of the disease Urbach-Vite. In particular, when skin lesions patients administered dimethyl sulfoxide, heparin, D-penicillamine, as well as some drugs prescribed for psoriasis.
Some patients with the disease Urbach-Victor noted the excessive activity of neurons that leads to seizures. In such cases, the appropriate use of anticonvulsants.
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