Procedural memory can be intact even when other forms of memory is not, although not always the case. Likewise, social and emotional support is critical to improving quality of life for those with anterograde amnesia. Fentanyl use by opioid users has been identified as a potential cause in a cluster of cases that occurred in Boston, MA. Retrograde amnesia is inability to recall memories before onset of amnesia. One may be able to encode new memories after the incident. Retrograde is usually caused by head trauma or brain damage to parts of the brain besides the hippocampus. The hippocampus is responsible for encoding new memory. Episodic memory is more likely to be affected than semantic memory. The damage is usually caused by head trauma, cerebrovascular accident, stroke, tumor, hypoxia, encephalitis, or chronic alcoholism. People with retrograde amnesia are more likely to remember general knowledge rather than specifics. Recent memories are less likely to be recovered, but older memories will be easier to recall due to strengthening over time. Retrograde amnesia is usually temporary and can be treated by exposing them to memories from the loss. Another type of consolidation (process by which memories become stable in the brain) occurs over much longer periods of time/days, weeks, months and years and likely involves transfer of information from the hippocampus to more permanent storage site in the cortex.
Alglucosidase alfa, sold under the brand name Myozyme among others, is an enzyme replacement therapy (ERT) orphan drug for treatment of Pompe disease (Glycogen storage disease type II), a rare lysosomal storage disorder (LSD). Chemically speaking, the drug is an analog of the enzyme that is deficient in patients affected by Pompe disease, alpha-glucosidase. It is the first drug available to treat this disease.It was approved for medical use in the United States in April 2006, as Myozyme and in May 2010, as Lumizyme. Medical uses
Alglucosidase alfa is indicated for people with Pompe disease (GAA deficiency).In 2014 the U.S. Food and Drug Administration announced the approval of alglucosidase alfa for treatment of people with infantile-onset Pompe disease, including people who are less than eight years of age. In addition, the Risk Evaluation and Mitigation Strategy (REMS) is being eliminated. Side effects
Common observed adverse reactions to alglucosidase alfa treatment are pneumonia, respiratory complications, infections and fever. More serious reactions reported include heart and lung failure and allergic shock. Myozyme boxes carry warnings regarding the possibility of life-threatening allergic response. Cost
Some health plans have refused to subsidize Myozyme for adults because it lacks approval for treatment in adults, as well as its high cost (US$300,000 per year for life).In 2015, Lumizyme was ranked the costliest drug per patient, with an average charge of $630,159. References
External links
"Alglucosidase Alfa". Drug Information Portal. U.S. National Library of Medicine.