Approximately 1 in 3,600 Ashkenazi Jews at birth are affected.The disease is named after British ophthalmologist Waren Tay, who in 1881 first described a symptomatic red spot on the retina of the eye; and American neurologist Bernard Sachs, who described in 1887 the cellular changes and noted an increased rate of disease in Ashkenazi Jews. Carriers of a single Tay–Sachs allele are typically normal. It has been hypothesized that being a carrier may confer protection from tuberculosis, explaining the persistence of the allele in certain populations. Researchers are looking at gene therapy or enzyme replacement therapy as possible treatments. Signs and symptoms
Tay–Sachs disease is typically first noticed in infants around 6 months old displaying an abnormally strong response to sudden noises or other stimuli, known as the "startle response". There may also be listlessness or muscle stiffness (hypertonia). The disease is classified into several forms, which are differentiated based on the onset age of neurological symptoms. Infantile
Infants with Tay–Sachs disease appear to develop normally for the first six months after birth. Then, as neurons become distended with GM2 gangliosides, a relentless deterioration of mental and physical abilities begins. The child may become blind, deaf, unable to swallow, atrophied, and paralytic. Death usually occurs before the age of four. Juvenile
Juvenile Tay–Sachs disease is rarer than other forms of Tay–Sachs, and usually is initially seen in children between two and ten years old. People with Tay–Sachs disease experience cognitive and motor skill deterioration, dysarthria, dysphagia, ataxia, and spasticity.
Tay–Sachs disease is a genetic disorder that results in the destruction of nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The most common form is infantile Tay–Sachs disease, which becomes apparent around three to six months of age, with the baby losing the ability to turn over, sit, or crawl. This is then followed by seizures, hearing loss, and inability to move, with death usually occurring by the age of three to five. Less commonly, the disease may occur in later childhood or adulthood (juvenile or late-onset). These forms tend to be less severe, but the juvenile form typically results in death by age 15.Tay–Sachs disease is caused by a genetic mutation in the HEXA gene on chromosome 15, which codes form a subunit of the hexosaminidase enzyme known as hexosaminidase A. It is inherited from a persons parents in an autosomal recessive manner. The mutation disrupts the activity of the enzyme, which results in the build-up of the molecule GM2 ganglioside within cells, leading to toxicity. Diagnosis may be supported by measuring the blood hexosaminidase A level or genetic testing. Tay–Sachs disease is a type of GM2 gangliosidosis and sphingolipidosis.The treatment of Tay–Sachs disease is supportive in nature. This may involve multiple specialities as well as psychosocial support for the family. The disease is rare in the general population. In Ashkenazi Jews, French Canadians of southeastern Quebec, the Old Order Amish of Pennsylvania, and the Cajuns of southern Louisiana, the condition is more common.