Under Tan syndrome: is it reverse evolution or mental illness? This is what I hope to discover and explore through this paper. Uner Tan Syndrome is a rare disease where people walk on all fours. They walk with quadrupedal locomotion, commonly referred to as wrist walking. “ It is a condition that in its most extreme form is characterized by cerebellar hypoplasia.” (Shapiro LJ 2014, p.1). Humans with Uner Tan Syndrome show lack of cognitive ability, mental retardation, loss of balance, primitive speech and a quadrupedal gait (walking on four feet). Biologist Uner Tan was in Turkey when he discovered Uner Tan syndrome. He came across this syndrome in 2005, when he caught wind of the Ulas family, a family of 19 who had 5 children who walked …show more content…
on all fours. Uner Tan was the first scientist who suggested that it was a case of reverse evolution. This sparked controversy among other scientists who went against Tan’s theory, and stated it was a case of mental illness. Not very many cases have been discovered, because it is so rare, Uner Tan syndrome is said to be,” a disease that may never be seen again.” (Tan 2006, p. 2). The Syndrome Even thought they’re not many people with this rare syndrome, those who decided to participate underwent several intense tests to see what their physical and mental capacities and handicaps were.
The exceptions Not all individuals with Uner Tan Syndrome display signs of mental retardation or cerebellar atrophy, although all were seen to be quadrupeds, walking on all fours. (Shapiro et al. 2014) Mustafa, a 36-year-old male from Adana was reported to have had the illness poliomyelitis as a child, which caused him to become a wrist watcher and have one paralyzed leg. MRI scans showed that Mustafa had no abnormalities in his brain including the cortex, cerebellum, corpus callosum, cerebellar vermis and basal ganglia. He also showed signs of normal, slightly delayed speech but nothing severe. He could travel quite fast on all four legs, so unlike some other participants it looks like Mustafa just preferred wrist walking to upright walking. Mustafa is an exception to Uner Tan syndrome because he does not display any sort or mental retardation, and has a healthy brain. However, because he does walk on all fours he is still said to have Uner Tan syndrome. So my question was: why was Mustafa Walking on all fours? Comfort? Socially learned behavior? I will get back to Mustafa’s story later on. (Tan …show more content…
2007) Body Measurements Two individuals, a female age 27 and male age 37, were two participants in a recent study to understand more about Uner Tan syndrome. Showing that there was some variation in length of body limbs from humans who walk on all four. The man’s arms and legs were found to be 67 and 70 cm with an arm to leg ratio of 0.90, while the woman’s ratio was 0.77. Uner Tan himself measured at 0.68 and a journalist woman working with Tan was 0.60. (Tan 2006) These measures are important because leg to arm ratios can typically tell us how a human or animal will move and what mode of locomotion they have. Most humans have a 68-70 ratio where their bottom limbs are longer than their top limbs. Individuals with Uner Tan syndrome have a closer ratio too Chimpanzees which have a ratio of 106 and walk on all fours. Hands Because quadrupeds walk on all fours, their hands and wrists get quite a bit of pressure and weight on them compared to a person who walks on two legs.
It was noticed that the men who are quadrupeds walk with their palms down and woman on their fists with their fingers curled in. This may be on account of their ratios, that men have longer arms. When the women put their hands straight they are hyperextended. (Tan 2006). They were shown to have very little mobility in their hands aside from walking on them. Things like eating or tying a shoelace proved to be an up-most difficulty which most of the time resulted in tremors and lengthy time to do such tasks. Speech Either very little or no speech is what the individuals with Uner Tan syndrome were said to have. In some cases the individuals could not do more then grunt and make humming like sounds. Others showed basic speech, speaking in short sentences with very few words. They had a hard time naming and describing objects. However, it did come off as they could understand the researchers, but could not communicate back very well. This is most likely due to mental retardation. The
Brain Many tests, including Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), International cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS), Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE), and Positron emission tomography (PET) were preformed on a group of individuals who have Uner Tan syndrome. (Tan 2014). MRI’s were used to measure the areas of the cerebro- cerebellar structure. (Tan 2014 p.3). This test, along with a PET test showed cerebellar hypoplasia and an under developed cerebellum in the brain. Each individual showed a slight difference, but all had impacts on the cerebellum and overall gyrification of the ridges of the cerebrallar cortex. ICARS test showed the degree of impairment of the posture/gait and limb-kinetic subscale of the individuals. (Storey et al. 2004). MMSE is a test that measures the cognitive status of an individual. Five fields were tested, including orientation, registration, attention and calculation, recall, language and repetition. Most of the individuals could not achieve a score higher than 20, while most people have a score of 25 or higher. Having difficulties remembering their own mother and fathers name, date and time. After the test were done it was concluded by many that they individuals with Uner Tan syndrome were mentally handicapped. Evolution or Mental illness Reverse evolution theory Going back to Mustafa’s story, where they came across no abnormalities in his brain that could suggest mental illness, just lack of education. This is where the theory of devolution comes into place. It had been reported in several cases mainly across Turkey, that children are choosing to walk on all fours. The majority of them grow out of this phase, and it is suggested that wrist walking could be of genetic or environmental origin. (Tan 2006) Studies have shown wrist walking is also a lack of development or absence in the supra-spinal structures that are responsible for upright walking. This interruption in childhood phases could be the trigger that interrupts transition from quadrupedality to bipedalism. “As a result of this development process, such an individual may not further develop into Homo erectus exhibiting the upright posture and bipedal gait, which is the most prominent feature for the uniqueness of human beings.” (Tan 2006 p.155) Mental illness Through all the scans and tests that were performed with people exhibiting Uner Tan syndrome it is clear that the majority of them have a mental illness, with cognitive brain impairment. Each individual almost failed The MMSE test showing basic functions of a human. This point of view bends towards the mental illness theory, proving that most people with Uner Tan syndrome are mentally ill. Conclusion After reading and researching Uner Tan syndrome, and keeping in mind the question of whether it caused by reverse evolution or mental illness, I have come to the conclusion that I believe it is a mixture of both. As infants it is perfectly normal to crawl around on your knees and hands this a learned and habitual movement that begins our progress to upright walking, but add in a cognitive brain damage and we have someone who has Under tan Syndrome. I also believe wrist walking and Uner Tan Syndrome are two different things, as it has been shown that there are people who simply walk on all fours and show no signs of mental retardation. Uner Tan syndrome is described as having lack of cognitive ability, mental retardation, loss of balance, primitive speech and quadrupedal gait (walking on four feet). Therefore, I believe there is a fine line between both wrist walking and Uner Tan Syndrome.
There are approximately six types of EDS that have been distinguished but other types exist that are very uncommon. Classical, Hypermobile, Vascular, Kyphoscoliosis, Arthrochalasia, and Dermatosparaxis. Classical and Hypermobile make up over 90% of all reported cases of EDS. With the Classical type of EDS a person would have hyperextensible (stretchy) skin with widened atrophic scars and joint hypermobility. The skin is smooth and velvety with tissue fragility and easy brusability. Also evident are molluscoid pseudotumors (fleshy lesions associated with scars) frequently found over pressure points (e.g. elbows) and subcutaneous spheroids, which are commonly mobile and palpable on the forearms and shins. Complications of joint hypemobility include sprains, dislocation are common in the shoulder, patella and temporomandibular joints Muscle hypotonia and slower gross motor development also can occur It is inherited in an autosomal dominant manner (Clarke, D., Skrocki-Czerpak, K., Neumann-Potash, L.).
Ramachandran, Vilayanur S., and Lindsay S. Oberman. "Broken Mirrors: A Theory of Autism." Scientific American Journal. (2006): 62-69. Web. 29 Nov. 2013.
On September 29, 1993, Robert Wendland, then age 42, was involved in a vehicle accident. He was in a coma for 16 months. In January 1995, Mr. Wendland came out of the coma, but he remains severely cognitively impaired. He is paralyzed on the right side. He communicates using a "Yes/No" communication board. He receives food and fluids through a feeding tube. During rehabilitation, he has been able to do such activities as grasp and release a ball, operate an electric wheelchair with a joystick, move himself in a manual wheelchair with his left hand or foot, balance himself momentarily in a "standing frame" while grabbing and pulling "thera-putty," draw the letter "R," and choose and replace requested color blocks out of several color choices.
Rett syndrome is a progressive neurological disorder that affects almost exclusively in females. The most basic symptoms include decreased speech, cognitive disabilities, severe lack of muscle control, small head size, and unusual hand movements. A woman with a mutation in her MECP2 gene, has a 50% risk with any pregnancy to pass on her X chromosome with the mutation. It is not common for women with Rett syndrome to have children because the severity of the disorder. The mutated gene on the X chromosome that is responsible for causing Rett syndrome is the methyl CpG-binding protein 2, MECP2 gene. The gene makes a protein that controls other genes. When a mutation occurs in the MECP2, the protein it makes does not work properly. This is thought to counteract normal neuron, nerve cell development. The severity of the syndrome in females is related to the type of mutation in the MECP2 gene and the percentage of cells that carry a normal copy of the MECP2 gene. Rett syndrome is believed to affect all ethnic groups and nationalities with an equal frequency of about 1 case for every 10,000 to 15,000 live female births.
Aphasia is present when the patient knoes what he or she wants to say but cannot pronounce it. The patient with sensory aphasia has difficulty understanding language and may articulate words easily but use them inappropriately. (Davi-Ellen Chabner The Language of Medicine 10th edition)
A. Walks on toes, can look very odd when moving in general and appears rigid or droopy in posture.
According to ASHA, more than 2 million people in the United States have a severe communication disorder that impairs their ability to talk. This problem may be short or long term, and may be congenital (present at birth), acquired (occurring later in late), or degenerative (worsening throughout life). Some disorders could be from lack of oxygen at during the birth process, premature birth, genetic disorders, Cerebral Palsy while others may be caused by aTraumatic Brain Injury, or degenerative diseases.
There is no known single cause of autism. Researchers are investigating a number of possible theories including genetics, heredity, medical problems, problems during pregnancy or delivery, as well as environmental influences. It is widely accepted that it is caused by abnormalities in the brain structure or function. There is evidence from neuropathological studies that autism has its origins in abnormal brain development early in prenatal life which continues postnatally, showing acceleration in brain growth measured by head circumference (Zwaigenbaum, L., Bryson, S., Rogers, T., Roberts, W., Brian, J., & Szatmari, P., 2005). The disorder also seems to have a genetic basis, although researchers have yet to find the specific genes that link to the onset of autism. There could be a cluster of genes that have somehow interfered with normal brain development and function. Studies show that twins of children with autism were more likely to be autistic themselves than the regular population, demonstrating there is a heredity lin...
She has control over her articulators and she knows how to manipulate her oral cavity to produce the correct sounds. The child’s lexical inventory is well developed. She has no trouble finding words to express her thoughts. Not many words are repeated and that illustrates that she has a vast vocabulary where she does not have to borrow words.
Do you know there is a medically diagnosed disorder that affects over two American children?” Experts on the subject say there are many more undiscovered cases out there and the cause is still unknown. It sounds like we have a really big problem. The thing is, the disorder that affects all these children, isn’t a disorder at all.
Hemiparesis that affects the peroneal nerve preventing dorsiflexors muscles from lifting the toes up when walking causes the toes to drag, impairing gait. Hemiparesis can also affect the knee flexor and extensor muscles which are important for “shock absorption, assisting with foot clearance and balance control” (Sadeghi, H. et al., 2002, p. 51). Physical therapists know that poor gait can affect the pelvis, lower back, spine and neck as the body tries to compensate for unilateral weakness of the lower limbs. The sooner a patient can achieve normal gait the less likely they are to suffer permanent damage and the quicker they can return to their normal lives and activity levels.
One of the most exciting milestones for a parent to witness is the first words a child speaks. However children that are diagnosed with Autism Spectrum Disorder (ASD) have difficulty speaking. Often times, speech is delayed which makes communication with the child difficult. The first thing that a child learns to do is cry. This is how they alert their parents or caregivers of what they need (Baby Center, 2014). At about six months of age, children will begin to use their tongues, palates, and newly emerging teeth to create sounds. This is there way of teaching themselves to talk. Unlike children who are developing normally, ASD children begin to repeat certain sounds over and over. Once the child is old enough to be able to speak and hold conversations, ASD is easily noticeable. The communication of a child with ASD is habitually rigid and repetitive (CDC, 2013). This can include things that they hear on a normal basis, like commercials or songs.
My grandfather's stroke affected his legs and his memory, which made it difficult for him to walk. My grandfather first used a cane, but his legs became too weak, so he tried a walker, but this lasted only a month. Not only could he not walk or take care of himself, but also he began to stay up at night and fall out of bed.
One of the most important and pivotal physical and biological adaptations that separate humans from other mammals is habitual bipedalism. According to Darwin, as restated by Daniel Lieberman, “It was bipedalism rather than big brains, language, or tool use that first set th...