What is 'stiff person syndrome'? | Rare condition causes Celine Dion to cancel tour

E WILL RETURN TO EUROPE TO PERFORM FOR HER AMAZING FANS BUT NOW IS SIMPLY NOT THE RIGHT TIME. WITH ME NOW IS A NEUROLOGIST… MANY PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT IS STIFF PERSON SYNDROME AND HOW RARE IS IT. CAN YOU TELL US MORE ABOUT THIS? >> STIFF PERSON SYNDROME IS A RARITY. IT IS CAUSED BY — IT’S AN AUTOIMMUNE DISEASE AND THAT RESULTS IN PATIENT HAVING STIFFNESS GENERALLY IN THE LOW BACK AND LOWER EXTREMITIES RESULTING IN PAIN IN VERY MANY CIRCUMSTANCES. >> DID YOU SEE ONE IN A MILLION? >> SOMETHING APPROXIMATE TO THAT. >> MY GOODNESS.

DO DOCTORS HAVE ANY IDEA WHAT CAUSES STIFF PERSON SYNDROME? >> THEY DO TO SOME EXTENT. IT’S AMONG A CONSTELLATION OF MORE COMMON AUTOIMMUNE DISEASES. PATIENTS WILL HAVE COEXISTING PROBLEMS WITH THEIR THYROID GLAND OR… IT’S WHERE THE HUMAN SYSTEM IS REACTING AGAINST THE PERSON’S OWN BODY. >> HOW IS IT TREATED? >> THERE ARE TWO WAYS WE CAN TREAT IT. WE CAN TRY TO TREAT THE NEUROCHEMISTRY WHICH IS PATIENT HAVING NOT ENOUGH IN THE NERVE SYSTEM. WE CAN GIVE MEDICINE TO INCREASE THAT. MEDICINES LIKE DIAZEPAM AND THEN THE OTHER WAY IS TO TREAT THE IMMUNE SYSTEM ITSELF.

WE CAN USE VARIOUS IMMUNE THERAPIES TO DO THAT. >> IS IT SOMETHING THAT NEEDS TO BE MANAGED? CAN YOU MAKE A FULL RECOVERY? WHAT’S

THE PROGNOSIS? >> IN MY EXPERIENCE, MOST PATIENTS WILL STABILIZE WITH THEIR DISEASE AND THERE ARE SOME PATIENTS WHO HAVE IMPROVEMENTS THAT THEY CAN… A LOT OF PEOPLE CAN GET BACK TO FULL QUALITY OF LIFE IN TERMS OF WORKING AND SOCIALIZING. SOMETIMES IT COULD BE WITH RESTRICTIONS. >> WE ARE HAVING THIS CONVERSATION BECAUSE PEOPLE ARE WONDERING WHAT THIS DISEASE IS THAT IS AFFECTING CELINE DION. FOR A PERFORMER, HOW WOULD THIS DISEASE IMPACT

SOMEONE LIKE HER? >> I DON’T THINK THERE’S ANYTHING SPECIFIC IN RELATION TO SINGERS AND PERFORMERS BUT I WOULD SAY IN GENERAL, IF THE COMPONENT OF THIS DISEASE. IT’S VERY STIMULATED BY YOUR ENVIRONMENT. IT CAN BE QUITE TROUBLIN