Stiff Person

Mayo Clinic Laboratories expanded movement disorders panel better identifies autoimmune conditions. Four recently identified biomarkers — septin-5, septin-7, neurochondrin, and adaptor protein-3B2 — have been added to the panel, and all four have been shown to respond to immunotherapy.

Andrew McKeon, M.B., B.Ch., M.D., explains how Mayo Clinic Laboratories' stiff-person assay provides comprehensive evaluation for individuals on the spectrum of stiff-person syndrome. In addition to guiding treatment decisions, the assay can help confirm the most-severe stiff-person phenotype — known as PERM — which is associated with potential cancers.

A tenacious fighter, Joy Carol never lost hope that a mysterious condition that had stripped her of her ability to move would be identified. Hope turned into reality when a Mayo Clinic Laboratories test identified the cause of her illness and opened the door to successful treatment.