D
| Term | Definition |
|---|---|
| Degenerative |
deteriorating, getting worse |
| Depolarizing neuromuscular blocking agents |
(example: suxamethonium) drugs causing skeletal muscle paralysis |
| Distal |
situated away from the trunk of the body, at the end of the limbs toward the feet and hands |
| DM1 |
the abbreviation for the Latin name for myotonic dystrophy (dystrophia myotonica) type 1, the more severe form of myotonic dystrophy with the mutation found on chromosome 19 |
| DM2 |
the abbreviation for the Latin name for myotonic dystrophy (dystrophia myotonica) type 2, with the mutation found on chromosome 3 |
| DMPK |
the abbreviation for the myotonic dystrophy gene, the Myotonic Dystrophy Protein Kinase gene that causes DM1; it is located on chromosome 19 |
| Dominant inheritance |
as in myotonic dystrophy, the expression of a gene where if one parent carries the mutated gene, the children have a 50% chance of getting it |
| Double helix |
two strands of DNA held together by hydrogen bonds; when enlarged it |
| Dysphagia |
difficulty swallowing |
| Dysphasia |
difficulty speaking |
| Dyspnea |
shortness of breath |
| Dystrophy |
an inherited muscle disorder in which the muscles become weaker |
