Lytico-Bodig Disease - History

History

Lytico-bodig disease presents itself in two ways:

• lytico is a progressive paralysis that resembles ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), which is a disease of the neurons.
• bodig is a condition resembling parkinsonism with occasional dementia.

Patients can exhibit one or both portions of the disease, but to understand this neurodegenerative phenomenon, one must examine the history of the disease itself and the people who are affected.

Lytico-bodig was discovered in 1952 by Koerner and a year later was confirmed by Arnold. The study that led these two scientists to discover it was peculiarly notable on the island of Guam. Both scientists noted a 50- to 100-fold greater occurrence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis than the rest of the world, and a notable increase in parkinsonism with dementia.

The Chamorro people commonly found to have this disease were native to Guam. Guam has undergone several serious events over the course of its history. In 1668, a near genocide of the Chamorros was started; by 1710, almost no Chamorros remained on the island. The island was handed over to the United States government in 1898, and after World War II, it was retaken from the Japanese by American Forces. After these hardships, the Chamorros survived and their living situation improved.

Documentation of anything that could resemble lytico-bodig was lacking in the entire history of the Chamorros. They were actually described as a very healthy people who lived to old ages. Until 1904, no cases of death from paralysis had been reported to have occurred, but by 1940, this elusive paralysis was the primary cause of death in an adult Chamorros.