Celine Dion cancels shows due to 'rare neurological disorder'

[catbyte]

Agence France-Presse
December 08, 2022

Celine Dion cancelled and postponed a series of European shows on Thursday over problems related to a "very rare neurological disorder" that is affecting her singing.

In a five-minute video posted on Instagram in French and English, a clearly emotional Dion said she had been suffering from health problems "for a long time".

"Recently I have been diagnosed with a very rare neurological disorder called 'stiff person syndrome' which affects something like one in a million people," the Canadian diva said.

It has been causing spasms that "affect every aspect of my daily life, sometimes causing difficulties when I walk and not allowing me to use my vocal chords to sing the way I'm used to," she said.

snip

Article

----------------------------------------------------

She hasn't looked well for a while. How horrible. I looked it up and it's progressive, too. From the NIH:

Stiff person syndrome (SPS) is a rare, progressive syndrome that affects the nervous system, specifically the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms may include extreme muscle stiffness, rigidity and painful spasms in the trunk and limbs, severely impairing mobility. Spasms can generate enough force to fracture bone. People with SPS often have heightened sensitivity to noise, sudden movements, and emotional distress, which can set off muscle spasms. Persistent symptoms can lead to abnormal posturing of the spine, such as being hunched over. The syndrome affects twice as many women as men. SPS is caused by increased muscle activity due to decreased inhibition of the central nervous system. It is thought to have an autoimmune component and is often associated with diabetes, as well as other autoimmune diseases such as thyroiditis, vitiligo, and pernicious anemia. It may be diagnosed after having various tests including blood tests (such as for glutamic acid decarboxylase (GAD) antibodies which is elevated in about 2 in 3 people with SPS), a lumbar puncture, and electromyography.

https://rarediseases.info.nih.gov/diseases/5023/stiff-person-syndrome