Symptoms:

Childhood cerebral type:

• Adrenal problems
• Changes in muscle tone, especially muscle spasms and spasticity
• Crossed eyes (strabismus)
• Decreased understanding of verbal communication (aphasia)
• Deterioration of handwriting
• Difficulty at school
• Difficulty understanding spoken material
• Hearing loss
• Hyperactivity
• Progressive nervous system deterioration
  • Coma
  • Decreased fine motor control
  • Paralysis
• Seizures
• Swallowing difficulties
• Visual impairment or blindness

Adrenomyelopathy:

• Adrenal problems
• Difficulty controlling urination
• Possible worsening muscle weakness or leg stiffness
• Problems with thinking speed and visual memory

Adrenal gland failure (Addison type):

• Coma
• Decreased appetite
• Increased skin pigmentation
• Loss of weight, muscle mass (wasting)
• Muscle weakness
• Vomiting

Signs and tests:

• Blood levels show elevated very-long-chain fatty acids
• Chromosome study shows ABCD1 gene mutations
• MRI of the head shows damage to the white matter of the brain (white matter is a type of brain tissue)