025.431: The Dewey blog

Recently National Public Radio ran a story about Batten disease:

Batten Disease Unites Parents, Dog Owners

by Ketzel Levine

“In what may be an unprecedented collaboration, a rare and as yet incurable illness has brought together two unlikely communities: parents of children and owners of dogs. The two groups are linked by the fatal illness known as Batten disease.

“Batten disease is a rare inherited genetic disorder leading to a breakdown of the entire nervous system. It's entirely likely you haven't heard much about it. Though the numbers are imprecise, it's estimated that about 1,000 children in the United States are diagnosed with Batten disease each year. The disease is even rarer but still present in several dog breeds; among them, the Tibetan Terrier.

. . . .

“[Tibetan Terrier owner Stuart] Eckmann eventually called Lance Johnston, executive director of the Batten Disease Support and Research Association. (Johnston had lost his 22-year-old daughter Lorena to the fatal disease in 1993.) Working on a hunch that something good might come from a meeting of the two communities, Eckmann invited Johnston and other parents of affected children to the 2003 Tibetan Terrier World Congress.

. . . .

“The two previously isolated groups -- now pitted against a shared disease -- have been exchanging information ever since, and are now funding some of the same research. Dr. Martin Katz, at the University of Missouri, has expanded his studies into human Batten disease to include dogs. His augmented research is funded by the Canine Health Foundation, which stipulates that the only dogs eligible for study are family pets that live at home.”

Batten disease is mentioned and indexed in DDC at 616.83 Other organic diseases of central nervous system, but you might not immediately recognize it: “Including . . . neuronal ceroid-lipofuscinosis.”  In the future you could find it by searching for Batten disease, because we have decided to add that term to the Relative Index; however, we’ll never be able to add all the aliases of that disease or many other diseases.  The mouthful name of the disease is the preferred form in both LCSH and MeSH.  LCSH has a reference from “Batten’s disease” and MeSH has a reference from “Batten disease.”  If the LCSH and MeSH preferred forms of name for a disease are different, we try to give both forms.  If you find one of these headings for a disease and search for it, you should be able to find it in DDC if it is there.

Batten disease in children is classed in 618.9283 Other pediatric organic diseases of central nervous system (built with 618.92 Pediatrics plus 83 from 616.83 Other organic diseases of central nervous system according to instructions at 618.921-618.929 Specific pediatric diseases). Batten disease in dogs is classed in 636.7089683 Other canine organic diseases of central nervous system (built with 636.7 Dogs plus 0 from add instruction at 636.7001-636.708 Standard subdivisions, specific topics in husbandry of dogs plus 89 from 636.089 Veterinary sciences    Veterinary medicine plus 683 from 616.83 Other organic diseases of central nervous system).

"In an effort to reduce the burden of cardiovascular disease, the American Medical Association (AMA) [June 13] passed new policies to help change the way Americans think about salt with the goal of reducing sodium intake throughout America."

General works about the role of salt in a healthy diet and guides to the amount of salt in foods are classed in 613.285 Minerals in applied nutrition.  Works about a low-salt diet for prevention and treatment of cardiovascular diseases are classed in 616.10654 Diet therapy for cardiovascular diseases (616.1 Diseases of cardiovascular system plus 06, using the instructions under 062-069 Other therapies in the add table at 616.1-616.9 Specific diseases, plus 54 from 615.854 Diet therapy).  Works about cooking for a low-salt diet are classed in 641.56323 Low-salt cooking.  The use of salt in manufacturing processed foods is classed in 664.4 Food salts in food technology.