A question about Bendii Syndrome.

[Kokomo]

I recently created a thread in the Star Trek XI forum regarding Spock and the possibility of him contracting Bendii Syndrome, and it really got me thinking about the disease. I don't really know a great deal about it other than what facts that I have seen on various Wiki sites.

Do all elderly Vulcans contract the disease? Are hybrids (i.e. Spock) immune to the disease?

Just curious. Any help would be greatly appreciated.

[alpha_leonis]

It seems Bendii Syndrome is about as common for Vulcans as Alzheimer's is for humans. That's based on the bit of dialogue of Crusher's in the episode where it was first discussed ... she didn't say outright, but she implied it only affects *some* Vulcans "over the age of two hundred".

If it was a Vulcan universal trait, in the same way as Pon Farr, I think it would have been treated differently. In fact, I think it would have been treated in much the same "inevitable" way as older Betazoid women's tendency towards hypersexuality. It wasn't ...

Just a couple of thoughts.

[Kokomo]

Many good points there! Thanks!!

[Kokomo]

Since Sarek was afflicted with the disease, does that mean that Spock will contract it as well? (especially if it is a genetic condition).

[sbk1234]

Considering the fact that many people today do not contract always contract genetic conditions of their parents, at worst, it would be a higher possibility, but not a 100% given, I would think.

[Mysterion]

Kokomo wrote:

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Since Sarek was afflicted with the disease, does that mean that Spock will contract it as well? (especially if it is a genetic condition).

He might be more prone to contracting it by virtue of the family genetics.

Then again, I suspect there was a lot of genetic ping-pong being played during Spock's gestation (the was probably a fair amount of lab time involved) that may have lowered the odds on this happening.

Or, the basic fact of his human-vulcan hybrid nature might have opened up a whole genetic can of worms leaving poor Spock susceptible to any variety of nasty congenital defects, diseases, and syndromes over the course of his life. It is possible, although not addressed in the stories we've seen about him, that Spock has had to periodically submit to check-ups or somesuch to monitor and correct various potential ailments all his life.

and gods know what sort of monkey-wrenches having died and been revived by the Genesis Effect may have had on the whole mess.

[Aquehonga]

Does BS afflict Romulans too? And if so, to the same extent as Vulcans?

If Spock came down with BS on Romulus, how would he be treated? And by whom?

In Nemo when Picard was on Romulus, did thoughts of Spock go through his head at all?

Picard could've delivered the sad news about Jim & had Selar check over Spock for BS at the same time

[Pinkle]

This is a really interesting thread! I'm always on the lookout for interesting Vulcan facts :3 I never really looked at all the stuff Spock had been through either LOL

[Myasishchev]

If you live long enough, the brain's going to fall apart somehow. Presumably that's why they don't use their medical replicators and cloning technology to keep people in top physical condition forever, as by 100-150 for humans (and 200-300 for Vulcans) the brain decays anyway, a condition which plausibly cannot be cured even with 24th century means.

[matthunter]

Aquehonga wrote:

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Does BS afflict Romulans too? And if so, to the same extent as Vulcans?

There's nothing canon, but I read a good take on it in some RPG material which, sensibly, suggests Romulans don't suffer from it as they don't suppress their emotions - and, characteristically, see this as evidence of the superiority of the Romulan way of life over that of the logical Vulcans...