Spinal muscular atrophy causes a significant burden to patients, caregivers and healthcare systems, although the extent of the burden is dependent on the type of spinal muscular atrophy reported.

Current research demonstrates that disease-modifying therapies can potentially reduce spinal muscular atrophy costs, but more information is needed across all spinal muscular atrophy types.

It is recommended that future cost and resource evaluations in spinal muscular atrophy should be reported according to the degree of ambulation by patients.