How Is Psp Diagnosed
Currently there are no tests or brain imaging techniques to definitively diagnose PSP. An initial diagnosis is based on the persons medical history and a physical and neurological exam. Identifying early gait problems, problems moving the eyes, speech and swallowing abnormalities, as well as ruling out other similar disorders is important. Diagnostic imaging may show shrinkage at the top of the brain stem and look at brain activity in known areas of degeneration.
Vascular Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Vascular PSP is a rare syndrome associated with multiple ischemic lesions in various brain regions, including the brainstem, the basal ganglia, thalamus, frontal lobe, and cerebellum, without tau deposits characteristic of neurodegenerative PSP . Clinical signs usually include falls, dementia, and other symptoms that mimic tau-related PSP, but a thorough physical examination additionally reveals atypical features . The key element of medical evaluation among this group of patients seems to be the assessment of cardiovascular risk factors and the demonstration of ischemic changes on imaging studies .
What Causes Parkinsons Disease
The most prominent signs and symptoms of Parkinsons disease occur when nerve cells in the basal ganglia, an area of the brain that controls movement, become impaired and/or die. Normally, these nerve cells, or neurons, produce an important brain chemical known as dopamine. When the neurons die or become impaired, they produce less dopamine, which causes the movement problems associated with the disease. Scientists still do not know what causes the neurons to die.
People with Parkinsons disease also lose the nerve endings that produce norepinephrine, the main chemical messenger of the sympathetic nervous system, which controls many functions of the body, such as heart rate and blood pressure. The loss of norepinephrine might help explain some of the non-movement features of Parkinsons, such as fatigue, irregular blood pressure, decreased movement of food through the digestive tract, and sudden drop in blood pressure when a person stands up from a sitting or lying position.
Many brain cells of people with Parkinsons disease contain Lewy bodies, unusual clumps of the protein alpha-synuclein. Scientists are trying to better understand the normal and abnormal functions of alpha-synuclein and its relationship to genetic mutations that impact Parkinsons andLewy body dementia.
You May Like: What Are The Side Effects Of Parkinson’s Medication
Treatments Other Than Medication Or Surgery
Staying active and pursuing therapy can help you adjust your lifestyle with Parkinsons disease. We offer a full range of therapy and other services to help you, including:
- Exercise, physical, occupational and recreational therapy to keep you mobile, living your life and doing things your enjoy
- Nutrition and speech therapy to help with throat and swallowing issues.
- Mental health support and social services to treat depression and anxiety stemming from disease-related challenges, such as lifestyle changes.
Learn more about the nonsurgical- and nonmedication-based Parkinsons disease programs we offer. Talk to your care team about these and additional options.
We will also provide you with resources to manage your Parkinsons Disease including new patient orientation, classes, support groups and links to national associations.
How Is Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Diagnosed
PSP is diagnosed on the basis of clinical signs and exam findings, but it often isnt easy to diagnose. Theres no single test that points right at it with certainty. It is often mistaken for Parkinsons disease and it can sometimes take years to distinguish PSP from PD.
If your healthcare provider suspects PSP based on the symptoms you report, he or she will likely send you to get a MRI . This will help to rule out other diseases such as Parkinsons and occasionally it can show shrinking of your midbrain that raises the possibility of PSP in the appropriate clinical setting. Youll also be sent to a neurologist specializing in Parkinsons disease and movement disorders.
Although there are many symptoms of PSP, the one that confirms the diagnosis is trouble moving your eyes up and down. Other common symptoms like falling and difficulty swallowing also point at PSP.
Don’t Miss: Is Fish Oil Good For Parkinson Disease
Diffuse Lewy Body Disease
Diffuse Lewy body disease is a spectrum of diseases involving dementia and motor symptoms, and the second most common cause of dementia. Because the dementia is similar to that of Alzheimers, and other symptoms imitate Parkinsons disease, the disease can be difficult to diagnose. However, patients with DLBD have hallucinations and are very sensitive to antipsychotic medications. DLBD is more common in men than women.
What Are Atypical Parkinsonian Disorders
Atypical Parkinsonian disorders are progressive diseases that present with some of the signs and symptoms of Parkinsons disease, but that generally do not respond well to drug treatment with levodopa. They are associated with abnormal protein buildup within brain cells.
The term refers to several conditions, each affecting particular parts of the brain and showing a characteristic course:
- Dementia with Lewy bodies, characterized by an abnormal accumulation of alpha-synuclein protein in brain cells
- Progressive supranuclear palsy, involving tau protein buildup affecting the frontal lobes, brainstem, cerebellum and substantia nigra
- Multiple system atrophy, another synucleinopathy that affects the autonomic nervous system , substantia nigra and at times the cerebellum
- Corticobasal syndrome, a rare tauopathy that typically affects one side of the body more than the other and makes it difficult for patients to see and navigate through space
Don’t Miss: Carbidopa Levodopa For Parkinson’s
What Are The Different Forms Of Parkinsonism
There are three main forms of parkinsonism, as well as other related conditions.
Most people with parkinsonism have idiopathic Parkinsons disease, also known as Parkinsons. Idiopathic means the cause is unknown.
The most common symptoms of idiopathic Parkinsons are tremor, rigidity and slowness of movement.
Vascular parkinsonism affects people with restricted blood supply to the brain. Sometimes people who have had a mild stroke may develop this form of parkinsonism.
Common symptoms include problems with memory, sleep, mood and movement.
Some drugs can cause parkinsonism.
Neuroleptic drugs , which block the action of the chemical dopamine in the brain, are thought to be the biggest cause of drug-induced parkinsonism.
The symptoms of drug-induced parkinsonism tend to stay the same only in rare cases do they progress in the way that Parkinsons symptoms do.
Drug-induced parkinsonism only affects a small number of people, and most will recover within months and often within days or weeks of stopping the drug thats causing it.
Recommended Reading: Does Sam Waterston Have Parkinsons
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Associated With Infectious And Parasitic Diseases
Progressive supranuclear palsy-like syndrome is a rare presentation of bacterial diseases, including Whipple disease and neurosyphilis, both with potential response to antibiotics . Neurological manifestations in Whipples disease usually do not appear until the advanced stages of the disease however, in some cases, neurological disorders are the first and only symptoms of the disease . In contrast to neurodegenerative PSP, neurological examination reveals the lack of square wave jerks, more impaired upward than downward saccades, and oculomasticatory myrhythmia in some cases . Imaging studies can show varied changes, but without midbrain atrophy characteristic of tau-related PSP . In neurosyphilis, the presence of pupillary dysfunction is an important feature that may help in the differential diagnosis with tau- related PSP . Single cases of PSP-like syndrome in the course of viral infections and parasitic diseases are also described in the literature, but data about them are very limited.
The differential features of paraneoplastic, autoimmune, vascular, infectious, and neurodegenerative PSP are given in the Table 1.
Recommended Reading: Free Respite Care For Parkinson’s Patients
Parkinson Disease Type 9
- Other Names:
Autosomal recessive Parkinson disease 9 KRPPD Kufor-Rakeb syndrome Pallidopyramidal degeneration with supranuclear upgaze paresis, and dementia Park 9Autosomal recessive Parkinson disease 9 KRPPD Kufor-Rakeb syndrome Pallidopyramidal degeneration with supranuclear upgaze paresis, and dementia Park 9 Read More
Duopa To Treat Parkinson’s Disease
Froedtert & MCW health network is the first in the state to use Duopa, a advanced approach to the administration of carbidopa and levodopa for the treatment of motor fluctuations for people with advanced Parkinson’s disease.
As Parkinson’s disease progresses, some patients may experience motor fluctuations from an “on” state, when symptoms are well-treated, to an “off state, during which they are slower, stiffer and experience more difficulty moving. These states correspond to peak and trough plasma concentrations of levodopa. Patients may also experience dyskinesias , generally at peak dose.
Duopa was approved by the FDA in 2015 as an enteral suspension for the treatment of these motor fluctuations for people with advanced Parkinson’s disease.
How Does Duopa Work?
Duopa is administered using a small, portable infusion pump that delivers carbidopa/ levodopa directly into the small intestine via a tube placed by a percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy procedure with a jejunal extension . Duopa provides patients with the same active ingredients as orally-administered carbidopa/levodopa immediate release, but is delivered in a continuous fashion throughout the day, which avoids the plasma level peaks and troughs seen with the oral medication.
While there is no known cure for Parkinsons disease, available treatments help reduce symptoms, and carbidopa/levodopa is recognized as one of the most effective treatment for the disease.
Recommended Reading: Does Parkinson’s Qualify For Hospice
Experience And Expertise In Diagnosis And Care
Parkinsonism is a shorthand description for body movements that have become slow, small, stiff, shaky, and unsteady. Most cases of Parkinsonism develop after age 50 and are caused by neurodegenerative diseases such as Parkinsons disease . Some Parkinsonisms are the result of strokes, medication side effects, or another neurological condition such as normal pressure hydrocephalus.
UT Southwesterns Movement Disorders team has extensive experience in evaluating and treating Parkinsonism, PD, and other related disorders. Our clinical programs provide patients with access to the latest treatment options and information about medications to manage symptoms, as well as other services as needed.
Overlap With Other Diseases
Progressive supranuclear palsy is frequently the disease most often confused with CBD. Both PSP and CBD result in similar symptoms, and both display tauopathies upon histological inspection. However, it has been noted that tauopathy in PSP results in tuft-shaped astrocytes in contrast with the ring-shaped astrocytic plaques found as a result of CBD.
Individuals diagnosed with PD often exhibit similar movement dysfunction as those diagnosed with CBD, which adds complexity to its diagnosis. Some other neurodegenerative diseases including Alzheimers disease , dementia with Lewy bodies , chronic traumatic encephalopathy and frontotemporal dementia also show commonalities with CBD.
Read Also: Zhichan Capsule
Read Also: Who Gets Parkinson’s Disease
Other Types Of Parkinsonism
Like Parkinsons, MSA can cause stiffness and slowness of movement in the early stages. However, people with MSA can also develop symptoms that are unusual in early Parkinsons, such as unsteadiness, falls, bladder problems and dizziness.
PSP affects eye movement, balance, mobility, speech and swallowing. Its sometimes called Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome.
Normal pressure hydrocephalus mainly affects the lower half of the body. The common symptoms are walking difficulties, urinary incontinence and memory problems. Removing some cerebrospinal fluid through a needle in the lower back can help with these symptoms in the short term. If there is improvement after this procedure, an operation to divert the spinal fluid permanently can help in the long term.
While these are not parkinsonian disorders, you may be diagnosed with one of these conditions if tremor is your only symptom.
There are several other, much rarer, possible causes of parkinsonism. These include rare conditions like Wilsons disease, an inherited disorder where theres too much copper in your bodys skin and muscles.
What Are Parkinsons Disease Dementia And Lewy Body Dementia
Parkinsons disease is a progressive, degenerative neurological movement disorder that affects approximately 7 million people worldwide. It is the second most common neurodegenerative disorder after Alzheimer’s disease.
Up to 80% of Parkinsons disease patients will develop Parkinsons disease dementia that is characterized by a progressive loss of memory and decline in intellectual abilities.
About 15% of Parkinsons disease diagnoses include so-called Parkinsons plus syndromes. One of these syndromes is Lewy body dementia , also known as dementia with Lewy bodies , a form of progressive dementia accounting for 20% of dementias in people over the age of 65.
Read Also: How Do You Know If Someone Has Parkinson’s Disease
How To Take Care Of Myself Or Manage Symptoms
Parkinsonism refers to a wide range of conditions and diseases with similar effects and symptoms. Most of these diseases and conditions are severe and have a high risk of complications when theres a delay in diagnosing and treating them.
Because many of these conditions are so severe and need diagnosing and treating sooner rather than later, you shouldn’t try to self-diagnose or treat parkinsonism. If you think you have a form of parkinsonism, it’s important to talk to a healthcare provider as soon as possible. They can help you by determining if you have one of these conditions, or they can refer you to a specialist for diagnosis and treatment.
How Can My Friends And Family Help If I Have Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
Tell your friends and family about your symptoms. Let them know what you can and cant do. Help them understand that changes in your personality, eye contact and mood are part of the illness. Its also important to explain to them that the severity of your symptoms can come and go. One hour, you may be walking, eating and writing just fine, and the next hour you might barely be able to do those things at all.
If youre a caregiver for someone with PSP, be sure to take care of yourself, too!
Read Also: Team Fox For Parkinson’s Research
Sidebar: Morris K Udall Centers Of Excellence For Parkinson’s Disease Research
The Morris K. Udall Parkinsons Disease Research Act of 1997 authorized the NIH to greatly accelerate and expand PD research efforts by launching the NINDS Udall Centers of Excellence, a network of research centers that provide a collaborative, interdisciplinary framework for PD research. Udall Center investigators, along with many other researchers funded by the NIH, have made substantial progress in understanding PD, including identifying disease-associated genes investigating the neurobiological mechanisms that contribute to PD, developing and improving PD research models, and discovering and testing potential therapeutic targets for developing novel treatment strategies.
The Udall Centers continue to conduct critical basic, translational, and clinical research on PD including: 1) identifying and characterizing candidate and disease-associated genes, 2) examining neurobiological mechanisms underlying the disease, and 3) developing and testing potential therapies. As part of the program, Udall Center investigators work with local communities of patients and caregivers to identify the challenges of living with PD and to translate scientific discoveries into patient care. The Centers also train the next generation of physicians and scientists who will advance our knowledge of and treatments for PD. See the full list of Udall Centers.
Types Of Parkinsons Disease
Parkinson’s disease is classified by type based on its cause and age of onset. Idiopathic PD occurs in persons around 60. Early-onset PD occurs in younger patients, often before the age of 50.
There are also secondary parkinsonism and atypical parkinsonism. These conditions have similar PD symptoms but are caused by something else, like a drug, stroke, or a primary neurodegenerative disease.
This article will review the different types of Parkinson’s disease, including the causes of secondary parkinsonism and atypical parkinsonism.
Verywell / Katie Kerpel
Read Also: Is Parkinson’s Hereditary Or Genetic
Are There Signs And Symptoms Of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy That Are More Common Or Appear First
The most common first sign is a loss of balance when walking or climbing stairs. You might feel stiff, awkward when walking and have falls for reasons you cant explain. The second most common symptom is difficulty looking downward. Then, you might have a hard time finding words, freezing in the middle of walking and have forgetfulness, personality changes, increased irritability and loss of interest. Another very common initial symptom is a stare look on your face. Other symptoms that occur at first, but are less common, include slurred speech, difficulty driving and shaky hands.
How Can I Prevent This Condition Or Reduce My Risk Of Developing It
Parkinsonism happens unpredictably in most cases, so it’s usually impossible to prevent it or reduce your risk of developing it. However, there are specific types of secondary parkinsonism that you can reduce the risk of developing. These are:
- Toxin-induced parkinsonism. Its possible to reduce your risk of developing this type of parkinsonism by avoiding toxins or substances that can cause it or by using safety equipment to reduce your exposure to these substances when you cant avoid them.
- Post-traumatic parkinsonism. You can reduce your risk of developing this by using safety equipment to protect yourself from head injuries.
- Vascular parkinsonism. Reducing your risk of developing this involves taking care of your circulatory health, especially the circulation in your brain. Managing this involves maintaining a weight that’s healthy for you, eating a balanced diet and staying physically active.
You May Like: Parkinson’s Disease Cognitive Impairment
Sidebar: Ninds Steps Up Pursuit Of Pd Biomarkers
In 2012, the NINDS dramatically accelerated efforts to identify biomarkers by establishing the Parkinsons Disease Biomarkers Program . This unprecedented program unites a range of stakeholders from basic and clinical researchers to healthcare professionals, the NINDS staff, information technology experts, and people living with PD and their families.
PDBP supports research and builds resources aimed at accelerating the discovery of biomarkers to ultimately slow the progression of PD. For example, the program has established a repository of biological specimens and a Data Management Resource system maintained by the NIH Center for Information Technology. The DMR allows researchers to access clinical, imaging, genetic, and biologic data, while a complementary PDBP-supported project develops statistical tools to analyze vast quantities of data so that patterns can be identified across these diverse sources of information.