Progressive Supranuclear Palsy
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What is Progressive Supranuclear Palsy?
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?
Organizations
Publicaciones en Español
Additional resources from MEDLINEplus
What is Progressive Supranuclear Palsy?
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare brain disorder that causes serious and permanent problems with control of gait
and balance. The most obvious sign of the disease is an inability to aim the eyes properly, which occurs because of lesions
in the area of the brain that coordinates eye movements. Some patients describe this effect as a blurring. PSP patients often
show alterations of mood and behavior, including depression and apathy as well as progressive mild dementia. It must be emphasized
that the pattern of signs and symptoms can be quite different from person to person. The symptoms of PSP are caused by a gradual
deterioration of brain cells in a few tiny but important places at the base of the brain, in the region called the brainstem.
PSP is often misdiagnosed because some of its symptoms are very much like those of Parkinson's disease, Alzheimer's disease,
and more rare neurodegenerative disorders, such as Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease. The key to establishing the diagnosis of PSP
is the identification of early gait instability and difficulty moving the eyes, the hallmark of the disease, as well as ruling
out other similar disorders, some of which are treatable. Although PSP gets progressively worse, no one dies from PSP itself.
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?
Select this link to view a list of studies currently seeking patients.
CUREPSP (Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy) Executive Plaza III 11350 McCormick Road, Ste. 906 Hunt Valley, MD 21031 info@curepsp.org http://www.curepsp.org Tel: 410-785-7004 800-457-4777 Fax: 410-785-7009 |
WE MOVE (Worldwide Education & Awareness for Movement Disorders) 204 West 84th Street New York, NY 10024 wemove@wemove.org http://www.wemove.org Tel: 212-875-8312 Fax: 212-875-8389 |
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Last updated July 16, 2008