|
HealthTales.com |
|
| Index of Diseases and Conditions: A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z |
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare brain disease. It affects brain cells that control the movement of your eyes. This leads to serious and permanent problems with balance and the way you walk. It usually occurs in middle-aged or elderly people. Symptoms are very different in each person, but may include personality changes, speech, vision and swallowing problems. Doctors sometimes confuse PSP with Parkinson's disease or Alzheimer's disease.
PSP has no cure and no effective treatments. Walking aids, special glasses and certain medicines might help somewhat. Although the disease gets worse over time, it isn't fatal on its own. However, PSP is dangerous because it increases your risk of pneumonia and choking from swallowing problems and injuries from falling.
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
'''Progressive Supranuclear Palsy''' (or the '''Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome''') is a rare congenital disorder involving the gradual deterioration and death of selected neurons in the brain. Typical effects are problems with control of gait and balance, and an inability to aim the eyes properly. Other symptoms may be alterations of mood and behavior, depression and apathy as well as mild dementia. There is currently no effective treatment for the disease. Unlike most palsies, which result in the wholesale death of patches of cerebral or spinal tissue, Progressive Supranuclear Palsy generally starts with the deterioration of synpatic connections between neurons. Because of the insidious, often lifelong and gradual nature of this deterioration, it is difficult to diagnose until it is fairly advanced. Geneticists are studying the human genome to determine if there is a hereditary trait that predisposes one for this disease; its rarity as well as its progressiveness makes it difficult to study objectively. Actor Dudley Moore, suffering from the disease and dying from its side effects, increased public awareness of this disease. In United Kingdom alone, there could be as many as 10,000 cases of PSP[http://www.pspeur.org/]. [ Read More ]
Chorus: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - A short notecard document about progressive supranuclear palsy (Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndome).
PSPinformation.com - Information and support for those with progressive supranuclear palsy and their caregivers.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke fact sheet.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Definition - Definition and short description of molecular basis of the disease.
PubMed: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - Publications on PSP.
The CaF Directory: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - Information about PSP and the activities of the PSP Europe Association.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - Assay on the disease including general information on symptoms and treatment.
Society for Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: Some Answers - Frequently asked questions about symptoms, diagnosis, treatment, and research.
NORD: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - Information from the National Organization for Rare Disorders about progressive supranuclear palsy.
BBC News: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy - A closer look at PSP, closely related to Parkinson's disease.