What
is Progressive Supranuclear Palsy?
Progressive
Supranuclear Palsy [PSP] is a lesser known neurological illness which is often misdiagnosed
as Parkinson’s, Stroke, Alzheimer’s or Motor Neurone Disease. It can also go
undiagnosed, especially in the elderly.
Because of the
similarity to some Parkinson’s symptoms, PSP is included in a group of diseases
referred to as Parkinson’s Plus Syndrome.
PSP damages and
destroys neurons or nerve endings in the brain stem and basal ganglia areas of the brain, the parts that control balance,
thought processes, eye movements, the ability to swallow and speech.
Some of the most
common symptoms of PSP are:
- poor
balance and unsteady gait or walking
- frequent
falls, generally backwards
- slowed movements
-
rigidity
or stiffness
- cramped
writing
- visual
difficulties, particularly when looking up or down, as well as slow blinking,
difficulty maintaining eye contact, tunnel vision and sensitivity to light
- quiet,
slow and slurred speech
- difficulty
swallowing
-
anxiety
and/or depression, and a loss of motivation.
PSP affects people
over the age of 40, its incidence increasing with age, and is found in all
races, classes and in both male and female alike.
It was thought to be
quite a rare disorder for some time, mainly because it went undiagnosed in many
people, but it is thought that PSP could affect at least six people in every
100,000 people. To give an idea of the level of mis- and non-diagnosis, the
incidence and duration of the illness means at least 10,000 people in the UK
have PSP, but only 4,000 are correctly diagnosed, leaving some 6,000 having to
cope with a wrong or missed diagnosis.
As diagnosis becomes more accurate and happens earlier in the disease
progression, the number who receive an accurate diagnosis is likely to
rise.
The progression of the
illness varies from one person to another and some symptoms may only appear in
the later stages. The order in which
individual symptoms appear varies in each person, depending on the area of the
brain affected, and it is often only in hindsight, once further symptoms emerge
and a diagnosis is made, that initial symptoms are recognised.
