Causes of multiple system atrophy It is not known what triggers this accumulation. Changes occur in the brain stem, the basal ganglia and the cerebellum which controls coordination of movements. To date genetics, environmental and infection factors have not been found to be linked MSA.
What are the symptoms of MSA? Most often, the first clinical symptom a patient will note will be lightheadedness, dizziness, and episodes of passing out, but the first symptoms in some patients may include difficulty initiating movement, body stiffness, urinary incontinence, and increased falls.
When you feel safer, because the 'danger' has passed or because you no longer fear it, your body returns to a more relaxed state. This explains why some symptoms of MSA such as a tremor or speech difficulty can seem temporarily worse in stressful situations.
The genetic risk factors with the most evidence are variants in the SNCA and COQ2 genes. The SNCA gene provides instructions for making a protein called alpha-synuclein, which is abundant in normal brain cells but whose function is unknown.
Symptoms of MSA usually start when someone is between 50 and 60 years of age, but they can begin at any time after 30. The symptoms are wide-ranging and include muscle control problems, similar to those of Parkinson's disease.
MSA damages the nervous system. The disease tends to progress rapidly. About one half of people with MSA-P have lost most of their motor skills within 5 years of onset of the disease.
The progression of MSA varies, but the condition does not go into remission. As the disorder progresses, daily activities become more difficult. Possible complications include: Breathing problems during sleep.
In MSA there may be several stages -- alpha-synuclein accumulates in the oligodendroglial cells, then there is failure of mitochondrial function as well as loss of trophic factor support. Then the oligodendroglia degenerate, followed by microglia and astroglial activation.
PD and MSA patients are prone to pain with insufficient treatment.
Severity and range of symptoms can vary dramatically. However, in general, progression of MSA is much more rapid than in PD and about 50% of people with MSA are wheelchair bound 5-6 years after diagnosis. In addition, MSA is much less common than PD.
Malnutrition is associated with higher mortality in the elderly population19 and MSA patients are frequently associated with weight loss20 and a malnutritional state8.
Physical Therapy and Exercise
Physical therapy can significantly improve motor symptoms through one-on-one exercises and personalized exercise plans. Many of the activities used to enhance movement of individuals with Parkinson's disease are used for people with MSA.
Neither smoking history nor heavy alcohol use influenced overall survival in MSA patients.
What bowel problems can occur when you have MSA? Constipation is the most common bowel problem experienced by people with MSA. However, a number of people with MSA will experience diarrhoea and some people have fluctuation between constipation and diarrhoea (see points 5, 7 and 9 below).
Appetite reduces and weight loss is apparent. Communication becomes too effortful and breathing more bubbly or shallow. Dying is very rarely a dramatic event. In the majority of cases it is an increasing winding down of all bodily functions and everything stopping, death occurring in a peaceful and dignified manner.
Polyglutamine (polyQ) diseases such as spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, SCA6, SCA17, DRPLA) and also late-onset Huntington disease (HD) represent the most frequent genetic misdiagnosis due to the considerable clinical overlap with MSA [5].
MRI is useful and indispensable in the diagnosis of MSA and also possibly for monitoring disease progression.
Listen, listen, listen: Living with MSA can be very isolating. The family may be eager to talk about what they are going through so listening and showing empathy can be one of the most helpful things you can do. Or they may just want a light, fun evening with laughter. Pay attention to their cues and follow their lead.
Brain imaging scans, such as an MRI , can show signs that may suggest MSA and also help determine if there are other causes that may be contributing to your symptoms.
The prevalence of MS in Australia has increased from 103.7 per 100,000 people in 2017 to 131.1 per 100,000 people in 2021.
Around 3,000 people in Australia currently live with the rare parkinsonian condition called Multiple Systems Atrophy (MSA), which affects movement, breathing, blood pressure and other body functions.
Indeed, a patient with MSA may present with vocal fold paralysis, and respiratory distress may be the initial symptom.
MSA symptoms can vary depending on which areas of your brain this condition affects. As the affected areas deteriorate, you'll have more and more difficulty with the abilities those areas control. For example, deterioration of your brainstem causes problems with autonomic processes like blood pressure.
In this unselected referral autopsy series of patients with antemortem diagnoses of MSA, the diagnostic accuracy was about 62%, which is within the range of other autopsy series.