Looks like this webpage on the four atypical parkinsonism disorders — CBD, LBD, MSA, and PSP — was recently created on the Michael J. Fox Foundation website. (It wasn’t there in July 2016, when we became one of their partners.) Here’s a link to the new webpage:
www.michaeljfox.org/understanding-parkinsons/living-with-pd/topic.php?atypical-parkinsonism
Below, I’ve copied the summaries of the four disorders from the short webpage. In addition to these summaries, the webpage also discusses treatment for these diseases.
Robin
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Excerpts from
Atypical Parkinsonism
Michael J. Fox Foundation Webpage
Un-dated
Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD)
Corticobasal degeneration (CBD) leads primarily to motor and cognitive (memory/thinking) symptoms. Motor symptoms mainly affect one arm and/or hand and include:
* slowness,
* stiffness,
* myoclonus (rapid muscle jerks), and
* dystonia (an abnormal, fixed posture).
The dystonic posture may cause the arm to be held close to the body and bent at the elbow and the wrist and fingers to be flexed toward the palm. Dystonia can cause pain and palm sores and interfere with regular daily activities (such as brushing teeth or preparing meals). Cognitive problems can affect speech, memory and/or behavior. Brain-processing difficulties can make performing complex motions, such as combing hair or turning a key in a lock, challenging or impossible. People with CBD may also experience “alien limb phenomenon,” which is involuntary activity of a limb and a feeling that the limb is foreign or has a will of its own. (An alien hand could take one’s eyeglasses off after the other hand has put them on, for example.)
Lewy Body Dementia (LBD)
Lewy body dementia (LBD), also known as dementia with Lewy bodies (DLB) is a form of dementia associated with PD, typically occurring early in the course of disease. LBD involves motor symptoms of Parkinson’s (usually stiffness and slowness) and significant impairment of thinking and/or memory abilities that interferes with daily activities. Additional symptoms may include:
* visual hallucinations (seeing things that aren’t there),
* unpredictable fluctuations in levels of alertness or attention, and
* mood, behavioral and/or personality changes.
REM sleep behavior disorder, in which a person acts out his or her dreams, and orthostatic hypotension (a decrease in blood pressure when changing positions that can cause dizziness or lightheadedness) are other common symptoms.
Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) patients may experience:
* parkinsonism — usually slowness, stiffness and walking/balance difficulties (rather than tremor);
* cerebellar symptoms — incoordination, imbalance and/or slurred speech; and
* autonomic nervous system dysfunction — problems with the body’s automatic activities such as blood pressure regulation, bladder emptying and sexual functions.
Other features of MSA include abnormal postures (head and neck tilted forward, hand held in a grasping position, or foot and ankle turned inward); speech and swallowing problems; episodes of uncontrolled laughter or crying (pseudobulbar palsy); cognitive (memory/thinking) problems; and sleep disturbances, including REM sleep behavior disorder (acting out one’s dreams) or sleep apnea (breathing pauses during sleep).
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP)
Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) causes imbalance, gait difficulties and a tendency to fall backwards. It also restricts normal eye movements, which can lead to reading difficulties, falls when walking down stairs and visual disturbances (blurred or double vision, or light sensitivity). Involuntary eyelid closure (called blepharospasm); memory and behavior changes (such as decreased motivation and emotional fluctuations); and speech and swallowing problems also may occur.
Robin