Causes: Progressive Supranuclear Palsy:
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.
(Source: excerpt from NINDS Progressive Supranuclear Palsy Information Page: NINDS)
As with all medical conditions, there may be many causal factors. Further relevant information on causes of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy may be found in:
16 MEDICAL BOOKS ONLINE! Review excerpts from medical books online, free, without registration, for more information about the causes of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy.
Dystonia is a late sign of this disorder, which is marked by slowly progressive dementia. The patient typically displays decreased attention span, amnesia, agitation, an inability to carry out activities of daily living, dysarthria, and emotional lability.
Prolonged, generalized dystonia is the hallmark of this disorder, which usually develops in childhood and worsens with age. Initially, it causes foot inversion, which is followed by growth retardation and scoliosis. Late signs include twisted, bizarre postures, limb contractures, and dysarthria.
This degenerative disease causes dystonic trunk movements accompanied by choreoathetosis, ataxia, myoclonus, and generalized rigidity. The patient also exhibits a progressive intellectual decline and dysarthria.
Dystonic movements mark the preterminal stage of Huntington’s disease. Characterized by progressive intellectual decline, this disorder leads to dementia and emotional lability. The patient displays choreoathetosis accompanied by dysarthria, dysphagia, facial grimacing, and a wide-based, prancing gait.
Ataxia, an early sign in this rare disorder, slowly progresses to dystonia. Other findings include dysarthria, action tremor, bradykinesia, and visual deterioration.
Dystonic spasms are common in this disease. Other classic features include uniform or jerky rigidity, pill-rolling tremor, bradykinesia, dysarthria, dysphagia, drooling, masklike facies, monotone voice, stooped posture, and a propulsive gait.
Dystonia appears as a late sign in this rare disorder, which resembles Alzheimer’s disease.
Also known as Steele-Richardson-Olszewski syndrome, this rare disorder affects mainly middle-aged people, causing intermittent dystonia with extreme neck flexion or extension. Other signs and symptoms include impaired extraocular movement, diminished voice volume, dysarthria, truncal rigidity, dementia, ataxia, masklike facies, and dysphagia.
Progressive dystonia and chorea of the arms and legs mark this disorder. Other common signs and symptoms include hoarseness, bradykinesia, behavior changes, dysphagia, drooling, dysarthria, tremors, and Kayser-Fleischer rings (rusty-brown rings at the periphery of the cornea).
Haloperidol, loxapine, and other antipsychotics usually produce acute facial dystonia, as do risperidone, metyrosine, antiemetic doses of metoclopramide, and excessive doses of levodopa.
Source: Professional Guide to Signs & Symptoms (Fifth Edition), 2006
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