Multiple systems atrophy and nonfamilial olivopontocerebellar atrophy are the same disease

Amantadine effectiveness in multiple system atrophy and progressive supranuclear palsy

Progressive Supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) each respond poorly to most anti-parkinsonian drugs. We assessed PSP and MSA cases seen between 1970 and 1996 for response to amantadine (Amd) 100 mg twice daily. Of 13 MSA cases (six females, seven males), eight (61.5%) improved, four (30.8%) did not benefit and one had insufficient documentation. Adverse effects were observed in three (23.1%) cases. Of 14 PSP (three females, 11 males), six (42.9%) had some improvement, five (35.7%) had no benefit, and three (21.4%) had inadequate documentation. Adverse effects were noted in three (28.6%) cases. Improvement is likely related to NMDA antagonist properties of Amd. We recommend consideration of Amd in the management of both PSP and MSA.

Sporadic adult-onset ataxia of unknown etiology

Sporadic adult-onset ataxia of unknown etiology (SAOA) denotes the non-hereditary degenerative adult-onset ataxia disorders that are distinct from multiple system atrophy (MSA). Rather than being a defined disease entity, SAOA has to be regarded as a group of disorders of unknown etiology that are defined by a common clinical syndrome and the exclusion of known disease causes. Epidemiological studies have revealed prevalence rates ranging from 2.2 to 8.4 per 100000, which are higher than those of hereditary ataxias. Clinically, SAOA is characterized by a slowly progressive cerebellar syndrome starting around the age of 50 years. About one-third of SAOA patients have either polyneuropathy or pyramidal tract involvement accompanying cerebellar ataxia. Cognitive impairment is not the rule, and, if present, is only mild. More than half of SAOA patients have signs of mild autonomic dysfunction that do not meet the criteria of severe autonomic failure required for a diagnosis of MSA. Neuropathological and imaging studies show an isolated cerebellar cortical degeneration with no or only mild brainstem involvement. There is no established therapy for SAOA.

Challenge-oriented gait and balance training in sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy: a case study

BACKGROUND AND PURPOSE

Sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) is a rare and debilitating neurologic disease of insidious onset. It is characterized by atrophy of the cerebellum, pons, and inferior olivary nuclei with concomitant ambulation deficits and dyscoordination. To our knowledge, there has been no published study investigating any aspect of rehabilitation in OPCA. Therefore, the purpose of this study was to investigate the use of challenge-oriented gait and balance training to improve gait and balance in OPCA.

CASE DESCRIPTION

An otherwise healthy 19-year-old woman with moderate to severe upper and lower extremity ataxia, secondary to sporadic OPCA, participated in this prospective case study. She also had a vestibulotoxic treatment procedure to decrease the severity of her vertigo.

INTERVENTION

This individual participated in a 12-week gait and balance training program (five times per week), which consisted of one to two hours of various challenging static and dynamic balance tasks. To measure her progress, the following scales and tests were used: Berg Balance Scale, Dynamic Gait Index, Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale, computerized dynamic posturography (sensory organization test and limits of stability), and self-selected gait velocity.

OUTCOMES

: Improvements were noted in all the dependent measures (pre to post): Berg Balance Scale (34/56 to 39/56), Dynamic Gait Index (1/24 to 7/24), Activities-Specific Balance Confidence Scale (50.6%-85.1%), sensory organization test (composite score, 31/100 to 47/100), limits of stability (maximum excursion, 89-105; endpoint excursion, 57-93; directional control, 60-78), and SSGV (0.375-0.526 m/sec).

DISCUSSION

Results from this case study suggest that a gait and balance training program may be beneficial to individuals with ataxia from OPCA. This early evidence warrants further investigation using more rigorous methods.

Olivopontocerebellar atrophy: Toward a better nosological definition

Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) is a pathological label implying not only olivopontocerebellar changes, but also cases with more widespread lesions involving the CNS. This polytopic pathological background accounts for clinical complexity, essentially defined as cerebellar-plus syndrome. The term "OPCA" is applicable to an increasing number of neurodegenerative syndromes, including autosomal dominant ataxia, complicated spastic paraplegia, multiple-system atrophy (MSA), and many cases of idiopathic late-onset cerebellar ataxia (ILOCA), some of whom also turn out to have MSA. OPCA may also be part of the pathological hallmark of other disorders, such as prion disorders, mitochondrial encephalomyopathies, and hereditary metabolic diseases. Sporadic OPCA and ILOCA with cerebellar-plus presentation and neuroimaging evidence of brainstem and cerebellar atrophy may represent interchangeable eponyms. Just a quarter of such cases evolve to MSA within 5 years of the onset of symptoms. Therefore, the assumption that MSA and sporadic OPCA necessarily are one and the same disease is no longer tenable. Our review suggests that the label "OPCA" is useful to designate a clinicopathological syndrome that has a variety of etiologies carrying a poor prognosis, particularly if associated with autonomic failure as occurs in MSA.

Pure cerebello-olivary degeneration of Marie, Foix, and Alajouanine presenting with progressive cerebellar ataxia, cognitive decline, and chorea

Parenchymatous cerebellar cortical atrophy (CCA) usually presents with a "pure" cerebellar ataxia. We describe a patient with a sporadic, late-onset progressive cerebellar ataxia plus cognitive decline and chorea who had CCA at post mortem. We discuss this unique case in the current context of classification of idiopathic cerebellar ataxia.

Palatal tremor, progressive multiple cranial nerve palsies, and cerebellar ataxia: a case report and review of literature of palatal tremors in neurodegenerative disease

We describe a patient with an unusual clinical presentation of progressive multiple cranial nerve palsies, cerebellar ataxia, and palatal tremor (PT) resulting from an unknown etiology. Magnetic resonance imaging showed evidence of hypertrophy of the inferior olivary nuclei, brain stem atrophy, and marked cerebellar atrophy. This combination of progressive multiple cranial nerve palsies, cerebellar ataxia, and PT has never been reported in the literature. We have also reviewed the literature of PT secondary to neurodegenerative causes. In a total of 23 patients, the common causes are sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA; 22%), Alexander's disease (22%), unknown etiology (43.4%), and occasionally progressive supranuclear palsy (4.3%) and spinocerebellar degeneration (4.3%). Most patients present with progressive cerebellar ataxia and approximately two thirds of them have rhythmic tremors elsewhere. Ear clicks are observed in 13% and evidence of hypertrophy of the inferior olivary nucleus in 25% of the patients. The common neurodegenerative causes of PT are OPCA/multiple system atrophy, Alexander's disease, and, in most of them, the result of an unknown cause.

Analysis of single-joint rapid movements in patients with sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy

Patients with pure cerebellar cortical atrophy (CCA) present isolated cerebellar signs, whereas patients with sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy (sOPCA) present various combinations of cerebellar and extracerebellar signs. However, the differential diagnosis between these two forms of cerebellar degeneration is often a challenge for the clinician. Therefore, any test helping in this differential diagnosis might have a potential clinical interest. In this study, our goal was to investigate the adaptation to increased inertia in patients with sOPCA exhibiting combined cerebellar and pyramidal signs, during the performance of fast wrist flexions. We found that these patients exhibited a hypermetria which remained unchanged after addition of inertia, because they were unable to increase neither their agonist activity (launching force), nor their antagonist activity (braking force). This contrasts with our previous findings in patients with CCA. In these latter, the hypermetria worsened when the inertial load of the hand increased because those patients were able to increase their agonist activity, but not their antagonist activity. The adaptation to inertia might thus help to differentiate CCA and sOPCA.