NINDS Multiple System Atrophy Information Page

Condensed from Multiple System Atrophy Fact Sheet

Table of Contents (click to jump to sections)

What is Multiple System Atrophy?
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?
Clinical Trials
Organizations

What is Multiple System Atrophy?

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized by symptoms of autonomic nervous system failure such as fainting spells and bladder control problems, combined with motor control symptoms such as tremor, rigidity, and loss of muscle coordination. MSA affects both men and women primarily in their 50s. Although what causes MSA is unknown, the disorder's symptoms reflect the loss of nerve cells in several different areas in the brain and spinal cord that control the autonomic nervous system and coordinate muscle movements. The loss of nerve cells may be due to the buildup of a protein called alpha-synuclein in the cells that produce dopamine, a neurotransmitter that relays motor commands in the brain.

Is there any treatment?

There is no cure for MSA. Currently, there are no treatments to delay the progress of neurodegeneration in the brain. But there are treatments available to help people cope with some of the more disabling symptoms of MSA.

What is the prognosis?

The disease tends to advance rapidly over the course of 9 to 10 years, with progressive loss of motor skills, eventual confinement to bed, and death. There is no remission from the disease. There is currently no cure.

What research is being done?

The NINDS supports research about MSA through grants to major medical institutions across the country. In 2007, the NINDS sponsored a consensus conference that brought together experts from around the world to review and update the diagnostic criteria for MSA. These new diagnostic guidelines are helping doctors make quicker and more accurate diagnoses of MSA. A great deal of research is ongoing to learn why synuclein buildup occurs in MSA and Parkinson’s disease, and how to prevent it.

NIH Patient Recruitment for Multiple System Atrophy Clinical Trials

Organizations

Column1	Column2
Dysautonomia Foundation 315 W. 39th Street Suite 701 New York, NY 10018 info@familialdysautonomia.org http://www.familialdysautonomia.org Tel: 212-279-1066 Fax: 212-279-2066	Familial Dysautonomia Hope Foundation, Inc. (FD Hope) 121 South Estes Drive Suite 205-D Chapel Hill, NC 27514-2868 info@fdhope.org http://www.fdhope.org Tel: 919-969-1414
National Dysautonomia Research Foundation P.O. Box 301 Red Wing, MN 55066-0301 ndrf@ndrf.org http://www.ndrf.org Tel: 651-267-0525 Fax: 651-267-0524	Shy-Drager/Multiple System Atrophy Support Group, Inc. 8311 Brier Creek Parkway Suite 105-434 Raleigh, NC 27617 vjames@shy-drager.org or jbiedenharn@shy-drager.org http://www.shy-drager.org Tel: 1-866-737-5999

Publicaciones en Español

Atrofia multisistémica

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National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
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Last updated December 28, 2012