Causes, Risk Factors, And Complications Of Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare brain disorder that affects almost every aspect of a person's function. It can impair thinking, speech, general communication, and physical movement. The exact cause of PSP is not currently known, but there are several theories. There are also specific risk factors that can cause an individual to have a higher chance of developing progressive supranuclear palsy. Progressive supranuclear palsy often presents with similar symptoms to Parkinson's disease, but there are differences between the two. For one, PSP is caused by a different neurological process than Parkinson's. However, initial misdiagnosis of progressive supranuclear palsy as Parkinson's is frequent, especially given how much more widespread Parkinson's disease is. These are the main risk factors, potential causes, and complications of progressive supranuclear palsy.

Abnormal Amounts of Tau

The main defining factor of progressive supranuclear palsy is an accumulation of abnormal amounts of tau, a protein that occurs naturally within the brain. However, in PSP, the ability to process the protein properly erodes, causing an excess to build up. These protein deposits affect the brain's nerve cells, interrupting and damaging them.

Tau is a key cause of other disorders as well. The group of tau-related disorders is called tauopathies. Other diseases and disorders related to tau accumulation are certain types of frontotemporal degeneration, corticobasal generation, and Alzheimer's disease. To treat the disease itself, scientists would need to find a way to keep tau from clumping harmfully. Right now, there is no treatment for PSP itself, but there are treatments and ways of managing the symptoms as they progress.

Continue reading to learn about brain cells and their connection now.

Deterioration Of Brain Cells

The more the tau deposits accumulate, the more a person will experience deterioration of brain cells. This disease is progressive, meaning it continually worsens over time. The exact symptoms individuals experience will vary depending on the location of the tau deposits. Different areas of the brain affect different aspects of the mind and body.

As the brain cells continue to deteriorate, patients will experience any number of neurological symptoms. They might have difficulty moving their eyes and walking. Overall, their motor function might seem stiff and awkward, and there are often speech impairments. This covers the inability to speak at an average rate without pauses, but it also pertains to the inability to understand or put together sentences.

Another part of brain cell deterioration is a lack of emotional control or awareness. Individuals may swing wildly from one mood to the next with no apparent reason for the switch. They may also lash out in anger or become withdrawn and mask-like. The exact emotional behaviors will vary depending on the type of destruction done to the brain, along with the severity of that destruction.

Continue reading to learn about the age-related risk factor.