Skip to main page content
U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Dot gov

The .gov means it’s official.
Federal government websites often end in .gov or .mil. Before sharing sensitive information, make sure you’re on a federal government site.

Https

The site is secure.
The https:// ensures that you are connecting to the official website and that any information you provide is encrypted and transmitted securely.

Access keys NCBI Homepage MyNCBI Homepage Main Content Main Navigation
. 1999 Nov 20;354(9192):1771-5.
doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(99)04137-9.

Prevalence of progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy: a cross-sectional study

A Schrag  1 , Y Ben-Shlomo, N P Quinn
Affiliations

Prevalence of progressive supranuclear palsy and multiple system atrophy: a cross-sectional study

A Schrag et al. Lancet. .

Abstract

Background: The prevalence of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple system atrophy (MSA) in the general population is unknown. Clinicopathological studies of patients diagnosed as having Parkinson's disease suggest that the two disorders may be underdiagnosed. We investigated the population prevalence of these disorders.

Methods: We screened computerised records of 15 general practices in London, UK, for patients with specific diagnostic labels suggestive of Parkinson's disease or parkinsonism and all patients who had ever received antiparkinsonian medication. We assessed eligible patients by review of records, interview, physical examination, and video recordings of neurological signs for independent diagnostic confirmation. We diagnosed parkinsonian disorders according to published criteria and further reviewed patients with atypical features after 1 year.

Findings: The participation rate was 84%. The age-adjusted prevalence for PSP was 6.4 per 100,000 (five probable and one possible case [95% CI 2.3-10.6]) and for MSA 4.4 per 100,000 (two probable and two possible cases [1.2-7.6]). An additional four atypical patients were identified at 1 year but did not fulfil criteria for PSP or MSA.

Interpretation: Our results suggest that the true prevalence of PSP and MSA has been underestimated, since many patients in the community remain undiagnosed or misdiagnosed.

PubMed Disclaimer

Comment in

  • Relevance to PSP and MSA to clinical practice.
    Gascoigne RM, Hodgson DB, Kilindu TR, Oozeer NB. Gascoigne RM, et al. Lancet. 2000 Feb 26;355(9205):754-5. doi: 10.1016/s0140-6736(05)72166-8. Lancet. 2000. PMID: 10703831 No abstract available.
  • Prevalence of multiple system atrophy.
    Tison F, Yekhlef F, Chrysostome V, Sourgen C. Tison F, et al. Lancet. 2000 Feb 5;355(9202):495-6. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(00)82050-4. Lancet. 2000. PMID: 10841152 No abstract available.

Similar articles

See all similar articles

Cited by

See all "Cited by" articles

Publication types