 |
 |
Gilles, I can take a beginning stab at this, and I'm sure others will have more knowledge and can point you to interesting Web sites. MSA stands for Multiple Systems Atrophy. It is also, sometimes, called Parkinsonism and Parkinsons Plus. Many of the same Parkinsons symptoms are present, but, like PD itself, the symptoms vary by individual. This suggests that the culprit is dopamine deficiency, but there is much less known in the medical community about MSA than about PD. The doctors can tell from an MRI if Parkinsons is present. My father's MRI does not show whatever it is that indicates PD. Also, standard PD meds are mostly ineffective at relieving MSA symptoms. One neuro described it to me as follows (I'm paraphrasing and may get some of this wrong): The Parkinsons problem originates in the basal (sp?--don't want to suggest it's an herb!) ganglia, deep in the brain. The basal ganglia are a bunch of different nerve bundles (?), not just one. With PD, doctors know the precise location, which basal ganglia, is the source of the problem. MSA originates in some other basal ganglia, maybe different for each person. This makes it difficult or impossible to effectively treat the problem with hole-in-the-head type surgeries. For those of you more eriudite on these things, if I've totally messed up this explanation, please forgive and correct me. One Web site with a bit more info is http://www.ndrf.org/MSA.htm Jane Koenig (daughter of Fred, 80/2ish MSA) At 03:15 PM 6/17/99 -0400, you wrote: >Could someone tell me what "MSA" means and how its symptoms differ from that >of Parkinson's? > >Thanks! > > >Gilles Cloutier >[log in to unmask] <mailto:[log in to unmask]> > > > >-----Original Message----- >From: Jane Koenig [mailto:[log in to unmask]]