eMedicine Specialties > Neurology > Movement and Neurodegenerative Diseases

Multiple System Atrophy: Follow-up

Author: André Diedrich, MD, PhD, Research Associate Professor of Medicine, Research Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Autonomic Dysfunction Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
Coauthor(s): David Robertson, MD, Director, Clinical Research Center, Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, and Neurology, Vanderbilt University
Contributor Information and Disclosures

Updated: Sep 4, 2009

Follow-up

Further Inpatient Care

Inpatient evaluation and tailoring of therapy are often important. However, if patients are restricted to bedrest, their functional mobility can decrease rapidly. Therefore, initiate physical therapy if the patient must remain in the hospital for longer than 2 days.

Prognosis

No current therapeutic modality reverses or halts the progress of this disease.

Patient Education

  • A variety of resources are now available for patient education. These include the Web site of the MSA Shy-Drager Support Group.
  • An email list is available for patients, spouses, and caregivers throughout the world to use to communicate with each other about their experiences with this disease. The list is sponsored by the Vanderbilt Autonomic Dysfunction Center. Interested persons should follow directions on the Web site to subscribe.

Miscellaneous

Medicolegal Pitfalls

  • MSA is a difficult diagnosis, especially early in the clinical course, and the initial physician often misdiagnoses the condition. The most common initial diagnosis is idiopathic Parkinson disease.
  • As the disease progresses, the risk of falls increases. Proper gait instruction and precautions are critical to prevent falls and resultant injury.
  • The incidence of medication-related adverse effects is increased, especially as the number and dosages of medications increase.
 


More on Multiple System Atrophy

Overview: Multiple System Atrophy
Differential Diagnoses & Workup: Multiple System Atrophy
Treatment & Medication: Multiple System Atrophy
Follow-up: Multiple System Atrophy
References
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Further Reading

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Keywords

MSA, multiple-system atrophy, multisystem atrophy, Shy-Drager syndrome, striatonigral degeneration, MSA-P, sporadic olivopontocerebellar atrophy, MSA-C

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Contributor Information and Disclosures

Author

André Diedrich, MD, PhD, Research Associate Professor of Medicine, Research Assistant Professor of Biomedical Engineering, Autonomic Dysfunction Center, Vanderbilt University School of Medicine
André Diedrich, MD, PhD is a member of the following medical societies: American Autonomic Society and American Heart Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Coauthor(s)

David Robertson, MD, Director, Clinical Research Center, Professor of Medicine, Pharmacology, and Neurology, Vanderbilt University
David Robertson, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Heart Association and Association of American Physicians
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Medical Editor

Christopher Luzzio, MD, Clinical Assistant Professor, Department of Neurology, University of Wisconsin at Madison
Christopher Luzzio, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Pharmacy Editor

Francisco Talavera, PharmD, PhD, Senior Pharmacy Editor, eMedicine
Disclosure: eMedicine Salary Employment

Managing Editor

Nestor Galvez-Jimenez, MD, MSc, MHA, Chairman, Department of Neurology, Program Director, Movement Disorders, Department of Neurology, Division of Medicine, Cleveland Clinic Florida
Nestor Galvez-Jimenez, MD, MSc, MHA is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American College of Physicians, and Movement Disorders Society
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

CME Editor

Selim R Benbadis, MD, Professor, Director of Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of South Florida School of Medicine, Tampa General Hospital
Selim R Benbadis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, American Epilepsy Society, and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

Chief Editor

Selim R Benbadis, MD, Professor, Director of Comprehensive Epilepsy Program, Departments of Neurology and Neurosurgery, University of South Florida School of Medicine, Tampa General Hospital
Selim R Benbadis, MD is a member of the following medical societies: American Academy of Neurology, American Academy of Sleep Medicine, American Clinical Neurophysiology Society, American Epilepsy Society, and American Medical Association
Disclosure: Nothing to disclose.

 
 
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