Psp disease Billy Miller death cause

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare neurological condition that can cause problems with balance, movement, vision, speech, and swallowing.

This results from the increasing number of brain cells that become damaged over time.

The PSP Association estimates that there are around 4,000 people with PSP living in the UK.

But it is thought the true figure may be much higher, as many cases may be misdiagnosed.

Most cases of PSP develop in people over 60 years of age.

What causes PSP?

PSP occurs when brain cells in certain parts of the brain become damaged as a result of a buildup of a protein called tau.

Tau occurs naturally in the brain and is usually broken down before it reaches high levels.

In people with PSP, it is not broken down properly and forms harmful clumps in brain cells.

The amount of abnormal tau in the brain can vary between people with PSP, as can the location of these clumps. This means that the condition can have a wide range of symptoms.

This condition has been linked to changes in certain genes, but these genetic errors are not inherited and the risk to other family members, including children or siblings of a person with PSP, is very low.

What is progressive supranuclear palsy?

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare neurological disorder that affects body movements, gait, balance, and eye movements. PSP is caused by damage to nerve cells in areas of the brain that control thinking and body movements. It belongs to a family of neurological conditions called atypical parkinsonism and belongs to the category of frontotemporal disorders.

PSP is different from Parkinson’s disease, although some of its symptoms are similar. PSP usually begins in a person’s mid- to late 60s, later than Parkinson’s disease symptoms usually appear. The disease usually progresses rapidly and most people with PSP develop severe disability within three to five years of symptoms appearing. PSP can lead to serious complications such as pneumonia, suffocation, or head injuries from a fall.

Symptoms of progressive supranuclear palsy

PSP affects a person’s movements, and can lead to loss of balance, difficulty walking or swallowing, slurred speech, and problems with eye movements. PSP can also affect a person’s mood, behavior, and thinking. The most common first symptom of PSP is loss of balance while walking which can lead to a sudden and unexplained fall. People with PSP may also experience stiffness and slowness of movement.

As the disease progresses, most people develop eye problems. Eye and vision symptoms may include:

• Slow eye movements
• Trouble looking up or down
• Difficulty controlling the eyelids, involuntary closing of the eyes, decreased blinking, or difficulty opening the eyes
• The tendency to move the head instead of just looking in different directions with the eyes

The symptoms of PSP usually get gradually worse over time.

Initially, it can be similar to some other conditions, making it difficult to diagnose early.

Some of the main symptoms of PSP include:

• Problems with balance and movement, including frequent falls
• Behavior changes, such as irritability or apathy (lack of interest)
• Muscle stiffness
• Inability to control eye and eyelid movement, including focusing on specific objects or looking up or down at something
• Slow, quiet, or slurred speech
• Difficulty swallowing (dysphagia)
• Slow thinking and some memory problems

The rate at which symptoms progress can vary greatly from person to person.

Read more about the symptoms of PSP.

PSP diagnosis

There is no single test for PSP. Instead, diagnosis is based on the pattern of symptoms.

Your doctor will try to rule out other conditions that can cause similar symptoms, such as Parkinson’s disease.

The large number of possible symptoms of PSP also makes it difficult to diagnose correctly and can mean that it takes some time to get a final diagnosis.

You may need to have a brain scan to look for other possible causes of your symptoms, as well as tests of memory, concentration, and ability to understand language.

The diagnosis should be made or confirmed by a consultant experienced in PSP. This will usually be a neurologist (specialist in conditions affecting the brain and nerves).

Risk factors

The only proven risk factor for progressive supranuclear palsy is age. This condition usually affects people in their late 60s and 70s. It is almost unknown in people under 40 years of age.

Complications

Complications of progressive supranuclear palsy result primarily from slow and difficult muscle movements. These complications may include:

• Falls, which may result in head injuries, fractures, and other injuries
• Difficulty focusing with your eyes, which can also lead to injuries
• Difficulty sleeping, which may lead to feeling tired and sleeping excessively during the day
• Difficulty looking at bright lights
• Problems swallowing, which can lead to choking or aspirating food or liquid into the airway (aspiration)
• Pneumonia, which can be caused by aspiration and is the most common cause of death in people with progressive supranuclear palsy
• Impulsive behaviors — for example, standing up without waiting for help — that can lead to falls

To avoid choking risks, your doctor may recommend using a feeding tube. To avoid injuries due to falls, a walker or wheelchair can be used.