Co-occurrence of Parkinson's disease with progressive supranuclear palsy

Abstract

Parkinson's disease (PD) and progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) are distinct neurodegenerative disorders. We describe an 81-year-old woman with 3 years of progressive gait unsteadiness, frequent falls, and mild cognitive dysfunction, all considered clinically to be an early fronto-temporal neurodegenerative disorder. She died of an acute myocardial infarction. Examination of her brain revealed alpha-synuclein- and tau-positive inclusions diagnostic of PD and PSP. Immunoelectron microscopy and Western blot analysis confirmed combined PD/PSP. This case provides strategies for the reliable molecular validation of concomitant PD and PSP, and demonstrates the utility of these techniques in patients with atypical clinical presentations.