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Impaired chemosensitivity to hypoxia is a marker of multiple system atrophy
Author(s) -
Tsuda Takehide,
Onodera Hiroshi,
Okabe Shinichi,
Kikuchi Yoshihiro,
Itoyama Yasuto
Publication year - 2002
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.10296
Subject(s) - cerebellar ataxia , atrophy , medicine , ataxia , cerebellum , hypoxia (environmental) , olivopontocerebellar atrophy , pathology , neuroscience , central nervous system disease , psychology , degenerative disease , psychiatry , oxygen , chemistry , organic chemistry
Abstract Sudden death is common in patients with multiple system atrophy (MSA). In its early stages, the cerebellar presentation MSA‐C can be indistinguishable from idiopathic late‐onset cerebellar ataxia. We studied the hypoxic ventilatory response in MSA‐C and idiopathic late‐onset cerebellar ataxia patients. Six patients with idiopathic late‐onset cerebellar ataxia that later evolved to MSA had impaired hypoxic ventilatory response when minimal autonomic failure was still present, whereas for patients with unimpaired hypoxic ventilatory response their diagnosis remained idiopathic late‐onset cerebellar ataxia. The demonstration of impaired hypoxic ventilatory response appears to be a good marker enabling earlier diagnosis of MSA in patients presenting with idiopathic late‐onset cerebellar ataxia.