Symptomatic therapy of multiple system atrophy.

Multiple system atrophy is a progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by the association of autonomic failure and a movement disorder that consist of either a hypokinetic movement disorder or a cerebellar syndrome or both. In addition to these core characteristics other movement disorders (e.g. dystonia, myoclonus, spasticity), and neuropsychiatric symptoms (e.g. depression, cognitive dysfunction) may occur in the course of the disease and can severely impair patients' quality of live. To date no causal therapy is available and therefore symptomatic treatment plays a pivotal role in patient care. In this article we provide an overview of frequent clinical symptoms and their symptomatic treatment options.