Rates of cerebral atrophy in autopsy-confirmed progressive supranuclear palsy.

OBJECTIVE

To determine the rates of cerebral atrophy and ventricular expansion in six patients with autopsy confirmed progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) and multiple antemortem volumetric head MRI scans.

METHODS

This study uses the boundary shift integral to determine rates of cerebral atrophy and ventricular expansion in six patients with pathologically confirmed PSP compared with six age- and sex-matched control subjects.

RESULTS

Patients with PSP had a rate of cerebral atrophy and ventricular expansion of 1.3 and 7.0% per year compared with 0.4 and 1.8% in control subjects.

INTERPRETATION: These rates provide a benchmark that can be used to monitor future treatment response in PSP.