Heavy metals contaminating the environment of a progressive supranuclear palsy cluster induce tau accumulation and cell death in cultured neurons.

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by the presence of intracellular aggregates of tau protein and neuronal loss leading to cognitive and motor impairment. Occurrence is mostly sporadic, but rare family clusters have been described. Although the etiopathology of PSP is unknown, mutations in the MAPT/tau gene and exposure to environmental toxins can increase the risk of PSP.

Food toxins and the Caribbean Parkinson plus types.

In the 90's, clinico pathological studies have considerably improved the diagnosis of specific and rare neurodegenerative diseases. After a training in Parkinsons' disease in Paris, the author moved to French West Indies (Guadeloupe) and observed a high incidence of atypical parkinsonism with dementia, unresponsive to levodopa. Similar features were observed in Martinique.

The MAPT gene is differentially methylated in the progressive supranuclear palsy brain.

Background: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a rare neurodegenerative disease causing parkinsonian symptoms. Altered DNA methylation of the microtubule-associated protein tau gene correlates with the expression changes in Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease brains. However, few studies examine the sequences beyond the constitutive promoter.

A geographical cluster of progressive supranuclear palsy in northern France.

Objective: To describe a cluster of progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) in northern France. PSP has not been reported in geographical, temporal, or occupational clusters. A unit of Neurology and Neurogeriatrics opened in 2005 at the Centre Hospitalier de Wattrelos, serving the population of Wattrelos and Leers (combined population 51,551) and parts of neighboring towns.

Prevalence of small cerebral bleeds in patients with progressive supranuclear palsy: a neuropathological study with 7.0-Tesla magnetic resonance imaging correlates.

Introduction: Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a degenerative disease affecting mainly the brain stem, basal ganglia and cerebellum. Associated cerebrovascular lesions, mainly small cerebral bleeds, are frequently observed in some neurodegenerative diseases such as Alzheimer dementia and rare in others such as frontotemporal lobar degeneration. The present post-mortem study investigates the prevalence and distribution of small cerebral bleeds in PSP brains.