title: Cause, seasonality of death and co-morbidities in progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP).
abstract: The aim of this study was to investigate the causes and seasonality of death and co-morbid conditions among progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients. 22 consecutive clinicopathologically confirmed PSP patients were compared with 22 gender and age-matched Parkinson's disease (PD) patients and 26 non-neurological controls. All subjects consented during life to donate their brains to the University of Miami Brain Endowment Bank. Respiratory-related deaths were significantly more frequent in PSP when compared to PD patients. Recurrent respiratory infections were also very frequent in PSP patients and were commonly associated with respiratory-related deaths. Deaths that occurred during winter and spring months accounted for about 70% of deaths among PSP patients. The most common co-morbid condition in PSP was hypertension, present in 50% of cases.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Miami, Miller School of Medicine, Miami, FL 33136, USA. spapapetropoulos@med.miami.edu
authors.forename: Spiridon
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Papapetropoulos
authors.forename: Carlos
authors.initials: C
authors.lastname: Singer
authors.forename: Donald
authors.initials: D
authors.lastname: McCorquodale
authors.forename: Jocely
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Gonzalez
authors.forename: Deborah C
authors.initials: DC
authors.lastname: Mash
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D002423:Cause of Death; D015897:Comorbidity; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D010300:Parkinson Disease / Q000401:mortality; D012131:Respiratory Insufficiency / Q000401:mortality*; D012141:Respiratory Tract Infections / Q000401:mortality*; D012621:Seasons; D013494:Supranuclear Palsy, Progressive / Q000401:mortality*