[Progressive supranuclear palsy: neurological, neuropathological and neuropsychological aspects]

Progressive supranuclear palsy is a syndrome characterized by supranuclear ophthalmoplegia, pseudobulbar paralysis, dysarthria, dystonic rigidity of neck and trunk and other cerebellar and pyramidal symptoms. In this article we review the principal neurological, neuropathological, neurochemical, clinical, therapeutic and neuropsychological aspects of progressive supranuclear palsy.

Although progressive supranuclear palsy is usually included with the subcortical dementias, some neuropathological and neuroimaging findings show cortical involvement, which casts doubt on this classification. In accordance with these findings, recent neuropsychological studies have shown the presence of frontal changes (dysexecutive syndrome) and impaired verbal fluency, together with slight alterations in attention, bradypsyche, changes in long term memory and changes in mood and personality.

From a neuropsychological point of view, progressive supranuclear palsy may be considered to be a subcortical-cortical disorder.