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Multiple system atrophy
- Other Names:
MSA; multisystem atrophy; Shy-Drager syndromeMSA; multisystem atrophy; Shy-Drager syndrome
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Questions about rare diseases?
Disease Information
Summary
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) causes the progressive loss of nerve cells in the brain (a neurodegenerative disease). MSA affects several areas of the brain, including the cerebellum, which is involved in controlling movement and some emotions, as well as certain types of learning and memory, and the autonomic nervous system, which controls your body's automatic, or regulating functions, such as blood pressure, digestion and temperature.The initial symptoms of MSA start around age 50, and are very similar to the initial symptoms of Parkinson's disease. These symptoms may include slowness of movement, tremor, or rigidity (stiffness), clumsiness or coordination problems, difficulties with speech, orthostatic hypotension (a condition in which blood pressure drops when rising from a seated or lying down position), and bladder control problems. Other symptoms of MSA may include muscle contractures, abnormal posture, bending of the neck, involuntary sighing, trouble sleeping and emotional problems. As MSA progresses, breathing problems while sleeping (sleep apnea) and irregular heart rhythms may develop. the parkinsonian type (MSA-P), which have Parkinson disease-like symptoms, such as moving slowly, stiffness, and tremor, along with problems of balance, coordination, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction the cerebellar type (MSA-C), with primary symptoms of cerebellar ataxia (cerebellum is the part of the brain that is responsible for movement coordination) such as problems with balance and coordination, difficulty swallowing and speaking, and abnormal eye movements The cause of MSA is unknown, although environmental toxins, trauma, and genetic factors may be involved. Most cases occur at random, without any other cases in the family. Diagnosis of MSA is suggested by a combination of symptoms, physical examination, lab test results, and response to certain medications. However, no laboratory or imaging studies are able to confirm the diagnosis.
Summary
Multiple system atrophy (MSA) causes the progressive loss of nerve cells in the brain (a neurodegenerative disease). MSA affects several areas of the brain, including the cerebellum, which is involved in controlling movement and some emotions, as well as certain types of learning and memory, and the autonomic nervous system, which controls your body's automatic, or regulating functions, such as blood pressure, digestion and temperature.The initial symptoms of MSA start around age 50, and are very similar to the initial symptoms of Parkinson's disease. These symptoms may include slowness of movement, tremor, or rigidity (stiffness), clumsiness or coordination problems, difficulties with speech, orthostatic hypotension (a condition in which blood pressure drops when rising from a seated or lying down position), and bladder control problems. Other symptoms of MSA may include muscle contractures, abnormal posture, bending of the neck, involuntary sighing, trouble sleeping and emotional problems. As MSA progresses, breathing problems while sleeping (sleep apnea) and irregular heart rhythms may develop. the parkinsonian type (MSA-P), which have Parkinson disease-like symptoms, such as moving slowly, stiffness, and tremor, along with problems of balance, coordination, and autonomic nervous system dysfunction the cerebellar type (MSA-C), with primary symptoms of cerebellar ataxia (cerebellum is the part of the brain that is responsible for movement coordination) such as problems with balance and coordination, difficulty swallowing and speaking, and abnormal eye movements The cause of MSA is unknown, although environmental toxins, trauma, and genetic factors may be involved. Most cases occur at random, without any other cases in the family. Diagnosis of MSA is suggested by a combination of symptoms, physical examination, lab test results, and response to certain medications. However, no laboratory or imaging studies are able to confirm the diagnosis.
Resource(s) for Medical Professionals and Scientists on This Disease:
This section is currently in development.
About Multiple system atrophy
Many rare diseases have limited information. Currently, GARD aims to provide the following information for this disease:
- Population Estimate:Fewer than 50,000 people in the U.S. have thisdisease.
- Symptoms:May start to appear as an Adult.
- Cause:GARD does not currently have information about the cause of this disease.
- Organizations:Patient organizations dedicated to this rare disease are available on GARD, or you may contact a GARD Information Specialist for additional information.
- Categories:Neurologicaldiseases
Causes
GARD does not currently have information about the cause of this disease.
When Do Symptoms of Multiple system atrophy Begin?
Symptoms of this disease may start to appear as an Adult.
The age symptoms may begin to appear differs between diseases. Symptoms may begin in a single age range, or during several age ranges. The symptoms of some diseases may begin at any age. Knowing when symptoms may have appeared can help medical providers find the correct diagnosis.
The age symptoms may begin to appear differs between diseases. Symptoms may begin in a single age range, or during several age ranges. The symptoms of some diseases may begin at any age. Knowing when symptoms may have appeared can help medical providers find the correct diagnosis.
Prenatal
Before Birth
Newborn
Birth-4 weeks
Infant
1-23 months
Child
2-11 years
Adolescent
12-18 years
Adult Selected
19-65 years
Older Adult
65+ years
Symptoms may start to appear as an Adult.
Symptoms
The types of symptoms experienced, and their intensity, may vary among people with this disease. Your experience may be different from others. Consult your health care team for more information.
The following describes the symptom(s) associated with this disease along with the corresponding body system(s), description, synonyms, and frequency (Note: Not all possible symptoms may be listed):
The following describes the symptom(s) associated with this disease along with the corresponding body system(s), description, synonyms, and frequency (Note: Not all possible symptoms may be listed):
Nervous System Nervous System
26 Symptoms
26 Symptoms
Nervous System
The nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and nerves. Common symptoms of problems in the nervous system include trouble moving, speaking, swallowing, breathing, or learning. Problems with memory, senses, or mood may also occur. Nervous system diseases are usually diagnosed and treated by neurologists.
26 Symptoms
Diagnostic Journey
- Find disease-specific information to discuss with your healthcare providers.
- Ask for diagnostic tests.
- Request referrals to specialists.
Knowing where to start your diagnostic journey and how to navigate the next steps are critical to speeding your time to diagnosis
Your Diagnostic Team
How can a diagnostic team help?
Establishing care with a dedicated primary care provider (PCP) is an important early step in your rare disease journey. A PCP can help improve care and shorten the time to diagnosis by providing referrals to the appropriate specialists. These specialists, with advanced training in different body systems or types of diseases, can offer the specialized diagnostic procedures you need.
Use this tool by Medicare to find a PCP in your area by inputting your location and keyword "Primary Care Provider."
Diagnostic teams for Multiple system atrophy may include:
Multidisciplinary Care Centers
Is it time to find a multidisciplinary care center?
If you've visited your PCP, met with specialists, and undergone the recommended tests, but still do not have a confirmed diagnosis, it may be time to visit a multidisciplinary care center. Multidisciplinary care centers are usually teaching, university, or research hospitals that have teams of medical experts and specialists working together in the same location. This means a wide range of diagnostic tests and clinical knowledge are available at one facility, which can help increase communication and collaboration among your care team. The additional resources often available at multidisciplinary centers may help speed the time to diagnosis for rare diseases.
Use this tool to find hospitals that may partner with medical schools and programs in your area.
Multidisciplinary Care Centers
Is it time to find a multidisciplinary care center?
If you've visited your PCP, met with specialists, and undergone the recommended tests, but still do not have a confirmed diagnosis, it may be time to visit a multidisciplinary care center. Multidisciplinary care centers are usually teaching, university, or research hospitals that have teams of medical experts and specialists working together in the same location. This means a wide range of diagnostic tests and clinical knowledge are available at one facility, which can help increase communication and collaboration among your care team. The additional resources often available at multidisciplinary centers may help speed the time to diagnosis for rare diseases.
Use this tool to find hospitals that may partner with medical schools and programs in your area.
Rare Disease Experts
How can you find a rare disease expert?
If a diagnosis remains unknown despite extensive efforts by your PCP and specialists, it can be challenging to know what kind of expert you may need or where to find one. A rare disease expert is a care provider that has knowledge or training on specific disease(s), but there may only be a few experts in your state, region, or country. Rare disease experts may work at large research or teaching hospitals. In complex cases, coordinating with a network of experts can help your care provider find the right diagnosis.
Contact a GARD Information Specialist for help finding an expert.
You can ask your care providers for help finding an expert or use directory tools to search for experts near you. The following organization(s) may maintain a list of experts or expert centers for people living with Multiple system atrophy:
Rare Disease Experts
How can you find a rare disease expert?
If a diagnosis remains unknown despite extensive efforts by your PCP and specialists, it can be challenging to know what kind of expert you may need or where to find one. A rare disease expert is a care provider that has knowledge or training on specific disease(s), but there may only be a few experts in your state, region, or country. Rare disease experts may work at large research or teaching hospitals. In complex cases, coordinating with a network of experts can help your care provider find the right diagnosis.
Contact a GARD Information Specialist for help finding an expert.
You can ask your care providers for help finding an expert or use directory tools to search for experts near you. The following organization(s) may maintain a list of experts or expert centers for people living with Multiple system atrophy:
Find Your Community
How can patient organizations help?
Patient organizations can help patients and families connect. They build public awareness of the disease and are a driving force behind research to improve patients' lives. They may offer online and in-person resources to help people live well with their disease. Many collaborate with medical experts and researchers.
Services of patient organizations differ, but may include:
- Ways to connect to others and share personal stories
- Easy-to-read information
- Up-to-date treatment and research information
- Patient registries
- Lists of specialists or specialty centers
- Financial aid and travel resources
Please note: GARD provides organizations for informational purposes only and not as an endorsement of their services. Contact a GARD Information Specialist for more information on organizations that may be dedicated to this disease. Please contact an organization directly if you have questions about the information or resources it provides.
View GARD's criteria for including patient organizations, which can be found under the FAQs on our About GARD page. Request an update or to have your organization added to GARD.
Patient Organizations
11 Organizations
Organization Name
Who They Serve
Helpful Links
Country
People With
Multiple system atrophy
Helpful Links
Country
United States
People With
Multiple system atrophy
Helpful Links
Country
United States
People With
Multiple system atrophy
Helpful Links
Country
United States
People With
Multiple system atrophy
Helpful Links
Country
United States
Participate in Research
Clinical studies are a part of clinical research and play an important role in medical advances for rare diseases. Through clinical studies, researchers may ultimately uncover better ways to treat, prevent, diagnose, and understand human diseases.
What Are Clinical Studies?
Clinical studies are medical research involving people as participants. There are two main types of clinical studies:
- Clinical trials determine if a new test or treatment for a disease is effective and safe by comparing groups receiving different tests/treatments.
- Observational studies involve recording changes over time among a specific group of people in their natural settings.
Learn more about clinical trials from this National Institutes of Health webpage.
Why Participate in Clinical Studies?
People participate in clinical trials for many reasons. People with a disease may participate to receive the newest possible treatment and additional care from clinical study staff as well as to help others living with the same or a similar disease. Healthy volunteers may participate to help others and to contribute to moving science forward.
To find the right clinical study we recommend you consult your doctors, other trusted medical professionals, and patient organizations. Additionally, you can use ClinicalTrials.gov to search for clinical studies by disease, terms, or location.
What if There Are No Available Clinical Studies?
ResearchMatch helps connect people interested in research studies with researchers from top medical centers across the United States. Anyone from the U.S. can register with this free program funded by NIH. Researchers from participating institutions use the database to search for and invite patients or healthy volunteers who meet their study criteria to participate.
Join the All of Us Research Program!
The All of Us Research Program is inviting 1 million people from all backgrounds across the U.S. to help build one of the most diverse health databases in history. Researchers will use the data to learn how our biology, lifestyle, and environment affect health. This may one day help them find ways to treat and prevent diseases.
What Are Clinical Studies?
Clinical studies are medical research involving people as participants. There are two main types of clinical studies:
- Clinical trials determine if a new test or treatment for a disease is effective and safe by comparing groups receiving different tests/treatments.
- Observational studies involve recording changes over time among a specific group of people in their natural settings.
Learn more about clinical trials from this National Institutes of Health webpage.
Why Participate in Clinical Studies?
People participate in clinical trials for many reasons. People with a disease may participate to receive the newest possible treatment and additional care from clinical study staff as well as to help others living with the same or a similar disease. Healthy volunteers may participate to help others and to contribute to moving science forward.
To find the right clinical study we recommend you consult your doctors, other trusted medical professionals, and patient organizations. Additionally, you can use ClinicalTrials.gov to search for clinical studies by disease, terms, or location.
To find the right clinical study we recommend you consult your doctors, other trusted medical professionals, and patient organizations. Additionally, you can use ClinicalTrials.gov to search for clinical studies by disease, terms, or location.
What if There Are No Available Clinical Studies?
ResearchMatch helps connect people interested in research studies with researchers from top medical centers across the United States. Anyone from the U.S. can register with this free program funded by NIH. Researchers from participating institutions use the database to search for and invite patients or healthy volunteers who meet their study criteria to participate.
Join the All of Us Research Program!
The All of Us Research Program is inviting 1 million people from all backgrounds across the U.S. to help build one of the most diverse health databases in history. Researchers will use the data to learn how our biology, lifestyle, and environment affect health. This may one day help them find ways to treat and prevent diseases.
ClinicalTrials.gov, an affiliate of NIH, provides current information on clinical research studies in the United States and abroad. Talk to a trusted doctor before choosing to participate in any clinical study. We recommend checking this site often and searching for studies with related terms/synonyms to improve results.
GARDGenetic and Rare Diseases
Information Center
Information Center
Contact a GARD Information Specialist if you need help finding more information on this rare disease or available clinical studies. Please note that GARD cannot enroll individuals in clinical studies.
Available Monday through Friday 12 p.m. to 6 p.m. Eastern Time
(Except: Federal Holidays)
(Except: Federal Holidays)
ClinicalTrials.gov, an affiliate of NIH, provides current information on clinical research studies in the United States and abroad. Talk to a trusted doctor before choosing to participate in any clinical study. We recommend checking this site often and searching for studies with related terms/synonyms to improve results.
GARDGenetic and Rare Diseases
Information Center
Information Center
Contact a GARD Information Specialist if you need help finding more information on this rare disease or available clinical studies. Please note that GARD cannot enroll individuals in clinical studies.
Use the contact form to send your questions to a GARD Information Specialist.
Please allow 2 to 10 business days for us to respond.
Please allow 2 to 10 business days for us to respond.
GARD collects data from a variety of sources to populate its website and provide accurate and reliable information on rare diseases.
GARD uses data collected from Orphanet, Online Mendelian Inheritance in Man (OMIM) , and Mondo Disease Ontology to interpret and provide information on rare diseases. This includes names, synonyms, genes, symptom frequency, population estimates and more.
- Orphanet is an online database of rare diseases and orphan drugs that provides aggregated data coordinated by INSERM-US14 in Paris.
- OMIM is a database of human genes and genetic phenotypes authored and edited at the McKusick-Nathans Institute of Genetic Medicine , Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine.
- Mondo Disease Ontology provides a logic-based structure unifying multiple disease resources in coordination with the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) and support from the NIH National Human Genome Research Institute Phenomics First Resource.
GARD uses the Human Phenotype Ontology (HPO) for standard terminology to represent a disease's phenotypic and clinical features.
GARD uses information gathered from the National Center for Biotechnology Information's MedGen to help in explaining genetic and rare diseases.
GARD uses the National Library of Medicine for a variety of resources on health information.
- Learn about the Newborn Screening Coding and Terminology Guide
- Find health information from MedlinePlus
- Learn about the Unified Medical Language System
GARD uses additional resources when developing content.
Last Updated: May 2025