Source: CurePSP.org
Neurodegeneration is not just a disease that strikes the elderly — a spectrum of disorders known as prime of life brain diseases often onset at age 50-60 when people are are the height of their productivity, family responsibilities, careers, and active lives.
Half of all neurodegeneration under age 65 involves prime of life brain diseases.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. It is the best-known of a complex of conditions known as motor neuron diseases.
Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) was formerly referred to as dementia pugilistica, was believed to exist primarily among boxers, but is rapidly becoming known as prevalent among American football players.
Corticobasal Degeneration (CBD) affects nerve cells that control walking, balance, mobility, vision, speech and swallowing.
Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) also called Shy-Drager syndrome, is a progressive disorder of the central and sympathetic nervous systems.
Progressive Supranuclear Palsy (PSP) affects nerve cells that control walking, balance, mobility, vision, speech and swallowing. Five to six people per 100,000 will develop PSP.
These diseases, along with Alzheimer’s disease, are considered tauopathies because the neurodegenerative symptoms are due to the abnormal misfolding and clumping of the tau protein within neurons, which causes progressive cell death. They are currently untreatable and incurable.
CurePSP is a foundation which provides support for people with prime of life brain diseases, their families and other caregivers; education and awareness to professional audiences and the general public; and research funding and clinical trials support to investigators and pharmaceutical companies seeking to find treatment and cure.
Cure PSP has launched CurePSPTV (PSP.org/TV/), a designated Web page of videos that highlight vital information for the community with up to date footage from family conferences, recordings from researchers and doctors, featured family stories, and quick how-to resources you can utilize in your everyday lives.