Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40389287›Full record

ArticleBrain pathology (Zurich, Switzerland)2025

Late-onset multiple system atrophy: Neuropathological features associated with slow disease progression.

Misato Ozawa, Rie Saito, Takuya Konno, Yasuko Kuroha, Tetsuhiko Ikeda, Akio Yokoseki, Takashi Tani, Tomoe Sato, Jiro Idezuka, Reiji Koide and 4 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Brain pathology (Zurich, Switzerland), 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

14 authors.

Misato OzawaDepartment of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.ORCID 0000-0001-9372-2982
Rie SaitoDepartment of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
Takuya KonnoDepartment of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
Yasuko KurohaDepartment of Neurology, NHO Nishi-Niigata Chuo National Hospital, Niigata, Japan.
Tetsuhiko IkedaDepartment of Neurology, NHO Niigata National Hospital, Kashiwazaki, Niigata, Japan.
Akio YokosekiDepartment of Neurology, Brain Disease Center, Agano Hospital, Agano, Niigata, Japan.
Takashi TaniDepartment of Neurology, NHO Nishi-Niigata Chuo National Hospital, Niigata, Japan.
Tomoe SatoDepartment of Neurology, Saiseikai Niigata Kenoh Kikan Hospital, Sanjo, Niigata, Japan.
Jiro IdezukaDepartment of Neurology, Ojiya Sakura Hospital, Ojiya, Niigata, Japan.
Reiji KoideDivision of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
Shigeru FujimotoDivision of Neurology, Department of Medicine, Jichi Medical University, Shimotsuke, Tochigi, Japan.
Osamu OnoderaDepartment of Neurology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
Mari TadaDepartment of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.
Akiyoshi KakitaDepartment of Pathology, Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan.

Funding

Grants-in-Aid from the Research Committee of CNS Degenerative Diseases, Research on Policy Planning and Evaluation for Rare and Intractable Diseases, Health, Labour and Welfare Sciences Research Grants 23FC1008Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 23H00434Japan Society for the Promotion of Science 24K10617
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Patients with late-onset (LO) multiple system atrophy (MSA), whose initial symptoms appear at age 75 years or older, are more common than previously assumed, but their clinicopathological characteristics remain unclear. We aimed to clarify the clinicopathological features of LO-MSA. Of 102 patients with autopsy-confirmed MSA, 5 were identified as having LO-MSA and 24 as having usual-age-onset MSA (UO-MSA) with a similar disease duration. On the basis of previous reports, we defined UO-MSA as the appearance of initial symptoms between the ages of 55 and 65 years. We compared the clinical pictures of the two groups and assessed their histopathological features using quantitative and semi-quantitative methods. The investigated features included the severity of degeneration in the striatonigral (StrN) and olivopontocerebellar (OPC) systems, the numbers of neurons in the brainstem autonomic and spinal intermediolateral nuclei, and the density of α-synuclein-immunopositive inclusions in the putamen, inferior olivary nucleus, and ventrolateral medulla (VLM). Most patients with both LO-MSA and UO-MSA exhibited the MSA-olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) subtype (3/5 and 18/24, respectively). The median disease duration for LO-MSA patients was 5.5 years, which was comparable to that for patients in our cohort who had developed symptoms below 75 years of age. Pathologically, degeneration of the StrN and OPC systems in LO-MSA was less severe than that observed in UO-MSA. Quantitative analysis revealed better preservation of neuron numbers in the brainstem autonomic nuclei in LO-MSA than in UO-MSA, with a significantly higher number of serotonergic neurons in the VLM (p = 0.013). The density of α-synuclein-positive inclusions in the putamen was significantly lower in LO-MSA than in UO-MSA (p < 0.001). Neuronal degeneration in LO-MSA may progress more slowly than in UO-MSA. Accordingly, the prognosis of LO-MSA may not necessarily be less favorable than that of MSA generally, especially with appropriate care.

Indexed as

BrainMultiple System AtrophyAgedAged, 80 and overAge of Onsetalpha-SynucleinDisease ProgressionFemaleHumansInclusion BodiesMaleMiddle AgedNeuronsalpha-Synucleinage at onsetautonomic systemclinicopathological studylate‐onsetmultiple system atrophyprognosis

Identifiers

PMID40389287
PMCPMC12352922

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Registered trials

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.