What is Multiple System Atrophy (MSA)?

MSA is a condition that causes damage to brain cells that are needed for us to move and speak.

Every part of our body is made up of cells – different cells for different jobs in the body e.g. skin cells, muscle cells and brain cells. Our brains are made up of billions of brain cells that work together to control how all the other cells and parts of our body work.

For the brain cells to work properly they need substances called proteins. One of the proteins the brain cells need is called alphasynuclein (al-far-si-nuke-leon).

When someone has MSA the alphasynculein in their brain has become faulty. Faulty alphasynuclein makes clumps that damage the brain cells and stop them working properly.

Faulty alphasynuclein can cause other conditions too. The most common condition caused by faulty alphasynuclein that you may have heard of is Parkinson’s Disease.

In Parkinson’s Disease one particular area of the brain is damaged by the faulty alphasynuclein. In MSA there are three particular areas damaged.

We look more at these three areas here.

When the brain cells in the movement areas of the brain are damaged, movement becomes difficult, slower, stiff, clumsy and poorly co-ordinated.

MSA damage to the brain cells at the back of the brain also makes speech, balance and doing fiddly things difficult (like tying shoe laces and doing up zips).

The MSA damage can also make someone with MSA feel very tired a lot of the time, have difficulty concentrating and have problems going to the toilet.

Everyone who is diagnosed with MSA will be affected differently.

The amount and speed of damage in each brain area affected by MSA will be different in each person. MSA can be life-shortening, but how long someone lives with MSA varies, depending on how they are affected. There are lots of people that can support someone with MSA and you might like to read more about them here.