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Stiff-person syndrome
Specialty	Neurology
Frequency	8e-05%

Stiff person syndrome (SPS) (or occasionally, stiff-man syndrome) is a rare neurologic disorder of unknown etiology.

History

SPS was first described by Moersch and Woltman at the Mayo Clinic in 1956 .

Symptoms and prognosis

Those with the illness experience progressive, fluctuating tonic contractions of all muscles, particularly the axial musculature. An inability to walk and general paralysis quickly follow; death usually occurs six to twelve months after diagnosis.

Treatment

Treatment is mostly palliative with muscle relaxants such as benzodiazepines, which lose their effectiveness as the illness progresses. Because many patients with SPS have circulating antibodies to glutamic acid decarboxylase, an autoimmune cause of the disease has been postulated. In the absence of double-blind, placebo-controlled class A trials to determine treatment efficacy, some authorities recommend humane trials of immunosuppressive therapy, plasmapheresis or intravenous immunoglobulin infusion.

References

• MOERSCH FP, WOLTMAN HW (1956). "Progressive fluctuating muscular rigidity and spasm ("stiff-man" syndrome); report of a case and some observations in 13 other cases". Mayo Clin Proc. 31 (15): 421–7. PMID 13350379.
• Murinson BB (2004). "Stiff-person syndrome". Neurologist. 10 (3): 131–7. PMID 15140273.

See also

• Hyperekplexia

External links

• Neuroimmunology, The Medical School, Birmingham University - A site about the link between GAD and SPS
• stiffperson at NINDS
• also see http://www.antibodypatterns.com/index.php
• Article at clevelandclinic.org
• Article at eNotes

• Neurological disorders
• Ailments of unknown etiology