Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) Evaluation

Multiple system atrophy (MSA) can be challenging to diagnose because its symptoms mimic more common diseases such as Parkinson’s. As a result, some people are never properly diagnosed.

UT Southwestern Medical Center brings together specialists who are trained in the diagnosis of MSA. Our multidisciplinary team uses a customized examination process to arrive at an accurate diagnosis and treatment plan.

After discussing family history and current treatments with a patient and conducting a physical examination, our experts might use several tests to evaluate involuntary (autonomic) body functions, such as:

• Bladder and bowel function tests to make sure the stomach and bladder are emptying correctly
  
• Blood tests to look for or rule out other diseases causing similar symptoms
  
• Brain-imaging scans that can show signs of degeneration in the brains of people with MSA and some other neurodegenerative diseases
  
• An electrocardiogram to track the electrical signals of the heart
  
• A sweat test
  
• A tilt table test to assess any irregularities in blood pressure or heart rate that occur when a person’s physical position changes
  

People who have difficulty sleeping might be evaluated by the Sleep and Breathing Disorders Clinic to determine whether the issue is an underlying and treatable sleep disorder.