Reduction in Skeletal Muscle Mass in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy in Comparison with Parkinson’s Disease: A Preliminary Retrospective Longitudinal Study

Abstract

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) manifests with the loss of skeletal muscle mass, but the longitudinal changes have not been investigated. We studied changes in body composition, including in skeletal muscle mass, in patients with PSP twice, approximately 1 year or more apart, and we compared these measurements with those of patients with Parkinson’s disease (PD). The total number of participants was 42: 10 men had PD, 13 men had PSP, 8 women had PD, and 11 women had PSP. Using a body composition analyzer, we measured such parameters as body mass index (BMI), skeletal muscle mass, basal metabolic rate (BMR), body fat percentage (BFP), and the ratio of extracellular water to total body water. We also calculated the skeletal muscle mass index (SMI). We measured the Barthel index to assess activities of daily living. The Barthel index was lower in patients with PSP than in those with PD at the first evaluation, and it worsened by the time of the second evaluation. In men with PSP, skeletal muscle mass was far more reduced than in those with PD, but no such changes were found among women with either disease. The SMI of men with PSP was correlated significantly with BMI, BMR, BFP, and the Barthel index. Skeletal muscle mass diminished faster in patients with PSP, especially in men, than in patients with PD, probably because of inactivity.