Diagnosis of multiple system atrophy by new Movement Disorder Society criteria

Abstract

This editorial describes new MDS criteria for multiple system atrophy (MSA). The criteria aim to improve the accuracy of the diagnosis of MSA and to increase diagnostic accuracy in the early stages of the disease leading to increased patient enrollment in clinical trials. The criteria provide detailed definitions of diagnostic findings in a lexicon, which should be reviewed during the interview and diagnosis. The criteria define four levels of diagnostic certainty. The newly created “possible prodromal MSA” is a research category with low specificity, but it is expected to be used to establish future diagnostic biomarkers to catch patients in the earliest stages of the disease.