Studying brain activity in Progressive Supranuclear Palsy

PSP is caused by the cells in the brain becoming damaged as a result of a build-up of a protein called tau.

Researchers looked at the brain activity patterns and found patients with PSP spend more time than individuals without the disease in certain brain states, meaning their brain activity was less flexible and less efficient than normal. The time spent in these brain states was more noticeable in participants who were more severely affected with PSP.

Researchers noticed that it wasn’t just certain parts of the brain that are most affected but it could affect the whole brain, even where it may appear normal on a scan or have no tau pathology.

Read the full paper published in July 21