Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: Improvement in Cognitive-Behavioral Disturbances and Motor-Function Disabilities Following Treatment With Antidepressants and Cholinesterase Inhibitors

Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) is a neurodegenerative disease that usually develops after the sixth decade of life, and the diagnosis is purely clinical except in cases of pathologically confirmed autopsies. A multidisciplinary approach to meet the patients’ complex needs is the current core treatment strategy for this devastating disorder. No medications can reverse the disease course. In this report, we present a case of PSP that developed after the sixth decade of life and where the diagnosis was supported by clinical and neuroimaging data. Despite the fact that PSP is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disorder and no effective treatments are currently available, our case illustrates the clinically significant improvement in cognition and function achieved in a patient with a treatment involving a combination of antidepressant medications and rivastigmine.