Biomaterial Database

[Muro disease or ALS-parkinsonism-dementia complex of the Kii peninsula of Japan]. 2007

Shigeki Kuzuhara

Department of Neurology, Mie University School of Medicine.

"Muro disease" is an endemic ALS in the Muro district that includes the southern coastal mountainous areas of the Kii peninsula of Japan. Epidemiological survey in 1960s disclosed extremely high incidence of ALS in two villages, Hohara and Kozagawa, and disappearance of high incidence by early 1980s was reported with its etiology unsolved. We resurveyed for neurodegenerative diseases in Hohara and found continuous high ALS incidence. We also found parkinsonism-dementia complex (PDC) verified neuropathologically. ALS and PDC frequently occurred in one individual simultaneously and affected many members in the same family, and neuropathological findings of ALS and PDC were similar to each other, showing a combination of upper and lower motor neuron involvements and many neurofibrillar tangles (NFTs) in the brainstem and cerebral cortex, resembling those of ALS/PDC on Guam. TDP-43 positive inclusions were found in the dentate gyrus of the hippocampus and spinal motor neurons in all cases examined. Age-adjusted incidence rates during 1950 and 2000 have showed that incidence of ALS was gradually declining for 50 years while that of PDC rose up steeply in 1990s. No particular environmental factors were confirmed and gene analyses of candidate genes of ALS, parkinsonism and dementia failed to reveal any mutations. Continuing high incidence and high rates of familial occurrence suggest that primary cause of Kii ALS/PDC may be genetic rather than environmental.

UI	MeSH Term	Description	Entries
D007564	Japan	A country in eastern Asia, island chain between the North Pacific Ocean and the Sea of Japan, east of the Korean Peninsula. The capital is Tokyo.	Bonin Islands
D008297	Male		Males
D008875	Middle Aged	An adult aged 45 - 64 years.	Middle Age
D003704	Dementia	An acquired organic mental disorder with loss of intellectual abilities of sufficient severity to interfere with social or occupational functioning. The dysfunction is multifaceted and involves memory, behavior, personality, judgment, attention, spatial relations, language, abstract thought, and other executive functions. The intellectual decline is usually progressive, and initially spares the level of consciousness.	Senile Paranoid Dementia,Amentia,Familial Dementia,Amentias,Dementia, Familial,Dementias,Dementias, Familial,Dementias, Senile Paranoid,Familial Dementias,Paranoid Dementia, Senile,Paranoid Dementias, Senile,Senile Paranoid Dementias
D005260	Female		Females
D006801	Humans	Members of the species Homo sapiens.	Homo sapiens,Man (Taxonomy),Human,Man, Modern,Modern Man
D000368	Aged	A person 65 years of age or older. For a person older than 79 years, AGED, 80 AND OVER is available.	Elderly
D000690	Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis	A degenerative disorder affecting upper MOTOR NEURONS in the brain and lower motor neurons in the brain stem and SPINAL CORD. Disease onset is usually after the age of 50 and the process is usually fatal within 3 to 6 years. Clinical manifestations include progressive weakness, atrophy, FASCICULATION, hyperreflexia, DYSARTHRIA, dysphagia, and eventual paralysis of respiratory function. Pathologic features include the replacement of motor neurons with fibrous ASTROCYTES and atrophy of anterior SPINAL NERVE ROOTS and corticospinal tracts. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1089-94)	ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Lou Gehrig Disease,Motor Neuron Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis With Dementia,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Guam Form,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex of Guam,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex 1,Charcot Disease,Dementia With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Gehrig's Disease,Guam Disease,Guam Form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Lou Gehrig's Disease,Lou-Gehrigs Disease,ALS Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Parkinsonism Dementia Complex 1,Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinsonism Dementia Complex of Guam,Disease, Guam,Disease, Lou-Gehrigs,Gehrig Disease,Gehrigs Disease,Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral
D020734	Parkinsonian Disorders	A group of disorders which feature impaired motor control characterized by bradykinesia, MUSCLE RIGIDITY; TREMOR; and postural instability. Parkinsonian diseases are generally divided into primary parkinsonism (see PARKINSON DISEASE), secondary parkinsonism (see PARKINSON DISEASE, SECONDARY) and inherited forms. These conditions are associated with dysfunction of dopaminergic or closely related motor integration neuronal pathways in the BASAL GANGLIA.	Autosomal Recessive Juvenile Parkinsonism,Familial Juvenile Parkinsonism,Parkinsonian Syndrome,Parkinsonism,Parkinsonism, Experimental,Parkinsonism, Juvenile,Ramsay Hunt Paralysis Syndrome,Autosomal Dominant Juvenile Parkinson Disease,Autosomal Dominant Juvenile Parkinsonism,Autosomal Dominant Parkinsonism,Autosomal Recessive Juvenile Parkinson Disease,Autosomal Recessive Parkinsonism,Chromosome 6-Linked Autosomal Recessive Parkinsonism,Experimental Parkinson Disease,Experimental Parkinsonism,Experimental Parkinsonism, MPTP-Induced,Familial Parkinson Disease, Autosomal Recessive,Juvenile Parkinson Disease,Juvenile Parkinson Disease, Autosomal Dominant,Juvenile Parkinson Disease, Autosomal Recessive,Juvenile Parkinsonism, Autosomal Dominant,Juvenile Parkinsonism, Autosomal Recessive,MPTP-Induced Experimental Parkinsonism,Parkinson Disease 2,Parkinson Disease 2, Autosomal Recessive Juvenile,Parkinson Disease Autosomal Recessive, Early Onset,Parkinson Disease, Autosomal Dominant. Juvenile,Parkinson Disease, Experimental,Parkinson Disease, Familial, Autosomal Recessive,Parkinson Disease, Juvenile,Parkinson Disease, Juvenile, Autosomal Dominant,Parkinson Disease, Juvenile, Autosomal Recessive,Parkinsonian Diseases,Parkinsonian Syndromes,Parkinsonism, Early Onset, with Diurnal Fluctuation,Parkinsonism, Early-Onset, With Diurnal Fluctuation,Parkinsonism, Juvenile, Autosomal Dominant,Parkinsonism, Juvenile, Autosomal Recessive,Chromosome 6 Linked Autosomal Recessive Parkinsonism,Diseases, Experimental Parkinson,Dominant Parkinsonism, Autosomal,Experimental Parkinson Diseases,Experimental Parkinsonism, MPTP Induced,Experimental Parkinsonisms,Juvenile Parkinsonism,Juvenile Parkinsonism, Familial,Juvenile Parkinsonisms,MPTP Induced Experimental Parkinsonism,Parkinson Diseases, Experimental,Parkinsonism, Autosomal Dominant,Parkinsonism, Autosomal Recessive,Parkinsonism, Familial Juvenile,Parkinsonism, MPTP-Induced Experimental,Parkinsonisms, Experimental,Parkinsonisms, Juvenile,Recessive Parkinsonism, Autosomal