Corticobasal degeneration

Corticobasal degeneration is a rare degenerative brain disease that affects the cerebral cortex and the basal ganglia. It is almost impossible to diagnose in the absence of an autopsy as it shares many symptoms of diseases in the parkinsonian syndromes and has several different clinical presentations - a true zebra. As such, a diagnosis of corticobasal degeneration in a living patient is never definitive and is a diagnosis of exclusion. It almost always strikes persons between the age of 50 and 70. 
It almost always presents with one or more of alien hand syndrome, Parkinosonianism, apraxia or aphasia. However, unlike similar conditions, it does not always present with psychiatric or cognitive symptoms.
Treatment focuses on the immediate symptoms, and the disease usually progresses within six years to death. Drugs such as dopamine to treat parkinsonianism are usually low risk.
Corticobasal degeneration at WikipediaCategory:Diseases
Category:Neurology