The Effect of Alcohol Consumption on Progressive Supranuclear Palsy: A Cross-Sectional Study

Aims: To investigate the effect of alcohol consumption on the clinical symptoms in a cohort of Progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) patients.

Methods: We conducted a cross-sectional study focusing on possible and probable PSP patients in Qilu Hospital of Shandong University. Diagnoses and clinical phenotypes were confirmed using the 2017 Movement Disorder Society criteria and the Multiple Allocations eXtinction (MAX) rules. Data on drinking habits and demographics were collected via face-to-face interviews and medical records reviews. Clinical scales assessed motor and nonmotor symptoms. Alcohol consumption was categorized into light, moderate, and heavy status. Using multivariate linear regression and adjusting for confounding factors, we analyzed the relationship between alcohol consumption and clinical symptoms.

Results: The study comprised 128 participants (59.4% male and 45.31% drinkers). Alcohol consumption has been associated with severe PSP clinical symptoms, particularly among male patients. Compared with nondrinkers, consumers of alcohol exhibit significantly more severe motor symptoms and cognitive impairments, particularly in the domains of visuospatial and executive abilities, memory, and language. Moreover, when categorizing individuals based on their intake of alcohol weekly, those with heavy consumption show significantly higher PSP Rating Scale (PSPRS) and the Unified Parkinson's Disease Rating Scale (UPDRS) scores, as well as significantly lower Montreal Cognitive Assessment Scale (MoCA) and Mini Mental State Examination (MMSE) scores compared to nonconsumers.

Conclusion: Our findings indicate an association between heavy alcohol consumption and more pronounced symptoms of PSP, especially cognitive function. It raises the possibility that alcohol intake may play a role in modulating the clinical course of PSP.