SPASTIC TETRAPLEGIA AS AN INITIAL MANIFESTATION OF FAMILIAL ALZHEIMERS-DISEASE

Two sisters with familial Alzheimer's disease developed spastic gait d isturbance as an initial manifestation. Their gait disturbance progres sed gradually, followed by dementia a few years later. Post-mortem exa mination of one of the patients disclosed degeneration of the thalamus and corticospinal tract in addition to numerous senile plaques and ne urofibrillary tangles in the neocortex, both of which were confirmed b y immunohistochemistry. This is the first report in which clinicopatho logical evaluation is sufficient to establish a new variant of Alzheim er's disease presenting initially as spastic tetraplegia.