NINDS Post-Polio Syndrome Information Page

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NINDS Post-Polio Syndrome Information Page

Reviewed 07-01-2001

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Table of Contents (click to jump to sections)

What is Post-Polio Syndrome?
Is there any treatment?
What is the prognosis?
What research is being done?

Organizations
Related NINDS Publications and Information

What is Post-Polio Syndrome?
Post-Polio Syndrome (PPS) is a condition that can strike polio survivors anywhere from 10 to 40 years after their recovery from polio. PPS is caused by the death of individual nerve terminals in the motor units that remain after the initial polio attack. Symptoms include fatigue, slowly progressive muscle weakness, muscle and joint pain, and muscular atrophy. The severity of PPS depends upon how seriously the survivors were affected by the first polio attack. Doctors estimate the incidence of PPS at about 25 percent of the survivor population. The only way to be sure a person has PPS is through a neurological examination aided by other laboratory studies (for example, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), neuroimaging, electrophysiological studies, and muscle biopsies or spinal fluid analysis).

Is there any treatment?
At present, no treatment can cure or prevent PPS. Some experimental drug treatments, including pyridostigmine and seligiline, show promise in treating symptoms of the disorder. Doctors recommend that polio survivors follow standard healthful lifestyle practices: consuming a healthful diet, exercising in moderation, and visiting a doctor regularly.

What is the prognosis?
PPS is a very slowly progressing condition that is marked by long periods of stability. PPS patients, compared with control populations, do not show any elevation in antibodies against the polio virus, and since PPS affects only certain muscle groups, doctors question whether the polio virus can cause a persistent infection in humans. Except in people with severe respiratory impairment, PPS is not usually life-threatening.

What research is being done?
Scientists are studying a number of possible treatments for post-polio syndrome, including insulin-like growth factor (IGF-1) and other growth factors. Other researchers are looking at the mechanisms behind fatigue, and trying to tease out information from the brain, muscles, and neuromuscular junction (the site at which a nerve cell meets the muscle it helps activate). Scientists are also trying to determine if there is an immunological link in this disorder

Select this link to view a list of all studies currently seeking patients.

Organizations

Post-Polio Health International
4207 Lindell Blvd.
#110
St. Louis, MO 63108-2915
info@post-polio.org
http://www.post-polio.org
Tel: 314-534-0475
Fax: 314-534-5070

Polio Connection of America
P.O. Box 182
Howard Beach, NY 11414
w1066polio@hotmail.com
http://www.geocities.com/w1066w
Tel: 718-835-5536
Fax: 718-738-1946

March of Dimes Birth Defects Foundation
1275 Mamaroneck Avenue
White Plains, NY 10605
askus@marchofdimes.com
http://www.marchofdimes.com
Tel: 914-428-7100 888-MODIMES (663-4637)
Fax: 914-428-8203

Related NINDS Publications and Information

Fact Sheet: Post-Polio Syndrome

Post-polio syndrome (PPS) fact sheet compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

El Síndrome de la Pospoliomielitis

Información del Sindrome de la Pospoliomielitis/Spanish-language fact sheet on Post-Polio Syndrome compiled by the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS).

NINDS health-related material is provided for information purposes only and does not necessarily represent endorsement by or an official position of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke or any other Federal agency. Advice on the treatment or care of an individual patient should be obtained through consultation with a physician who has examined that patient or is familiar with that patient's medical history.

All NINDS-prepared information is in the public domain and may be freely copied. Credit to the NINDS or the NIH is appreciated.

Provided by:
The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke
National Institutes of Health
Bethesda, MD 20892

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