[Olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy with personality changes and slight disturbance of intelligence].

H. I., a housewife aged 55 years, began feeling a gait disturbance at 48 years old. After this she had incoordination of arms, dysarthria and tremor of hands. Aged 54 years, she could not stand up by herself. In addition to these neurological signs she had a change of character, such as losing control of herself, unreservedness and unceremoniousness, and slight disturbance of intelligence. She died at the age of 55 years about seven years after the onset. Histopathologically, noticeable changes were observed on the medulla oblongata, pons and cerebellum; the severe neuronal loss of the pontine nuclei and the olivary nuclei with demyelination and gliosis of the cerebellopetal fibers. Especially a great deal of lipofuscin granules in the nerve cells of the frontal and temporal lobe were observed. In the substantia nigra some pigmented cells were deleted. This case was diagnosed as olivo-ponto-cerebellar atrophy clinico-histopathologically. We discussed conserning the etiology of the changes of personality and slight disturbance of intelligence in relation to histopathological changes. It is speculated that the mental disorders are due to the degeneration of the nerve cells in the frontal and temporal lobes.