Diagnosis

Due to the variety of different ways MSA can manifest, it is often difficult to differentiate it from other neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson's disease, progressive supranuclear palsy (PSP) or corticobasal degeneration (CBD).
Diagnosis is made on careful history, physical examination and some tests including several types of brain imaging and autonomic function tests.
However, a definite diagnosis can still only be accomplished by post-mortem examination of the brain.