Harry Lee Parker and paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia.

OBJECTIVE

To review descriptions of paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia in multiple sclerosis (MS), with special attention given to Parker and his 1946 case series.

METHODS

Evaluation of original publications describing paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia, bibliographic information, writings, and unpublished letters from the Mayo Clinic Historical Unit.

RESULTS

In 1940, Störring described a patient with MS with paroxysmal symptoms that included dizziness and trouble speaking, but also unilateral extremity weakness. In 1946, Parker published a series of 11 patients with paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia. Six of these patients had MS, and he recognized this phenomenon as a manifestation of the disease. The term "paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia" was first used in 1959 by Andermann and colleagues. Since that time, paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia has become a well-recognized phenomenon in MS. More recent reports have suggested that the responsible lesion is located in the midbrain, near or involving the red nucleus.

CONCLUSIONS

Parker was the first to accurately describe paroxysmal dysarthria and ataxia in patients with MS.