The present disclosure relates to a method for diagnosing and treating multiple-system atrophy (MSA) in a subject, the method comprising: determining in a subject-derived biological sample an expression level of a gene from the group consisting of: QKI, GGCX, MOCS1, NF1, LINC01572, PRRG3, HMBOX1, PLP1, PPP1CA, C8orf88, TGFB2, MASP1, TIAM1, SYNGAP1, ACTN1, EMP1, NFIL3, GPNMB, PGAM2, ST5, STON1, RFTN1, and MMP14; comparing the subject-derived expression level of the gene with a normal control expression level of the gene obtained from a non-neurodegenerative biological sample; diagnosing the subject as a having MSA by detecting a differential expression of the gene in the subject-derived biological sample as compared to the normal control expression level; and administering a peroxisome proliferator-activated receptor β (PPARβ) agonist or a retinoid X receptor (RXR) agonist to the subject diagnosed as having MSA.
METHODS OF DETECTING AND TREATING MULTIPLE SYSTEM ATROPHY