Olivopontocerebellar atrophy (OPCA) is a chronic degenerative disease of the central nervous system with cerebellar ataxia and brainstem damage as the main clinical manifestations. In 1891, Menzel first reported two patients with clinical manifestations of Parkinson's syndrome, autonomic failure and pyramidal tract damage, which were consistent with the clinical and pathological changes of multiple system atrophy (MSA). In 1900, Dejerine and Thomas named patients with this group of clinical manifestations as OPCA. Subsequent neurological and pathological studies have found that many OPCA patients have a familial tendency, manifested as autosomal dominant or recessive inheritance, and are now classified as SCA-1 type in hereditary spinocerebellar ataxia. Some sporadic OPCA cases mainly manifest as mild cerebellar ataxia, on which basis they gradually develop coughing when drinking water and dysphagia, and are often combined with obvious symptoms of Parkinson's syndrome and autonomic failure during the course of the disease. In addition, a small number of patients may have one or more of the following symptoms: bilateral pyramidal tract signs, limb muscle atrophy, nystagmus, or extraocular muscle paralysis. Currently, it is believed that only sporadic patients are classified as MSA.