Ataxia (patient information): Difference between revisions

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Ataxia is a condition in which a person cannot make normal body movements and cannot keep proper posture.  A person affected by ataxia will have erratic movements.  The condition may develop at any stage of life, including during childhood, and it can affect any body part.
Ataxia is a condition in which a person cannot make normal body movements and cannot keep proper posture.  A person affected by ataxia will have erratic movements.  The condition may develop at any stage of life, including during childhood, and it can affect any body part.


==What are the symptoms of ataxia?==
==What are the symptoms of Ataxia?==
Symptoms may include:
Symptoms may include:
*Inability to stand without swaying
*Inability to stand without swaying
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[[Category:Patient information]]
[[Category:Patient information]]
[[Category:Signs and symptoms]]
[[Category:Orthopedics]]
[[Category:Orthopedics]]
[[Category:Orthopedics patient information]]
[[Category:Orthopedics patient information]]

Revision as of 20:12, 3 August 2011

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Ataxia

Overview

What are the symptoms?

What are the causes?

Who is at highest risk?

When to seek urgent medical care?

Diagnosis

Treatment options

Where to find medical care for Ataxia?

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Ataxia On the Web

Ongoing Trials at Clinical Trials.gov

Images of Ataxia

Videos on Ataxia

FDA on Ataxia

CDC on Ataxia

Ataxia in the news

Blogs on Ataxia

Directions to Hospitals Treating Ataxia

Risk calculators and risk factors for Ataxia

Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Overview

Ataxia is a condition in which a person cannot make normal body movements and cannot keep proper posture. A person affected by ataxia will have erratic movements. The condition may develop at any stage of life, including during childhood, and it can affect any body part.

What are the symptoms of Ataxia?

Symptoms may include:

  • Inability to stand without swaying
  • A uneven gait that may look like the person is drunk
  • Involuntary shifting of the eyes (nystagmus)
  • Unusual speech patterns such as:
    • Monotonous tone
    • Either rushing words or placing large gaps between syllables
  • Impaired motions
  • Tremors in the limbs, particularly towards the end of movements

A patient with ataxia may also experience other neurological symptoms such as dementia, seizures, or a wide array of other disorders.

What causes Ataxia?

When there is a problem in the communication between parts of the brain that control movement, ataxia results. Some forms of ataxia are inherited. Such forms include:

  • Friedreich ataxia
  • Type 1 and Type 2 Episodic ataxia
  • Fragile X tremor/ataxia syndrome
  • Types 1-28 of Spinocerebellar ataxia

Other inherited causes of ataxia include:

Other causes of ataxia that are not inherited include:

  • Multiple sclerosis
  • Malabsorption of Vitamin E
  • Brain tumor
  • Brain lesion
  • Toxins
  • Infection such as HIV, syphilis, or prion disease
  • Paraneoplastic syndrome
  • Cerebellar form of multiple system atrophy

Who is at highest risk?

Those who have a family history of inherited ataxia may be at higher risk for developing ataxia. Genetic testing may be recommended in these cases.

When to seek urgent medical care?

Many neurological disorders have ataxia as a symptom. Therefore, if you think you might be experiencing ataxia, you should make an appointment with your medical care professional.

Diagnosis

You health care provider can diagnose you of ataxia. During your exam, your doctor will take a full medical history. He will also likely perform a neurological exam and may order laboratory tests. Your doctor may also recommend you undergo medical imaging to look for evidence of strokes or other possible causes of ataxia.

Treatment options

Since there are many causes for ataxia and many types of ataxia, treatments vary greatly. Many treatments focus on treating the underlying condition rather than the ataxic symptoms themselves.

Where to find medical care for Ataxia?

Directions to Hospitals Treating Ataxia

What to expect (Outlook/Prognosis)?

Outlook varies widely depending on the cause of the ataxia and whether or not a serious condition is the underlying cause of the ataxia.

Sources

http://www.wemove.org/ataxia/ata.html

http://www.wemove.org/ataxia/ata_cau.html

http://www.wemove.org/ataxia/ata_man.html

http://www.wemove.org/ataxia/ata_eval.html

http://www.wemove.org/ataxia/pediatric/ata_exa.html

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