Ataxia

What is Ataxia?

Cerebellar ataxia is caused by dysfunction in the cerebellum (the part of the brain responsible for coordinating the body’s voluntary movements.)

This dysfunction in turn can cause the following neurological issues:

  • Asynergy (a lack of coordination between the muscles, limbs, and joints)
  • Dysmetria (inability to gauge distances, leading to under or over-shooting grasping movements)
  • Dysdiadochokinesia (inability to perform rapid movements that require antagonizing muscles to be turned on and off repeatedly)

*This definition does not include sensory ataxia.

Symptoms may affect multiple parts of the body. Understanding which part of the body a symptom affects, can help us to better understand the potential underlying causes of a symptom, including a rare disease or genetic syndrome.

The brain is the central organ of the nervous system, a system which includes not only the brain but also the sensory organs of the body, the spinal cords and the nerves that connect them all. The nervous system is how the different parts of the body communicate with each other and controls their responses to both internal and external stimuli.

Generally, symptoms affecting the brain can not be seen with the naked eye. Although diagnosing a brain related symptom may involve different tests and assessments, both subjective and objective.

Symptoms relating to the brain may affect other parts of the body and development, including intellectual ability as well as the ability to move, speak and other crucial bodily functions.

What should I do next?

In some instances, ataxia may be one of the features of a rare disease or genetic syndrome. To find out if someone with Ataxia, may be due to a genetic syndrome, it is important to have a consultation and evaluation with a clinical genetic specialist.  Specialists may also suggest specific genetic testing or other types of tests to help reach a diagnosis.  FDNA’s AI technology can help speed up the diagnostic process by analyzing facial features and other health information.

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Synonyms:
Cerebellar ataxia
Related syndromes:

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