Frequently Asked Questions
What
is Ataxia?
The
term ataxia literally means "loss of muscle coordination." However,
ataxia is also used to refer to a group of disorders that have ataxia as their
main feature. Individuals with ataxia often notice poor balance when walking,
inability to run, clumsiness of the hands, a change in speech, or abnormal eye
movements.
Many of the disorders that cause ataxia are marked by progressive loss of nerve cells that normally help coordinate movement. Other causes of ataxia include trauma, tumors, multiple sclerosis, and stroke. Ataxia can affect males and females of all ages, races and ethnic backgrounds.
Because there are so many causes of ataxia, many patients never learn what specific type of ataxia they have. For this reason, it can be especially helpful for ataxic patients to see a neurologist who specializes in the diagnosis and treatment of ataxia.
What
is the role of genetics?
Many forms of ataxia are inherited and can be
passed on in families through abnormal genes. Sometimes, several members of a
family will show symptoms of ataxia. In other families, the abnormal gene may
be present, but only one family member will have ataxia. When an inherited form
of ataxia is suspected, gene testing can help the neurologist diagnose the specific
ataxia subtype. Gene testing can also provide information that may be important
to the genetic counseling of the entire family.
Non-hereditary, or sporadic ataxia refers to disorders that affect a large group of people whose symptoms of ataxia often first occur in adulthood. These patients appear to have no other family members affected by the disease. This form of ataxia can be more difficult to diagnose. Often it requires a number of examinations over a long period of time and various laboratory and radiological tests to assist in the diagnosis or ruling out of other possible causes.
