Use Intermountain Connect Care®
Learn More.
How can we help?
Ataxia [uh-TAK-see-uh] is loss of muscle coordination. It’s not a single disease, but a symptom of many different conditions that affect the nervous system. It’s caused by a problem with the part of the brain called the cerebellum, which lies at the back of the head and controls balance and coordination. Sometimes the spinal cord is also affected. Ataxia can cause problems using the hands, arms and legs, unsteady walking, slurred speech, random eye movement, and tremors.
Ataxia can be a symptom of another health condition. When a loss of coordination is a symptom of another problem, that symptom is called ataxia. For example, ataxia can come on suddenly after a head injury, brain tumor, or exposure to certain medicines. If the cause of ataxia is successfully treated, the symptoms can go away.
Ataxia can be part of an inherited (genetic) condition. This is called hereditary ataxia. With these serious diseases, the cerebellum shrinks over time. When the symptoms first appear and how fast they get worse can vary. It partly depends on what type of ataxia your child has.
The group of diseases that comprise hereditary ataxia includes:
Ataxia is marked by a loss of coordination. It can be most visible when your child walks. They might try to move forward but stumble back or fall to the side. Signs include:
Beyond these symptoms, effects can vary for different genetic conditions. Examples include:
Ataxia is degenerative [dee-JEN-er-uh-tiv], meaning symptoms get worse over time. Despite the disabling nature of the disease, thinking skills are not hurt in most people with ataxia.
Some kinds of ataxia can affect very young children. Others do not show until later in life. You should take your child to see a healthcare provider if they are struggling with some or all of these:
Remember that all children can be awkward when first learning to walk. Other problems can also cause these symptoms.
When ataxia is a genetic condition, it’s caused by an inherited gene that is present from birth. This creates a problem with the nervous system and the part of the brain called the cerebellum that lies at the back of the head. That part of the brain controls movement. Sometimes the spinal cord is also affected. When these parts degenerate, your child loses control of their movements.
When ataxia is a symptom of another health condition, is can be caused by:
Your child’s healthcare provider will check your child’s family and medical history and do a physical exam. They will ask your child to do certain movements. The movements will include simple things like touching their finger to their nose or putting the heel of their foot to their knee.
If your child’s healthcare provider thinks your child might have inherited ataxia or ataxia that is a sign of a nervous system problem, your child will be referred to a doctor who specializes in the nervous system, called a neurologist [noo-RALL-oh-jist].
The neurologist will do a complete evaluation that may include tests such as:
Treating ataxia that a symptom of another condition means finding out the cause. For example, if it was caused by an infection that goes away, the ataxia symptoms will also go away.
Inherited forms of ataxia cannot be cured. Treatment focuses on treating your child’s symptoms. This treatment might involve:
Your child’s healthcare providers might also recommend regular aerobic exercise.
Some forms of ataxia can’t be prevented. Genetic testing before having a child may not reveal the ataxia gene because not all of the genes are known.
It is possible to prevent some things that cause the symptoms of ataxia. For example, chicken pox can cause acute cerebellar ataxia (ACA). Having your child vaccinated against chicken pox can prevent this.
National ataxia foundation https://ataxia.org/what-is-ataxia/
Ataxia [uh-TAK-see-uh] is loss of muscle coordination. It’s not a single disease, but a symptom of many different conditions that affect the nervous system. It can cause problems using the hands, arms and legs, unsteady walking, slurred speech, random eye movement, and tremors.
Ataxia can be part of a genetic (inherited) disease or it can be a symptom of another health condition. If it’s genetic it can’t be cured but symptoms can be treated.