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من طرف black ice السبت يوليو 25, 2009 11:10 pmWhat is ataxia?
Ataxia means clumsiness of movement or loss of
coordination that is not the result of muscle
weakness. The word “ataxia” might be used simply to
mean poor coordination, or it might be used in a more
specific way to denote a degenerative disease of the
nervous system. Ataxia may affect the fingers and
hands, the arms or legs, the body, speech or eye
movements. This loss of coordination may be caused
by a number of different medical or neurological
conditions.
What causes ataxia?
Most often ataxia is caused by loss of function in the
part of the brain, the cerebellum, which serves at the
coordination center. The cerebellum is located toward
the back and lower part of the brain. The right side
of the cerebellum controls coordination on the right
side of the body and the left side controls
coordination on the left. The central part of the
cerebellum controls the very complex movements of
gait or walking, head and trunk stability and eye
movements. Other parts of the cerebellum help to
coordinate eye movements, speech and swallowing.
Ataxia may also be caused by dysfunction of the
pathways leading into and out of the cerebellum.
Information comes into the cerebellum from the
spinal cord and other parts of the brain and signals
from the cerebellum go out to the spinal cord and to
the brain. Although the cerebellum does not directly
control strength, (motor function) or feeling, (sensory
function) the motor sensory pathways must work
properly to provide the correct input into the
cerebellum. Thus, a person with impaired strength
or sensation may notice clumsiness or poor
coordination, and the doctor may say that person has
ataxia.
How does a physician diagnose ataxia?
The physician will perform a neurological
examination which can usually determine whether
the ataxia is caused by impairment in the cerebellum,
its associated pathways or other parts of the nervous
system. Blood tests and x-rays, including an MRI of
your brain, can show whether the cerebellum or
nearby parts of the brain or spinal cord have been
affected by a stroke, tumor, infection or degenerative
disease that can cause ataxia. Genetic testing is
available for various types of ataxia, although some
physicians may feel that it is appropriate to refer a
patient to a specialist in genetics, movement
disorders, or ataxia before ordering a gene test. You
can assist the physician in making a diagnosis by
being honest about all of your symptoms, being
accurate about the dates and details of your medical
history and by collecting information about your
family history.
Below is a list of some medical and neurological
conditions that can cause ataxia to appear suddenly:
• Head trauma
• Stroke
• Brain hemorrhage
• Brain tumor
• Structural disorders - the cerebellum was not
formed properly during development before
birth
• Severe viral infection
• Exposure to certain drugs or toxins (alcohol,
seizure medicine)
• Cardiac or respiratory arrest
References:
The National Ataxia Foundation
Ataxia means clumsiness of movement or loss of
coordination that is not the result of muscle
weakness. The word “ataxia” might be used simply to
mean poor coordination, or it might be used in a more
specific way to denote a degenerative disease of the
nervous system. Ataxia may affect the fingers and
hands, the arms or legs, the body, speech or eye
movements. This loss of coordination may be caused
by a number of different medical or neurological
conditions.
What causes ataxia?
Most often ataxia is caused by loss of function in the
part of the brain, the cerebellum, which serves at the
coordination center. The cerebellum is located toward
the back and lower part of the brain. The right side
of the cerebellum controls coordination on the right
side of the body and the left side controls
coordination on the left. The central part of the
cerebellum controls the very complex movements of
gait or walking, head and trunk stability and eye
movements. Other parts of the cerebellum help to
coordinate eye movements, speech and swallowing.
Ataxia may also be caused by dysfunction of the
pathways leading into and out of the cerebellum.
Information comes into the cerebellum from the
spinal cord and other parts of the brain and signals
from the cerebellum go out to the spinal cord and to
the brain. Although the cerebellum does not directly
control strength, (motor function) or feeling, (sensory
function) the motor sensory pathways must work
properly to provide the correct input into the
cerebellum. Thus, a person with impaired strength
or sensation may notice clumsiness or poor
coordination, and the doctor may say that person has
ataxia.
How does a physician diagnose ataxia?
The physician will perform a neurological
examination which can usually determine whether
the ataxia is caused by impairment in the cerebellum,
its associated pathways or other parts of the nervous
system. Blood tests and x-rays, including an MRI of
your brain, can show whether the cerebellum or
nearby parts of the brain or spinal cord have been
affected by a stroke, tumor, infection or degenerative
disease that can cause ataxia. Genetic testing is
available for various types of ataxia, although some
physicians may feel that it is appropriate to refer a
patient to a specialist in genetics, movement
disorders, or ataxia before ordering a gene test. You
can assist the physician in making a diagnosis by
being honest about all of your symptoms, being
accurate about the dates and details of your medical
history and by collecting information about your
family history.
Below is a list of some medical and neurological
conditions that can cause ataxia to appear suddenly:
• Head trauma
• Stroke
• Brain hemorrhage
• Brain tumor
• Structural disorders - the cerebellum was not
formed properly during development before
birth
• Severe viral infection
• Exposure to certain drugs or toxins (alcohol,
seizure medicine)
• Cardiac or respiratory arrest
References:
The National Ataxia Foundation
