Ataxia risk factors

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

Various Risk Factors for ataxia are :

• Viral infections, such as chickenpox , Coxsackie virus, Epstein-Barr, or HIV
• Bacterial infections such as Lyme disease
• Exposure to certain toxins, such as lead , mercury , thallium, alcohol , and organophosphates found in insecticides
• Cerebellar hemorrhage, abscess, blood clot, or obstruction of an artery
• Paraneoplastic syndromes—occurs when the immune system attacks the cerebellum in the area of a cancer
• Certain vaccinations

Those who have a family history of inherited ataxia (e.g Friedreich’s ataxia) may be at higher risk for developing ataxia. Genetic testing may be recommended in these cases.

Certain factors increase the chance of recurrent acute cerebellar ataxia:

• Stroke
• Malformation of the cerebellu
• Multiple sclerosis
• Migraine or vertigo
• Genetic or metabolic disorders
• Brain tumor
• Alcohol use disorder
• Certain medications

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