
Health Dictionary
Reliable, easy-to-read patient information on common medical conditions β written in plain language, free of jargon, and grounded in current evidence. Browse the most frequent diagnoses, understand what they mean for everyday life, and learn which steps and questions help you have a focused conversation with your doctor.
Ataxia pathophysiology
Introduction
Ataxia can have both motor and sensory components. [1], and not all patients with ataxia have disease pathology in the cerebellum. The first symptom for patients with ataxia is usually gait imbalance. Patients experience difficulty in climbing stairs and often hold on to near by objects or railings. Double vision is present in the initial stages, often seen when patients turn their heads quickly. Blurry vision is also common. Patients experience Slurred speech which makes some words difficult to be understood. Also, they can face loss of hand dexterity resulting in handwriting problems and difficulty performing delicate movements [2]
Most common experiences symptoms areΒ :
- Uncoordinated movements of the limbs or trunk
- Clumsiness with daily activities
- Difficulty walking
- Speech disturbances with slurred speech and changes in tone, pitch, and volume
- Visual complaints
- Abnormal eye movements
- Headache
- Nausea and vomiting
- Lightheadedness
- Changes in mental state, such as personality or behavioral changes
- Chaotic eye movements
- Difficulty swallowing
References
- β Diener HC, Dichgans J (1992). “Pathophysiology of cerebellar ataxia”. Mov. Disord. 7 (2): 95β109. doi:10.1002/mds.870070202. PMIDΒ 1584245.
- β Kuo SH (August 2019). “Ataxia”. Continuum (Minneap Minn). 25 (4): 1036β1054. doi:10.1212/CON.0000000000000753. PMCΒ 7339377 Check
|pmc=value (help). PMIDΒ 31356292.
