What is ataxia? Good Review Article

What is Ataxia?

Balance and coordination are products of complex circuitry involving the basal ganglia, cerebellum and cerebral cortex, as well as peripheral motor and sensory pathways. Malfunction of any part of this intricate circuitry can lead to imbalance and incoordination, or ataxia, of gait, the limbs or eyes, or a combination thereof. 

Ataxia can be a symptom of a multisystemic disorder, or it can manifest as the major component of a disease process. 

Ongoing discoveries of genetic abnormalities suggest the role ofmitochondrial dysfunction, oxidative stress, abnormal mechanisms of DNA repair, possible protein misfolding, and abnormalities in cytoskeletal proteins. Few ataxias are fully treatable, and most are symptomatically managed. 

A discussion of the ataxias is presented here with brief mention of acquired ataxias, and a greater focus on inherited ataxias.

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