Ataxia is a disorder that causes loss of synchronized movement of the body. When the disease sets in, the initial problems that people have to face are awkwardness and instability. But in some cases the disease can take a toll on one’s hearing, speech and vision. People, who fall prey to this menace, face problems of synchronization of the various body parts and it affects their balance and movement drastically. Apart from the sensory organs, it can also affect one’s fingers, arms, hands or legs adversely. It may stem from some infection, damages or injuries to the central nervous system of one’s body.
The word ataxia stems from the Greek word which is ataxis . It usually means a person does not have any order or cannot co-ordinate. The disease ataxia comes under the gamut of a group of specific disease which are degenerative in nature and which are related to nervous system.
Ataxia Causes
Ataxia can be both inherited and acquired and there are many causes behind its occurrence. The reasons of non-inherited ataxia are brain tumors, multiple sclerosis and alcoholism. Inherited ataxia, on the other hand, stems from genetic abnormality. Sometimes, lack of Vitamin E intake and consumption of gluten can lead to this disease. In some cases of inherited ataxia, the cerebellum of the fetus’s brain does not develop properly.
Types of Ataxia
There are several variants of Ataxia. The most common ones are spinocerebellar ataxia type 6, Friedreich's ataxia and ataxia telangiectasia. Out of these variants of the disorder, Friedreich's ataxia is the commonest. It is related to improper growth and development of genes. If the cause of the malady can not be traced, it is referred as idiopathic ataxia. Some other types of the disease include Sensory ataxia, Cerebellar ataxia, Vestibular ataxia etc.
Symptoms Ataxia
The symptoms of the malady may vary according to the type. However, the initial problems are clumsiness and instability which may commence between 4 and 16 years in cases of an early onset. This eventually leads to a condition when the affected person can not walk any more. His ability to talk, hear or see also deteriorates with time. Slow eye movement is seen in some of the victims. They fail to perform tasks that require fine control of the arm’s nerves such as writing. Some victims suffering from Friedreich's ataxia may face grave cardiac problems.
When the disease sets in late, like in the instances of severe alcoholism, the symptoms of the disease may begin after 20. In fact a significant fact about this disease is that often the symptoms for this malady manifest themselves even when the person in his/her sixties.
Often the onset of the symptoms of ataxia is gradual. The first abilities of an individual to be affected are balance as well as co-ordination and as time progresses the individual expresses a slurring of speech. Slowly he/she loses his/her ability to move and in most cases the individual displays a peculiar walk where legs are far apart.
This is done by a person in order to achieve balance. With the degeneration of motor activities a person cannot perform usual activities as eating and writing. However in most cases such a degeneration pattern is gradual and it progresses for quite a few years before a victim loses complete control over his/her motor movement as well as co-ordination skills.
Diagnosis and Treatment
It may take some time for people to understand the occurrence of Ataxia. This is because the symptoms of the disease may look similar to other ailments. There are some medical tests which can be used to affirm the detection of the disease. They are MRI scans, several blood tests and genetic tests. In some variants of the disease, antenatal screening can be used. The process of diagnosis depends on the victim’s family history, medical history as well as a comprehensive neurological examination.
Unfortunately, this disease has no specific cure. There are some treatments that can be used to reduce the severity of the ailment. For example, physiotherapy can be used to aid the person to move. In some instances, counseling and suitable speech therapy is also employed. Some types of medication is used to treat problems like muscle spasm. If the patient is suffering from a Vitamin E deficiency, appropriate supplements are used. To aid movement, artificial walking support can be used.
