Cerebral Ataxia Causes

Every year, September 25th is marked as the International Ataxia Awareness Day. This makes one want to know all about ataxia, more particularly on cerebral ataxia? We shall learn all about the symptoms and possible treatment options for this condition that leads to uncoordinated movement of the muscles.

It is a condition that is characterized by lack of muscle coordination during voluntary acts like walking, holding, picking up things, etc. Ataxia may also affect speech, eye movements, ability to swallow, etc. Causes of acute cerebral ataxia include chickenpox, Coxsackie disease, mycoplasma pneumonia, Epstein-Barr virus infection, etc.

This condition is very common in children who are under the age of 3 years. Persistent ataxia is a condition that occurs after one suffers from damage to the cerebellum. The cerebellum function includes controlling the muscle function. Any damage to the cerebellum leads to loss of muscle coordination.

Let's now have a look at the causes to understand this neurological condition better.

When the nerve cells in the cerebellum are damaged or suffer from degeneration, it leads to spinocerebellar ataxia. Here are the causes of this condition:

Any injury or damage to the brain and central nervous system can lead to sudden onset of ataxia. This condition is also called acute cerebral ataxia and can occur due to a powerful blow due to car accidents or getting hit by a hard object on the head.

Stroke can cause the blood and oxygen supply to the brain to be interrupted for some time. This tends to cause oxygen and nutrient deprivation to the brain cells. Thus, the brain cells die leading to cerebellum damage.

TIA involves a temporary decrease of blood supply to the brain that leads to loss of coordination for a temporary period. TIA lasts for just a few minutes, but results in a lot of damage to the brain cells.

MS is a disease that affects the central nervous system causing debilitating effects, which can also lead to cerebral ataxia.

Cerebral palsy is a group of disorders that damage the brain of a newborn, before, during or shortly after birth leading to loss of coordination of body movements.

Use of certain medications and substances can lead to toxic reactions. These reactions lead to brain damage resulting in ataxia. Intake of barbiturates, drugs, alcohol, heavy metal poisoning, paint thinners, etc. lead to toxic reactions.

Apart from these causes, chickenpox, cancerous or non-cancerous tumors, paraneoplastic syndromes, etc. also lead to cerebral ataxia. This condition can also be caused due to certain hereditary conditions. These genetic conditions lead to abnormal protein production that decreases the ability of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord.

With time, these nerves degenerate leading to coordination problems. There are two types of genetic ataxia passed on from the parents to children. These include - autosomal dominant disorder and autosomal recessive disorder. The autosomal dominant ataxia can be either spinocerebellar ataxia or episodic ataxia.

The autosomal recessive ataxia includes Friedreich's ataxia, Ataxia-telangiectasia, congenital cerebellar ataxia and Wilson's disease.

Ataxia tends to develop with time or almost suddenly in some cases. It can also be a sign of some neurological disorder that leads to loss of muscle movement.

Some of the symptoms are as follows:

• Poor coordination
• Unsteady gait
• Stumbling while walking
• Problems performing fine motor tasks like writing, typing, tying a shoe lace
• Problems with speech
• Nystagmus (involuntary back and forth movement of the eye)
• Problems with swallowing
• Loss of muscle coordination of the arms, hands and legs
• Loss of balance

If one suffers from loss of balance, slurred speech, difficulty in swallowing food and loss of muscle control, one should immediately seek a doctor's advice. When a person is diagnosed with cerebellar ataxia, they are asked to undergo physical therapy. This helps in building the strength of the muscles and increasing mobility.

Occupational therapy helps a person learn to perform daily tasks and speech therapy helps one improve their speech. Apart from these therapies, one is asked to use a walker or a cane as a support while walking. Some people are given communication aids that help them speak better and are asked to use special utensils that help them eat.

Damage to brain and spinal cord can lead to loss of muscle coordination. The treatment for this condition is unspecific and requires one to develop and overcome their muscle control loss. If one suffers from any of the above symptoms of ataxia, they should contact a doctor and seek treatment immediately.

Disclaimer: This story is for informative purposes only, and does not in any way attempt to replace the diagnosis of a doctor. Visiting your physician is the safest way to diagnose and treat any health condition.