International Journal of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation
Open Access

A Preliminary Overview on Ataxia: A Neurological Disease

Alikesh P^{* *}Correspondence: Alikesh P, Department of Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation, University of Medical Sciences, Tehran, Iran, Email:

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Description

Ataxia refers to the collection of neurological diseases which affect the movement. Patients who suffer with ataxia face problems with balance, swallowing as well as speech related problems etc. There could be severe affect to cerebellum due to ataxia. Ataxia can occur in any aged people. Nearly 1, 50,000 people are affected by ataxia in the United States according to a study. Cerebellum is a small region of brain which controls the movements and ataxia will become severe if any damage occurs to cerebellum. There are many reasons behind the occurrence of ataxia one of such cause is due to chronic degeneration, acute infection etc.

Ataxia is classified into three types on the basis of the cause and they are explained as follows:

• Ataxia which is caused die to traumatic effects, deficiency of vitamin, over expose of alcohol, expose to cancer is classified as “acquired ataxia”.

• Ataxia which is caused due to damaged gene inheritance from family members is classified to be “genetic ataxia.

• If the cause of ataxia is undetectable then it is classified as “Idiopathic ataxia”.

Ataxia can be identified with the help of symptoms occurred in the patients [1]. The symptoms are purely dependent on the condition of the patient. Most of the patients seem clumsy who suffers with ataxia. Some of the symptoms includes occurrence of slur in speech, improper balance in walking, imbalanced movements, involuntary movements in eyes, tremors in muscles, problems related to vision, heart etc. Sometimes, thyroid related diseases can also lead to ataxia. It is well known that ataxia cannot be cured however; symptoms can be treated with the advanced techniques such MRI (Magnetic Resonance Imaging), gene testing, blood tests to look up infections etc. It is recommended to consult a doctor if patient suddenly loses balance and muscle movements in hands, legs, arms etc.

Ataxia is classified based on the symptoms occurred in ataxia patients and based on that several types of ataxia are identified by the researchers. Purely on the basis of the symptoms as well as the occurrence characteristics, ataxia has been divided into five types: (a) Ataxia telangiectasia (b) Episodic ataxia (c) Friedreich’s ataxia (d) Spinocerebellar ataxia (e) Multiple system atrophy. Ataxia telangiectasia is also known to be Louis-Bar syndrome. It often leads to enlargement in blood vessels. It occurs mostly in children. Episodic ataxia is a type of ataxia which is classified on the basis of damage and involuntary movements. Due to episodic ataxia many side effects will occur such as stress, nausea, vomiting etc. Friedreich’s ataxia is commonly seen with problem in heart in muscle. It is a gene related disease which is mostly seen in the people ranges between 5 and 15. Spinocerebellar ataxia is also a type of genetic ataxia which is classified on the basis of sensation loss, imbalance movements etc. People with ataxia look different based on the symptoms they got and almost many people get worse with every year. Advance treatments are required to overcome the problems of symptoms and to improve a better quality of lives.

References

1. Kimothi V. A Brief Review on Spinocerebellar Ataxia and Its Treatment. J Neurol Resear Rev & Rep. SRC/JNRRR-105. 2020:3.