Ataxia
Ataxia means loss of muscle control during voluntary movements such as walking or picking up objects Ataxia is a symptom of a variety of disorders and may involve movement, speech, eye movement, or swallowing.
Long-term ataxia is mainly caused by damage to the nucleus accumbens The cerebrum is the part of the brain that controls muscle coordination Ataxia is caused by many disorders such as alcoholism, stroke, cancer, cerebral palsy, multiple sclerosis An inherited defective gene also causes a certain ataxia syndrome
Treatment for ataxia varies according to the underlying cause Devices that assist the patient in walking may be important for independent mobility Physical therapy, occupational therapy, and speech therapy are also important
Damage, loss, or degeneration of neurons (nerve cells) in the nucleus causes incoordination and ataxia. The game consists of two parts, each of which is a hand of a ping-pong ball It is located near the brain stem, in the basal part of the brain The right side of the head controls the movements of the right shoulder of the body, while the left side controls the muscles on the left side of the body.
Diseases that involve damage to the spinal cord or peripheral nerves leading to the brain cause ataxia The resulting disorders are:
- head trauma Injury to the head or spinal cord during car accidents causes rapid ataxia, i.e., acute focal ataxia.
- Stroke When the blood supply is reduced or stopped in any part of the brain, the concentration of oxygen decreases and the cells in that part die.
- Transient ischemic attack Ataxia may develop due to a temporary interruption of blood supply lasting several minutes Ataxia in this case is temporary
- Cerebral palsy This name is a general expression of this group of diseases, which refers to damage to the brain of a child at an early stage of development - before birth, during birth or soon after birth. Ataxia develops and the child's muscle coordination is disturbed
- Multiple sclerosis Multiple sclerosis is a chronic, severe disease that affects the central nervous system
- Smallpox Ataxia is a rare complication of chicken pox and other viral diseases Ataxia may appear in the recovery phase and persist for days to weeks Generally, this type of ataxia will pass over time
- Paraneoplastic syndromes These rare, degenerative syndromes are caused by an immune system response directed at the tumor (neoplasia). The tumor is mainly located in the lung, ovary, breast gland or lymphatic system Ataxia may be detected months or years before the tumor is diagnosed
- Cancer Brain tumors, malignant or benign, affect the brain depending on the location
- Toxic reaction Ataxia is also a side effect of certain medications These medicines are barbiturates, e.g Phenobarbital and sedatives, e.g benzodiazepines Other causes are alcohol intoxication, heavy metal poisoning (lead, mercury), solvent poisoning (paint thinners).
- Deficiency of vitamin E or vitamin B-12 If you don't get enough vitamin E or B-12 (due to absorption problems or other disorders) you may develop ataxia
- In some adults who develop ataxia, the cause cannot be determined. This type is called sporadic degenerative ataxia Such ataxia has many forms, such as multiple system atrophy, progressive, degenerative disease.
Hereditary Ataxia Some types of ataxia are inherited A person with such diseases is born with a defective gene that synthesizes a pathological protein Such a protein interferes with the normal functioning of neurons, especially in the brain and spinal cord, causing them to degenerate. As the disease progresses, coordination becomes more difficult
It is possible to inherit ataxia from one parent with a dominant gene (autosomal-dominant disease) or from both parents with a recessive gene (autosomal-recessive disease). In recessive inheritance, it is possible that neither parent has the disease (silent mutation), so there is no family history of the disease.
Different gene defects cause different forms of ataxia, most of which are progressive All forms cause coordination disorders, but also have specific signs
Autosomal-dominant ataxia These diseases are:
- Spinocerebellar ataxia Scientists have found that there are more than 20 genes that cause ataxia in a dominant form This number will probably increase Cervical ataxia and cerebellar degeneration occur in all gene disorders, but signs, age, and symptoms vary depending on the specific gene.
- Episode ataxia There are seven types of ataxia that are episodic rather than progressive—EA1 through EA7 EA1 and EA2 are the most common EA1 involves brief ataxic episodes lasting seconds to minutes This episode is caused by stress, fear, sudden movements, and is often accompanied by muscle spasms
- In EA2, there are longer episodes, from 30 minutes to 6 hours, which are also caused by stress. With this type of ataxia, you may feel dizzy (vertigo), fatigue, muscle weakness In some episodic ataxias, the symptoms disappear with age
- Episodic ataxia does not shorten life expectancy and symptoms are treatable
Autosomal recessive ataxia These are:
- Friedrich's ataxia This type is the most common form of hereditary ataxia and involves damage to the brain, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Peripheral nerves carry signals from the central nervous system to the muscles In most cases, the symptoms of Friedreich's ataxia appear before the age of 25
- The speed of disease progression is different The first sign is difficulty walking The disease spreads to the hands and body Muscles weaken and weaken over time, causing deformities, especially in the limbs
- Other signs and symptoms appear as the disease progresses and include slurred speech (dysarthria), fatigue, involuntary eye movements (nystagmus), scoliosis of the spine, hearing loss, enlarged heart (cardiomyopathy), and heart failure
- Ataxia-telangiectasia This rare, progressive childhood disease causes degeneration of the brain and other body systems During this disorder, the immune system weakens (immunodeficiency), which increases the risk of other diseases Ataxia-telangiectasia affects various organs
- Telangiectasia is a small red spider vein that appears in large numbers in the corners of a child's eyes or on the ears and cheeks. This sign indicates this ataxic disease, although not always Late development of motor skills, poor balance and slow speech are the first manifestations of the disease Recurrent sinus and respiratory tract infections are common
- Ataxia-telangiectasia increases the risk of tumors, especially leukemia and lymphoma Most sufferers are wheelchair-bound until their teenage years and live to be 20-25 years old.
- Congenital thalamic ataxia This type of ataxia develops due to congenital damage to the brain
- Wilson's disease In Wilson's disease, copper accumulates in the brain, liver, and other organs, causing neurological problems including ataxia.
Ataxia may develop gradually or suddenly Ataxia is a sign of neurological disease and may cause:
- Incoordination
- Stumbling, unsteady walking
- Inability to perform tasks such as eating, writing or tying a shirt
- Speech changes
- Involuntary eye movement
