Cerebellar Ataxia

Ataxia is basically related to unbalanced and uncoordinated body movements. Cerebellum ataxia is a rare disorder, that is related to improper functioning of the cerebellum, an important brain anatomy, which controls the coordination of body movements.

Causes of Cerebellar Ataxia

Cerebellar ataxia can be hereditary or non-hereditary. When cerebellar ataxia is inherited, it is mainly because of defective genes, that are passed on through generations. There are four ways of inheriting this genetic disease, viz.:

• Autosomal dominant inheritance: Here, a faulty gene is inherited from only one parent. In such cases, there are 50% chances of passing ataxia to the offspring. Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias or (ADCAs) are also known as spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs).
• Autosomal recessive inheritance: Two copies of the faulty gene are inherited from both the parents. Parents, in such cases, act as carriers, though they themselves do not suffer from ataxia. When both the parents are carriers, the offspring has 25% chances of being affected by ataxia and 50% chances of not being affected by ataxia, but becoming a carrier. Friedreich's ataxia is one of the types of ataxia that falls under this category.
• Mitochondrial ataxias: The genes present in the mitochondria of a cell are mutated and because a child always inherits mitochondria from its mother, are transferred only through the maternal link.
• X-linked: In this case, only males are affected, while females act as carriers. This type of inheritance is rare.

People having negative family history may have cerebellar ataxia; the reasons for which are still inexplicable. Non-hereditary cerebellar ataxia is referred to as 'Sporadic cerebellar ataxia'. Following are some causes of sporadic cerebellar ataxia:

• Injury to head, brain surgery
• Multiple sclerosis or cerebral palsy
• Toxic drugs and alcoholism
• Viral infections like chickenpox
• Vitamin deficiency
• Malformation of the cerebellum in the unborn fetus, is a known trigger factor for cerebellar ataxia after birth.

Sporadic cerebellar ataxia is non-progressive, i.e the symptoms do not worsen gradually.

Symptoms of Cerebellar Ataxia

The severity of symptoms of cerebellar ataxia vary from person to person. For some people, the symptoms get worse, while in case of others, they are mild. Following are some of the symptoms:

• Uncoordinated body movements and involuntary movements of eyes.
• Slurred speech and swallowing problem
• Sight and hearing problems
• Behavioral changes

Diagnosis of Cerebellar Ataxia

Since many neurological disorder have similar symptoms; sometimes, it is difficult to diagnose cerebellar ataxia. The neurologist may need a number of tests to diagnose sporadic cerebellar ataxia. Following are some tests that are done to diagnose the disease:

• Brain scans: Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scans give the images of cerebellum and help to determine whether the cerebellum is damaged.
• Patient and Family history: These factors help in understanding, whether the ataxia is caused due to alcohol, tumor or hereditary reasons. If the parents and grandparents have ataxia, the patient is likely to be suffering from autosomal dominant inheritance; while, autosomal recessive inheritance can be diagnosed, if parents are not affected, but at least one child has ataxia.
• Genetic tests: These tests help to diagnose the type of inherited cerebellar ataxia.

Treatment of Cerebellar Ataxia

Usually, cerebellar ataxia cannot be cured completely, but proper treatment can help the patient lead a normal life. Wheelchair assessments are recommended for patients who have lost the ability of body movement coordination. Physiotherapy is also recommended for such patients. Speech and swallowing problems can be solved to some extent, with the help of a speech therapist. For patients who are suffering from vitamin deficiency, a special diet may be advised. Patients having abnormal eye movements and muscle spasms, are given medications. Non-progressive cerebellar ataxia, like viral infection, gets cured within a short span of time. All the treatments for cerebellar ataxia depend on the symptoms and the type of cerebellar ataxia. Treatments for cerebellar ataxia help to reduce the severity of its symptoms.

Cerebellar ataxia can develop at any age. For hereditary cerebellar ataxia, the patient may show symptoms at an early age. Many patients suffering from cerebellar ataxia are leading a normal life with the help of treatment.