RT Book, Section
A1 Salardini, Arash
A1 Ramirez-Zamora, Adolfo
A2 Salardini, Arash
A2 Biller, José
SR Print(0)
ID 1127046506
T1 The Ataxias
T2 The Hospital Neurology Book
YR 2016
FD 2016
PB McGraw-Hill Education
PP New York, NY
SN 9780071845830
LK neurology.mhmedical.com/content.aspx?aid=1127046506
RD 2024/04/19
AB Ataxia  is  defined  as  a  syndrome  characterized  by  lack  of  coordination  of  movements  and  posture  secondary  to  a  variety  of  reasons:Sensory  ataxia:  Proprioceptive  loss  causes  the  brain  to  be  unaware  of  the  position  of  limbs  and  trunk.  Thus,  there  is  incoordination  of  movements  because  of  incomplete  feedback.  For  example,  the  major  mechanism  by  which  we  are  able  to  maintain  our  balance  while  walking  on  uneven  ground  comes  from  the  proprioceptive  feedback  from  muscles  and  tendons  around  the  ankle.  Loss  of  ankle  proprioception  results  in  problems  with  balance.Optic  ataxia:  Caused  by  damage  to  the  parietal  lobes,  it  is  characterized  by  a  dysfunction  of  reaching  movements  under  visual  guidance  (see  chapter  on  Dementias).Cerebellar  ataxia:  The  cerebellum  is  involved  in  coordination  of  movement  of  different  muscle  groups.  Problems  with  the  cerebellum  cause  the  various  manifestations  of  cerebellar  ataxia.Vestibular  ataxia:  Loss  of  balance  and  coordination  in  the  setting  of  vestibular  system  dysfunction  or  its  connections.  Patients  with  chronic  bilateral  loss  of  vestibular  function  report  a  sense  of  unsteadiness,  dizziness,  vertigo,  post-movement  gaze  variability,  and  oscillopsia.