Ataxia

Learn more about Ataxia and other medical symptoms..

Below you can find further information on this medical area. All this information is freely available for re-distribution both privately and commercially, according to the GNU free documentation license.

Ataxia (from Greek ataxiā, meaning disorder) is unsteady and clumsy motion of the limbs or trunk due to a failure of the fine coordination of muscle movements. The cerebellum is the center of the fine coordination of muscle movements, while the information emerging from it is carried to the muscles by the spinal cord and peripheral nerves, respectively. Therefore a disorder in either the spinal cord or in the peripheral nerves can cause ataxia.

Ataxia may be caused by a congenital disorder (for example Friedreich's ataxia), a viral infection (chicken pox), encephalitis, diseases and lesions of the central nervous system or spinal cord (including abscess, trauma, stroke etc.), by radiation or by various toxic substances, including drugs such as alcohol.

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All information published on this web site is for information purposes only. The content of this web site should not be used for a conclusive diagnosis or for choosing a treatment. The content on this site has been provided as a guideline and general information it is not intended to replace professional medical care. In all serious cases it is advisable to recieve attention from a qualified medical practitioner.