Table of ContentsView AllTable of ContentsWhat Is Ataxia?Ataxia SymptomsAtaxia CausesTypesDiagnosisTreatmentSummary
Table of ContentsView All
View All
Table of Contents
What Is Ataxia?
Ataxia Symptoms
Ataxia Causes
Types
Diagnosis
Treatment
Summary
Ataxia is the term used to describe the loss of coordination in the body. This loss of coordination can manifest as a loss of balance, slurred speech, stumbling, a wide gait, or a variety of other symptoms.
Ataxia can be a symptom of an underlying disease, such asmultiple sclerosis, or it can be the cause itself. While ataxia is used most often to describe certain symptoms like loss of balance, it also describes a group of degenerative diseases of the central nervous system.
Phynart Studio / Getty Images
Ataxia can either refer to the symptom of loss of coordination, or it can refer to hereditary or sporadic ataxias.
In hereditary ataxias, you are born with a gene mutation that affects coordination in a degenerative manner. Your symptoms may appear in childhood or develop later in life and will progress over time. The severity of the disability is dependent on a number of factors, such as the age of onset and the type of ataxia.
In sporadic ataxia, there is no family history of the disease and symptoms usually begin in adulthood.
When ataxia is used to describe the loss of coordination that occurs due to an underlying cause, the symptoms can vary from slurred speech to loss of balance to stumbling and falling.
These symptoms affect your balance and the way you walk, talk, and move through your daily life.
The symptoms of ataxia vary based on the cause. If the cause is an underlying disease or disease process, such as astroke,tumor, alcoholism, or nerve damage, you may experience symptoms such as:
Symptoms from a genetic form of ataxia or sporadic ataxia can include:
Why Am I So Clumsy?
Ataxia is more commonly a symptom of another disease process. If you experience loss of coordination or any of the other symptoms mentioned above, it’s important to talk to your healthcare provider to determine the cause.
Rare, genetic causes of ataxia are diseases in and of themselves.
Types of Ataxia
There are three main categories of ataxia based on the part of the body that is affected. These are sensory, cerebellar, and vestibular ataxias:
All three of these categories will have different ataxia symptoms. Healthcare providers will often use specific clinical terms to describe the types of ataxia and how they affect your body.
Symptom Types of Ataxia
Based on your symptoms, your healthcare provider may use any of the terms below to talk about your condition and help determine a cause:
To diagnose ataxia, your healthcare provider will take a full medical history. They will go over your symptoms and conduct a physical exam looking for any of the ataxias mentioned above.
You may be asked to walk in a straight line, tap the pads of your index and thumb fingers together repeatedly, bring your pointer finger to touch your nose, or stand with your feet together and your eyes closed. These tests, along with others, can be conducted and observed in your practitioner’s office.
After conducting these tests and reviewing your history, your healthcare provider may then order other tests that they deem necessary. While your primary doctor can conduct many of these tests, you may also be referred to a neurologist for a more indepth workup.
Further testing for ataxia can include, but is not limited to:
Treatment for ataxia depends on the cause. If ataxia is a symptom of another disease, then the underlying disease will need to be treated. Treatment of the underlying disease or disease process can help relieve the symptoms or make them milder.
For example, you may be prescribed physical therapy after a stroke, given assistive devices for multiple sclerosis, or told to take vitamin supplements in the case of a vitamin deficiency. If you have celiac disease, then you will be coached on changing your diet to eliminate gluten.
All of the treatments for ataxia are dependent on the specific cause of your ataxia. Sometimes you will need to see a specialist who treats the disease causing your symptoms.
If your ataxia is part of the group of degenerative disorders, then your treatment options can include, but are not limited to:
Ataxia is a loss of coordination, a symptom seen in multiple sclerosis, stroke, alcohol use disorder, and more. It also is a name given to a group of diseases that cause degeneration of the central nervous system. People with ataxia may show a loss of balance, slurred speech, stumbling, and unusual eye movements.
Your healthcare provider may be able to diagnose your condition or could refer you to a neurologist. Once the underlying condition is identified, treating it may address the ataxia.
A Word From Verywell
Since treatment for ataxia is dependent on the cause, if you experience any symptoms of ataxia, you should contact your healthcare provider immediately for a full examination. Do not be afraid to ask for help. Learning the cause of your ataxia can help maintain your quality of life.
Once a cause is determined, you can begin treatment. While there may not be a cure for your symptoms, often just knowing the cause can help you find more information about your disease and learn to cope.
10 SourcesVerywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library.Ataxia.MedlinePlus.Ataxia telangiectasia.National Ataxia Foundation.What is ataxia?Akbar U, Ashizawa T.Ataxia.Neurol Clin. 2015;33(1):225-248. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2014.09.004Crawford JR, Say D.Vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as acute ataxia.BMJ Case Rep.2013 Mar 26;2013:bcr2013008840. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-008840.Zhang Q, Zhou X, Li Y, Yang X, Abbasi Q.Clinical recognition of sensory ataxia and cerebellar ataxia.Front Hum Neurosci. 2021;15. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2021.639871Ashizawa T, Xia G.Ataxia.CONTINUUM: Lifelong Learning in Neurology. 2016;22(4):1208-1226. doi:10.1212/con.0000000000000362de Silva RN, Vallortigara J, Greenfield J,et al.Diagnosis and management of progressive ataxia in adults.Practical Neurology2019;19:196-207. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2018-002096Terracciano A, Renaldo F, Zanni G, et al.The use of muscle biopsy in the diagnosis of undefined ataxia with cerebellar atrophy in children.Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2012;16(3):248-256. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2011.07.016Sarva H, Shanker VL.Treatment options in degenerative cerebellar ataxia: a systematic review.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2014;1(4):291-298. doi:10.1002/mdc3.12057
10 Sources
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library.Ataxia.MedlinePlus.Ataxia telangiectasia.National Ataxia Foundation.What is ataxia?Akbar U, Ashizawa T.Ataxia.Neurol Clin. 2015;33(1):225-248. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2014.09.004Crawford JR, Say D.Vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as acute ataxia.BMJ Case Rep.2013 Mar 26;2013:bcr2013008840. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-008840.Zhang Q, Zhou X, Li Y, Yang X, Abbasi Q.Clinical recognition of sensory ataxia and cerebellar ataxia.Front Hum Neurosci. 2021;15. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2021.639871Ashizawa T, Xia G.Ataxia.CONTINUUM: Lifelong Learning in Neurology. 2016;22(4):1208-1226. doi:10.1212/con.0000000000000362de Silva RN, Vallortigara J, Greenfield J,et al.Diagnosis and management of progressive ataxia in adults.Practical Neurology2019;19:196-207. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2018-002096Terracciano A, Renaldo F, Zanni G, et al.The use of muscle biopsy in the diagnosis of undefined ataxia with cerebellar atrophy in children.Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2012;16(3):248-256. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2011.07.016Sarva H, Shanker VL.Treatment options in degenerative cerebellar ataxia: a systematic review.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2014;1(4):291-298. doi:10.1002/mdc3.12057
Verywell Health uses only high-quality sources, including peer-reviewed studies, to support the facts within our articles. Read oureditorial processto learn more about how we fact-check and keep our content accurate, reliable, and trustworthy.
Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library.Ataxia.MedlinePlus.Ataxia telangiectasia.National Ataxia Foundation.What is ataxia?Akbar U, Ashizawa T.Ataxia.Neurol Clin. 2015;33(1):225-248. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2014.09.004Crawford JR, Say D.Vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as acute ataxia.BMJ Case Rep.2013 Mar 26;2013:bcr2013008840. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-008840.Zhang Q, Zhou X, Li Y, Yang X, Abbasi Q.Clinical recognition of sensory ataxia and cerebellar ataxia.Front Hum Neurosci. 2021;15. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2021.639871Ashizawa T, Xia G.Ataxia.CONTINUUM: Lifelong Learning in Neurology. 2016;22(4):1208-1226. doi:10.1212/con.0000000000000362de Silva RN, Vallortigara J, Greenfield J,et al.Diagnosis and management of progressive ataxia in adults.Practical Neurology2019;19:196-207. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2018-002096Terracciano A, Renaldo F, Zanni G, et al.The use of muscle biopsy in the diagnosis of undefined ataxia with cerebellar atrophy in children.Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2012;16(3):248-256. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2011.07.016Sarva H, Shanker VL.Treatment options in degenerative cerebellar ataxia: a systematic review.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2014;1(4):291-298. doi:10.1002/mdc3.12057
Johns Hopkins Medicine Health Library.Ataxia.
MedlinePlus.Ataxia telangiectasia.
National Ataxia Foundation.What is ataxia?
Akbar U, Ashizawa T.Ataxia.Neurol Clin. 2015;33(1):225-248. doi:10.1016/j.ncl.2014.09.004
Crawford JR, Say D.Vitamin B12 deficiency presenting as acute ataxia.BMJ Case Rep.2013 Mar 26;2013:bcr2013008840. doi:10.1136/bcr-2013-008840.
Zhang Q, Zhou X, Li Y, Yang X, Abbasi Q.Clinical recognition of sensory ataxia and cerebellar ataxia.Front Hum Neurosci. 2021;15. doi:10.3389/fnhum.2021.639871
Ashizawa T, Xia G.Ataxia.CONTINUUM: Lifelong Learning in Neurology. 2016;22(4):1208-1226. doi:10.1212/con.0000000000000362
de Silva RN, Vallortigara J, Greenfield J,et al.Diagnosis and management of progressive ataxia in adults.Practical Neurology2019;19:196-207. doi:10.1136/practneurol-2018-002096
Terracciano A, Renaldo F, Zanni G, et al.The use of muscle biopsy in the diagnosis of undefined ataxia with cerebellar atrophy in children.Eur J Paediatr Neurol. 2012;16(3):248-256. doi:10.1016/j.ejpn.2011.07.016
Sarva H, Shanker VL.Treatment options in degenerative cerebellar ataxia: a systematic review.Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2014;1(4):291-298. doi:10.1002/mdc3.12057
Meet Our Medical Expert Board
Share Feedback
Was this page helpful?Thanks for your feedback!What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
Was this page helpful?
Thanks for your feedback!
What is your feedback?OtherHelpfulReport an ErrorSubmit
What is your feedback?
