Contents
Symptoms, people at risk and prevention of ataxia
Symptoms of the disease
Depending on the cause, ataxia can come on suddenly or come on gradually. In general we observe:
- Un lack of coordination.
- A unstable gait and a tendency to stumble.
- Difficulty performing movements of fine motor skills, such as eating, writing, or buttoning a shirt.
- benefits speech disorders.
- Rhythmic involuntary movements of the eyes (nystagmus).
- Difficulty swallowing.
People at risk
Pursue hereditary ataxiass: having one or two parents carrying the gene responsible for hereditary ataxia.
Prevention of hereditary ataxia
Why prevent? |
Genetic research has identified the genes responsible for several hereditary ataxias. It is now possible to prevent many of these diseases by testing for screening for carriers of the defective gene. When the two members of a couple are found to be carriers, several reproductive choices are available to them. |
Screening measures |
THEamniocentesis (the analysis of the amniotic fluid of the pregnant woman) or the biopsy choriale (a sample of the baby’s placenta, also called chorionic villus) can detect the presence of the disease in a child before birth. If the fetus is affected, the parents are free to continue or terminate the pregnancy. |