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What Is Ataxia?


Ataxia happens when parts of the nervous system that control how you move are damaged. People with ataxia can't control their muscles in their arms and legs. This means you can't balance or walk regularly.

Ataxia can refer to many disorders even though doctors usually use it to describe this set of symptoms. Ataxia is not a specific diagnosis.

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From Our Specialists

Searching for the Cures and Causes of Spinocerebellar Ataxias

When he discovered the gene, Stefan Pulst, MD, thought the therapy would come quickly but finding the gene was only the beginning of the journey. In this episode of Where Cures for Brain Disease Begin, Dr. Pulst and Stacey L. Clardy, MD, discuss Stefan’s work on spinocerebellar ataxias, gene discovery, and clinical treatment trials.

Listen (20 min.)