Partial or complete loss of coordination of voluntary muscular movements.
This can interfere with a person's ability to walk, talk, eat, and perform other tasks of daily living.
The common causes include:
• Head injuries
• Transient Ischemic attack (TIA)
• Cerebral palsy
• Multiple Sclerosis (MS)
• Viral infections like chickenpox
• Paraneoplastic syndrome
• Brain tumors
• Drug toxicity: benzodiazepines, phenobarbital
• Alcohol and heavy metal poisoning
Treatment includes removal of the cause when possible.
Physical therapy and assist devices might help.
Reference: DeCS. Health Sciences Descriptors. Internet. Accessed July 15, 2009. Available at http://decs.bvs.br/I/homepagei.htm. 2. Ataxia. Mayo Clinic. Internet. Accessed July 28 2012. Available at http://www.mayoclinic.com/health/ataxia/ds00910/dsection=causes