Definition:

Neurological sign consisting of lack of voluntary coordination of muscle movements. Ataxia is a non-specific clinical manifestation implying dysfunction of the parts of the nervous system that coordinate movement, such as the cerebellum. Several possible causes exist for these patterns of neurological dysfunction.

Symptoms:

• Movements of arms and legs are jerky and unsteady
• Unsteady walk
• Difficulty performing activities of daily living

Causes:

• Brain injury
• Head trauma
• Brain infection
• Multiple sclerosis
• Transient ischemic attack (TIA)
• Congenital cerebellar ataxia
• Cerebral palsy
• Brain tumor
• Neuropathy
• Spinal injuries

Treatment:

• Depends on the underlying cause
• Facilitating motor learning for retraining specific functional motor patterns
• Static balance training
• Dynamic balance training
• Trunk-limb coordination
• Stair training
• Contracture prevention