Sensory ataxia

Sensory ataxia is both a symptom and a sign in neurology. It is a form of ataxia (loss of coordination) caused not by cerebellar dysfunction but by loss of sensory input into the control of movement.

Sensory ataxia is distinguished from cerebellar ataxia by the presence of near-normal coordination when the movement in question is visually observed by the patient, but marked worsening of coordination when the eyes are shut.

Sensory ataxia also lacks the associated features of cerebellar ataxia such as pendular tendon reflexes, scanning dysarthria, nystagmus and broken pursuit eye movements.

Patients with sensory ataxia often demonstrate pseudoathetosis and Romberg's sign. They usually complain of loss of balance in the dark, typically when closing their eyes in the shower or removing clothing over the head.

Causes

Sensory ataxia can be a manifestation of sensory large fiber peripheral neuropathies and conditions causing dysfunction of the dorsal columns of the spinal cord due to a variety of disorders: infectious, auto-immune, metabolic, toxic, vascular and hereditary diseases.^[1]^[2]^[3]

References

↑ Spinazzi M, Angelini C, Patrini C (May 2010). "Subacute sensory ataxia and optic neuropathy with thiamine deficiency". Nature Reviews Neurology 6 (5): 288–93. doi:10.1038/nrneurol.2010.16. PMID 20308997.
↑ Sghirlanzoni A, Pareyson D, Lauria G (June 2005). "Sensory neuron diseases". Lancet Neurol 4 (6): 349–61. doi:10.1016/S1474-4422(05)70096-X. PMID 15907739.
↑ Moeller JJ, Macaulay RJ, Valdmanis PN, Weston LE, Rouleau GA, Dupré N (September 2008). "Autosomal dominant sensory ataxia: a neuroaxonal dystrophy". Acta Neuropathol. 116 (3): 331–6. doi:10.1007/s00401-008-0362-6. PMID 18347805.

Movement disorders	Dyskinesia: Athetosis Tremor Dyskinesia

Gait abnormality	Scissor gait Cerebellar ataxia Festinating gait Marche a petit pas Propulsive gait Stomping gait Spastic gait Magnetic gait

Lack of coordination	Dyskinesia: Ataxia Cerebellar ataxia/Dysmetria Sensory ataxia Dyssynergia Dysdiadochokinesia Asterixis

Other	Abnormal posturing: Opisthotonus Sensory processing disorder: Hemispatial neglect Facial weakness Hyperreflexia Pronator drift

Primarily PNS

Gait abnormality	Steppage gait Antalgic gait

Primarily muscular

Movement disorders	Spasm Trismus Fasciculation Fibrillation Myokymia Cramp

Gait abnormality	Myopathic gait Trendelenburg gait Pigeon gait

Other	Tetany Meningism

Primarily skeletal

Primarily joint

Joint locking

Lesions of spinal cord and brain

Spinal cord/
vascular myelopathy

sensory: Sensory ataxia
Tabes dorsalis

motor: Motor neurone disease

mixed: Brown-Séquard syndrome
cord syndrome (Posterior
Anterior
Central/Syringomyelia)
Subacute combined degeneration of spinal cord (B12)
Cauda equina syndrome

Anterior spinal artery syndrome

Brainstem

Medulla (CN 8, 9, 10, 12)	Lateral medullary syndrome/Wallenberg PICA Medial medullary syndrome/Dejerine ASA

Pons (CN 5, 6, 7, 8)	Upper dorsal pontine syndrome/Raymond Céstan syndrome Lateral pontine syndrome (AICA) (lateral) Medial pontine syndrome/Millard-Gubler syndrome/Foville's syndrome(basilar) Locked-in syndrome Internuclear ophthalmoplegia One and a half syndrome

Midbrain (CN 3, 4)	Weber's syndrome ventral peduncle, PCA Benedikt syndrome ventral tegmentum, PCA Parinaud's syndrome dorsal, tumor Nothnagel's syndrome Claude's syndrome

Other	Alternating hemiplegia

Thalamic syndrome

Other

This article is issued from Wikipedia - version of the Wednesday, January 29, 2014. The text is available under the Creative Commons Attribution/Share Alike but additional terms may apply for the media files.

Sensory ataxia

Causes

References

Further reading