Ataxia causes

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Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]

Causes

Common Causes

• Stroke
• Brain tumor
• Multiple sclerosis
• Alcoholism
• Head trauma
• Cerebral palsy
• Drug intoxication
• Heavy metal poisoning
• Hereditary ataxias
  • Spinocerebellar ataxias
  • Friedreich's ataxia
  • Ataxia-telangiectasia
• Wilson's disease

Causes by Organ System

Cardiovascular	Arteriosclerosis, Circulation disorders in area of brain stem, Morgagni's Syndrome
Chemical / poisoning	2,4,6-Trichlorophenol, Acrylamide, Aftershave, Amitraz, Aniline, Antifreeze, Apple seed poisoning, Arizona Bark Scorpion poisoning, Benzene, Blue-ringed octopus poisoning, Buckeye poisoning, Carbon monoxide poisoning, Death Camas poisoning, English Ivy poisoning, Ethotoin, Galantamine hydrobromide, Gasoline, Lantana poisoning, Lead, Mayapple poisoning, Mercury, Mescal poisoning, Minamata disease, Mistletoe poisoning, Thallium poisoning, Tolterodine toxicity, Toxic mushrooms -- Anticholinergic, Toxic mushrooms -- Monomethylhydrazine, Toxic mushrooms -- Psychedelic, Varnish makers' and painters' Naptha, Xylene
Dermatologic	Erythrokeratodermia with ataxia, Tranebjaerg-Svejgaard syndrome, DeSanctis-Cacchione syndrome, Xeroderma pigmentosum
Drug Side Effect	Alprazolam, Amobarbital sodium, Artemether and lumefantrin, Atroine, Amiodarone, Barbituates, Benzodiazepines, Carbamazepine, Chlordiazepoxide, Cidofovir, Cytarabine, Eslicarbazepine acetate, Estazolam, Ethosuximide, Flurazepam hydrochloride, Flurbiprofen, Flucytosine, Gabapentin, Hydroxychloroquine, Lacosamide, Lamotrigine, Levetiracetam, Loxapine, lomustine, Metronidazole, Morphine, Meprobamate, Nabilone, Nelarabine, Olanzapine,oxazepam Oxcarbazepine, Perampanel, Pergolide, Perphenazine, Phenytoin, Polymyxin B, Primidone, Rufinamide, Secobarbital sodium, Sertraline, Spironolactone, Topiramate
Ear Nose Throat	Acoustic neurinoma, Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo, Reardon-Wilson-Cavanagh syndrome, Richards-Rundle syndrome, Susac syndrome, Treft-Sanborn-Carey syndrome
Endocrine	Adult-onset adreno leukodystrophy, Diabetic neuropathy, Functioning pancreatic endocrine tumor, Furukawa-Takagi-Nakao syndrome, Hypogonadism, Hypothyroidism, Insulinoma, Metastatic insulinoma, Morgagni's Syndrome
Environmental	Acute altitude sickness
Gastroenterologic	Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome, Celiac disease, Cirrhosis, Dykes-Markes-Harper syndrome, Hepatocerebral degeneration, Wilson's Disease
Genetic	Alpers Syndrome, Angleman syndrome, Bangstad syndrome, Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome, Bhaskar-Jagannathan syndrome, Cerebellar ataxia, Cockayne syndrome, Dravet syndrome, Familial isolated deficiency of vitamin E, Familial periodic ataxia, Feline spongiform encephalopathy, Friedreich's ataxia, Griscelli disease, Hallervorden-Spatz disease, Hereditary spastic paraparesis, Krabbe leukodystrophy, Richards-Rundle syndrome, Roussy-Levy syndrome, Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome, Sialidosis type 1 and 3, Tranebjaerg-Svejgaard syndrome, Xeroderma pigmentosum, X-linked sideroblastic anaemia
Hematologic	Acanthocytosis, Aceruloplasminemia, Macrocytic anemia, Pernicious anemia, Revesz Debuse syndrome, X-linked sideroblastic anaemia
Iatrogenic	No underlying causes
Infectious Disease	Brain abscess, Cerebellar abscess, Chickenpox, Diphtheria, Encephalitis, HIV infection, Measles, Quaternary syphilis, Ramsay-Hunt syndrome, Smallpox, Tabes dorsalis
Musculoskeletal / Ortho	Dinno-Shearer-Weisskopf syndrome, Furukawa-Takagi-Nakao syndrome, Myopathy
Neurologic	Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis, Alexander Syndrome, Alpers Syndrome, Arachnoid Cysts, Arnold-Chiari Malformation, ARTS syndrome, Ataxia deafness reardon type, Ataxia tapetoretinal degeneration, Ataxia telangiectasia / Louis-Bar syndrome, Ataxia-oculomotor apraxia syndrome, Basal ganglia calcification, Basilar artery migraine, Vertebro-basilar artery ischemia, Brain abscess, Brain cancer, Brain cyst, Brain injury, Brainstem or cortical lesions, Central nervous system lymphoma, primary, Cerebellar abscess, Cerebellar ataxia, Cerebellar cortex atrophy, Cerebellar degeneration, Cerebellar haemorrhage, Cerebellar heredoataxia, Cerebellar hypoplasia, Cerebellar infarct, Cerebellar mass, Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, Familial, Cerebral hemorrhage, Cerebral infarction, Cerebral palsy, Cerebrorenodigital syndrome, Cerebrovascular accident, Ceroid lipofuscinosis, Cervical myelopathy, Chorea familial benign, Chronic progressive traumatic encephalopathy, Cockayne syndrome, Combarros Calleja Leno syndrome, Corneal cerebellar syndrome, Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease, Cutler-Bass-Romshe syndrome, Dandy-Walker Syndrome, Dementia pugilis, Demyelinating disorder, DeSanctis-Cacchione syndrome, Dinno-Shearer-Weisskopf syndrome, Dravet syndrome, Dykes-Markes-Harper syndrome, Dysequilibrium syndrome, Encephalitis, Encephalocele frontal, Epiphyseal tumor, Episodic ataxia, Erythrokeratodermia with ataxia, Feline spongiform encephalopathy, Fisher's Syndrome, Friedreich's ataxia, Frontal lobe lesion, GALOP Syndrome (gait disorder, autoantibodies, late age onset, polyneuropathy), Glioma, Granulomatous Angiitis of the central nervous system, Guillain-Barré syndrome, Hallervorden-Spatz disease, Heidenhain syndrome, Hepatocerebral degeneration, Hydrocephalus, Infantile polymyoclonus, Inherited neuropathies, Joubert syndrome, Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma, Kearns-Sayre Syndrome, Kuru, Lhermitte-McAlpine syndrome, Machado-Joseph Disease, Macrogyria, pseudobulbar palsy and mental retardation, Mann Syndrome, Marinesco-Sjogren-like syndrome (MSLS), Marinescu-Garland Syndrome, Medulloblastoma, Meinecke syndrome, Meningoencephalocele, Mental retardation progressive spasticity, X-linked, Mental retardation, X-linked, with cerebellar hypoplasia and distinctive facial appearance, Metachromatic Leukodystrophy, Miller Fisher Syndrome, Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy, Mononeuropathy/radiculopathy affecting the lower extremities, Multiple sclerosis, Myelopathy, Myoclonus, Neuronal intranuclear hyaline inclusion disease, Normal pressure hydrocephalus, Olivopontocerebellar atrophy, Opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome, Parietal lobe lesion, Parkinson's disease, Partington X-linked mental retardation syndrome, Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease, Peripheral neuropathy, Polyneuritis, Polyneuropathy, Post-infective polyradiculopathy, Posterior column ataxia with retinitis pigmentosa, Posterior fossa tumor, Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy, Reardon-Wilson-Cavanagh syndrome, Rett syndrome, Rhombencephalosynapsis, Roussy-Levy syndrome, Schroer-Hammer-Mauldin syndrome, Segawa syndrome, autosomal recessive, Shy-Drager syndrome, Spastic paraplegia, Spinal cord compression (and pressure on dorsal nerve roots), Spinal cord tumor, Spinocerebellar ataxia, Spinocerebellar degenerescence, book type, Stroke, Susac syndrome, Tabes dorsalis, Telencephalic leukoencephalopathy, Thalamic syndrome, Thoracic dysplasia -- hydrocephalus syndrome, Tranebjaerg-Svejgaard syndrome, Transient ischemic attack (TIA), Transverse myelitis, Vascular dementia, Vertebral Artery Dissection, Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia, Vertigo, benign paroxysmal, Westphal's Disease, Wilson's Disease
Nutritional / Metabolic	Abetalipoproteinemia, Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase deficiency, Aminoaciduria, Argininosuccinase lyase deficiency - late onset, Arginosuccinate synthetase deficiency, Ataxia with Vitamin E Deficiency, Biotinidase deficiency, Ceruloplasmin deficiency, Cholestanol storage disease, Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ10), deficiency, Complex 2 mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency, Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation, Cystinuria -- lysinuria, Fabry's Disease, Gangliosidosis GM1 type 3, Gaucher disease type 2, Glutathione synthase deficiency, Glycine encephalopathy, atypical mild form, GM2-gangliosidoses, Hartnup Disease , Hexosaminidase deficiency, Homozygous hypobetalipoproteinemia, Hydroxyacyl-coa dehydrogenase, type 2, deficiency, Infantile sialic acid storage disorder, Lactic acidosis congenital infantile, Lipoamide dehydrogenase deficiency, Maple syrup urine disease, Mevalonic aciduria, Mitochondrial cytopathy, Niemann-Pick disease, Pellagra-like syndrome, Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase superactivity, Purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency, Pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency, Refsum Disease, Selective vitamin E deficiency, Sialidosis type 1 and 3, SSADH deficiency (succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency), Thiamine deficiency, Triglyceride storage disease with impaired long-chain fatty acid oxidation, Vitamin B12 deficieny, Wernicke-Korsakoff psychosis, Zinc deficiency
Obstetric/Gynecologic	No underlying causes
Oncologic	Acoustic neurinoma, Brain cancer, Bronchogenic carcinoma, Central nervous system lymphoma, primary, Epiphyseal tumor, Functioning pancreatic endocrine tumor, Glioma, Insulinoma, Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma, Medulloblastoma, Metastatic insulinoma, Paraneoplastic syndromes, Posterior fossa tumor, Spinal cord tumor
Opthalmologic	Combarros Calleja Leno syndrome, Corneal cerebellar syndrome, Fisher's Syndrome, Marinesco-Sjogren-like syndrome (MSLS), Posterior column ataxia with retinitis pigmentosa, Refsum Disease, Revesz Debuse syndrome, Schroer-Hammer-Mauldin syndrome, Susac syndrome, Treft-Sanborn-Carey syndrome
Overdose / Toxicity	Lithium toxicity, Phenytoin toxicity
Psychiatric	Hysteria
Pulmonary	Bronchogenic carcinoma, Prolonged anoxia
Renal / Electrolyte	Cerebrorenodigital syndrome, Cutler-Bass-Romshe syndrome
Rheum / Immune / Allergy	ARTS syndrome, Griscelli disease, Fisher's Syndrome
Sexual	No underlying causes
Trauma	Brainstem or cortical lesions, Frontal lobelesion, Mann Syndrome, Parietal lobelesion, Head trauma
Urologic	No underlying causes
Miscellaneous	Alcohol intoxication, Amyloidosis, oculoleptomeningeal, Arteriosclerosis, Bonnemann-Meinecke-Reich syndrome, Chitayat-Moore-Del Bigio syndrome, Hemangioblastoma, Hyperammonemia, sporadic ataxia, Tick paralysis, Transthyretin amyloidosis

Causes by Alphabetical Order

2,4,6-Trichlorophenol Abetalipoproteinemia Acanthocytosis Aceruloplasminemia Acoustic neurinoma Acrylamide Acute altitude sickness Acute Disseminated Encephalomyelitis Adult-onset adreno leukodystrophy Aftershave Alcohol intoxication Alexander Syndrome Alpers Syndrome Alpha-ketoglutarate dehydrogenase deficiency Aminoaciduria Amiodarone Amitraz Amyloidosis, oculoleptomeningeal X-linked sideroblastic anaemia Angleman syndrome Aniline Antifreeze Apple seed poisoning Arachnoid Cysts Argininosuccinase lyase deficiency - late onset Arginosuccinate synthetase deficiency Arizona Bark Scorpion poisoning Arnold-Chiari Malformation Artemether and lumefantrin Arteriosclerosis ARTS syndrome Ataxia deafness reardon type Ataxia tapetoretinal degeneration Ataxia telangiectasia / Louis-Bar syndrome Ataxia with Vitamin E Deficiency Ataxia-oculomotor apraxia syndrome Bangstad syndrome Barbituates Basal ganglia calcification Basilar artery migraine Basilar impression / vertebral-basilar artery ischemia Bassen-Kornzweig syndrome Benign Paroxysmal Positional Vertigo Benzene Benzodiazepines Bhaskar-Jagannathan syndrome Biotinidase deficiency Blue-ringed octopus poisoning Bonnemann-Meinecke-Reich syndrome Brain abscess Brain cancer Brain cyst Brain injury Brainstem or cortical lesions Bronchogenic carcinoma Buckeye poisoning Carbon monoxide poisoning Celiac disease Central nervous system lymphoma, primary Cerebellar abscess Cerebellar ataxia Cerebellar cortex atrophy Cerebellar degeneration Cerebellar haemorrhage Cerebellar heredoataxia Cerebellar hypoplasia Cerebellar infarct Cerebellar mass Cerebral Amyloid Angiopathy, Familial Cerebral hemorrhage Cerebral infarction Cerebral palsy Cerebrorenodigital syndrome

Cerebrovascular accident Ceroid lipofuscinosis Ceruloplasmin deficiency Cervical myelopathy Chickenpox Chitayat-Moore-Del Bigio syndrome Cholestanol storage disease Chorea familial benign Chronic progressive traumatic encephalopathy Cidofovir Cirrhosis Cockayne syndrome Coenzyme Q 10 (CoQ10), deficiency Combarros Calleja Leno syndrome Complex 2 mitochondrial respiratory chain deficiency Congenital Disorders of Glycosylation Corneal cerebellar syndrome Creutzfeldt-Jakob disease Cutler-Bass-Romshe syndrome Cystinuria -- lysinuria Cytarabine Dandy-Walker Syndrome DeSanctis-Cacchione syndrome Death Camas poisoning Dementia pugilis Demyelinating disorder Diabetic neuropathy Dinno-Shearer-Weisskopf syndrome Diphtheria Dravet syndrome Dykes-Markes-Harper syndrome Dysequilibrium syndrome Efavirenz Encephalitis Encephalocele frontal Encephalopathy due to sulphite oxidase deficiency English Ivy poisoning Epiphyseal tumor Episodic ataxia Erythrokeratodermia with ataxi Estazolam Ethosuximide Fabry's Disease Familial isolated deficiency of vitamin E Familial periodic ataxia Feline spongiform encephalopathy Fisher's Syndrome Flurbiprofen Friedreich's ataxia Frontal lobe lesion Functioning pancreatic endocrine tumor Furukawa-Takagi-Nakao syndrome Gabapentin GALOP Syndrome (gait disorder, autoantibodies, late age onset, polyneuropathy) Gangliosidosis GM1 type 3 - gait ataxia Gasoline Gaucher disease type 2 Glioma Glutathione synthase deficiency Glycine encephalopathy, atypical mild form GM2-gangliosidoses Granulomatous Angiitis of the Central Nervous System Griscelli disease Guillain-Barré syndrome Hallervorden-Spatz disease Hartnup Disease Head trauma Heidenhain syndrome Hemangioblastoma Hepatocerebral degeneration Hereditary spastic paraparesis Hexosaminidase deficiency HIV infection Homozygous hypobetalipoproteinemia

Hydrocephalus Hydroxyacyl-coa dehydrogenase, type 2, deficiency Hyperammonemia Hypogonadism Hypothyroidism Hysteria Infantile polymyoclonus Infantile sialic acid storage disorder Inherited neuropathies Insulinoma Joubert syndrome Juvenile pilocytic astrocytoma Kearns-Sayre Syndrome Krabbe leukodystrophy Kuru Lactic acidosis congenital infantile Lamotrigine Lantana poisoning Lead Levetiracetam Lhermitte-McAlpine syndrome Lipoamide dehydrogenase deficiency Lithium toxicity Machado-Joseph Disease Macrocytic anemia Macrogyria, pseudobulbar palsy and mental retardation Mann Syndrome Maple syrup urine disease Marinesco-Sjogren-like syndrome (MSLS) Marinescu-Garland Syndrome Mayapple poisoning Measles Medulloblastoma Meinecke syndrome Meningoencephalocele Mental retardation progressive spasticity, X-linked Mental retardation, X-linked, with cerebellar hypoplasia and distinctive facial appearance Mercury Mescal poisoning Metachromatic Leukodystrophy Metastatic insulinoma Metronidazole Mevalonic aciduria Miller Fisher Syndrome Minamata disease Mistletoe poisoning Mitochondrial cytopathy Mitochondrial encephalomyopathy Mononeuropathy/radiculopathy affecting the lower extremities Morgagni's Syndrome Morphine Multiple sclerosis Myelopathy Myoclonus Myopathy Nabilone Neuronal intranuclear hyaline inclusion disease Niemann-Pick disease Normal pressure hydrocephalus Olivopontocerebellar atrophy Opsoclonus myoclonus syndrome Oxcarbazepine Paraneoplastic syndromes Parietal lobe lesion Parkinson's disease Partington X-linked mental retardation syndrome Pelizaeus-Merzbacher disease Pellagra-like syndrome Pergolide Peripheral neuropathy Pernicious anemia Phenytoin toxicity

Phosphoribosylpyrophosphate synthetase superactivity Polyneuritis Polyneuropathy Post-infective polyradiculopathy Posterior column ataxia with retinitis pigmentosa Posterior fossa tumor Primidone Progressive Multifocal Leukoencephalopathy Prolonged anoxia Purine nucleoside phosphorylase deficiency Pyruvate dehydrogenase deficiency Quaternary syphilis Ramsay-Hunt syndrome Reardon-Wilson-Cavanagh syndrome Refsum Disease Rett syndrome Revesz Debuse syndrome Rhombencephalosynapsis Richards-Rundle syndrome Roussy-Levy syndrome Rubinstein-Taybi syndrome Schroer-Hammer-Mauldin syndrome Segawa syndrome, autosomal recessive Selective vitamin E deficiency Shy-Drager syndrome Sialidosis type 1 and 3 Smallpox Spastic paraplegia Spinal cord compression (and pressure on dorsal nerve roots) Spinal cord tumor Spinocerebellar ataxia Spinocerebellar degenerescence, book type sporadic ataxia SSADH deficiency (succinic semialdehyde dehydrogenase deficiency) Stroke Susac syndrome Tabes dorsalis Telencephalic leukoencephalopathy Thalamic syndrome Thallium poisoning Thiamine deficiency Thoracic dysplasia -- hydrocephalus syndrome Tick paralysis Tolterodine toxicity Toxic mushrooms -- Anticholinergic Toxic mushrooms -- Monomethylhydrazine Toxic mushrooms -- Psychedelic Tranebjaerg-Svejgaard syndrome Transient ischemic attack (TIA) Transthyretin amyloidosis Transverse myelitis Treft-Sanborn-Carey syndrome Triglyceride storage disease with impaired long-chain fatty acid oxidation Varnish makers' and painters' Naptha Vascular dementia Vertebral Artery Dissection Vertebrobasilar dolichoectasia Vertigo, benign paroxysmal, in childhood - ataxic gait Vitamin B12 deficieny Wernicke-Korsakoff psychosis Westphal's Disease Wilson's Disease Xeroderma pigmentosum Xylene Zinc deficiency