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In MS Ataxia may manifest itself as

The Cerebellum

Responsible for coordinating movement, planning, motor activities, learning and remembering of physical skills and for some cognitive abilities. The cerebellum controls movement by collecting sensory nerve inputs, such as limb position, balance information and vision, and synthesising them together to control movement by sending nerve transmissions down motor nerve outputs. The learning of physical tasks is done by trial and error and then stored into cerebellar memory.  

There is some evidence that mental activities are also coordinated in the cerebellum which could explain why cognitive dysfunction is sometimes associated with damage to the cerebellum.

The cerebellum is divided into two hemispheres by the central "vermis" (the cerebellar vermis is a narrow, wormlike structure between the hemispheres of the cerebellum). The surface of each hemisphere is made up of grey matter surrounding a large mass of white matter - nerve cells with myelinated axons.

The whole structure is connected to the rest of the central nervous system by three very broad tracts of white matter called the cerebellar peduncles. Damage to the cerebellum or the cerebellar peduncles is very common in multiple sclerosis.

 

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Ataxia in MS - As the body carries out a function such as walking or speaking, it involves a complicated interaction of signals between the brain and feedback from the nerves in the limbs or organs involved.

Ataxia often occurs when parts of the nervous system that control movement are damaged. People with ataxia experience a failure of muscle control in their arms and legs, resulting in a lack of balance and coordination or a disturbance of gait. While the term ataxia is primarily used to describe this set of symptoms, it is sometimes also used to refer to a family of disorders. It is not, however, a specific diagnosis.

Most disorders that result in ataxia cause cells in the part of the brain called the cerebellum to degenerate, or atrophy (ataxia cerebellar). Sometimes the spine is also affected.

The phrases cerebellar degeneration and spinocerebellar degeneration are used to describe changes that have taken place in a person’s nervous system; neither term constitutes a specific diagnosis.

These outgoing and incoming messages are coordinated in the area of the brain called the cerebellum. Inflammation of the nerve fibres in the cerebellum may interfere with the matching of signals which then causes ataxia.

Cerebellar and spinocerebellar degeneration have many different causes.

The age of onset of the resulting ataxia varies depending on the underlying cause of the degeneration.

Other symptoms associated with damage to the cerebellum or the nervous tracts leading to it:

 

 

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Ataxia in MS