Questions posted in the Neurology and Neurosurgery Forum have been answered by doctors from The Cleveland Clinic Foundation.

Question Title: ataxia

Forum: Neurology Forum
Topic: Neuropathy


In addition to walking like you're drunk, does ataxia gives you a drunk feeling in your head?
Thanks!


Dear Rolee:

Ataxia (as used by neurologists) is a term form motor incoordination. It does not imply any subjective sensations such as a drunk feeling in the head. Most neurological disorders causing ataxia are not associated with such a sensation either. A sense of vertigo, however, can be associated with ataxia in some circumstances.

Ataxia can be of gait (a superficial resemblance to the drunken gait, but actually more imbalance), or of limbs (specially upper extremities), the trunk, or even of speech, breathing, swallowing, head, and eye movements. The incoordination of ataxia is frequently manifested by an "overshoot" of movement.

Ataxia can occur with (1) disorders of the cerebellum (or its connections), or (2) disorders of sensation.


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