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

Question Title: Cerebellar Degeneration

Forum: Neurology Forum
Topic: Neurology - General

Re: Cerebellar Degeneration

Re: Cerebellar Degeneration



Posted by CCF Neuro MD on April 22, 1997 at 10:06:53:

In Reply to: Re: Cerebellar Degeneration posted by Arthur Hebrado on April 22, 1997 at 06:03:00:

:
: : My father was diagnosed to have cerebellar degeneration. Please send me more information about this disease, like symptoms, causes, treat
: : ment, therapies. I would like to understand more about the nature of this disease. Thanks for your help.

: : Arthur
:


=
: Hello Arthur:

: The disorder of Cerebellar degeneration is amoung the diseases that produce ataxia. "Ataxia" is a term used for a distrubance of the accuracy and speed of volentary movement. This usually involves a disorder of the cerebellum although disorders of nerves as wells as other parts of the centeral nervous system can produce similar symptoms. The various symptoms that can be experienced by a patient affected with thi disorder include unsteadiness while walking, slow and slurred speech, eye movement abnormalities, and frequent falls. The classification of the ataxia are divided into the hereditary and acquired forms. The hereditary group of disorders are a mixed bag varying in their inheritance pattern and presentation. The acquired form includes such things as the remote efeects of some cancers on the cerebellum, slow viral diseases, vitamin E deficiency, side effects of medications, alcohol or other toxins. Some investigations done for the acquired form include MRI/CT imaging, thyroxine, vitamin E level,
: Anti-Yo antibodies, Anti-Hu antibodies, Chest X-ray, Mammogram, CT of pelvis, Drug screen, and prion related proteins in the cerebrospinal fluid. Treatment is related to the under condition causing the ataxia. If you are intereseted in further neurologic expertise in this field I would refer you to Dr R. Stanley Burns a movement disorder specialist at the Cleveland Clinic Foundation. You can contact our appointment desk at 216-444-5559. You may also want to get in touch with the National Ataxia Foundation. Their phone number is 612-473-7666 or write to:
: National Ataxia Foundation
: 600 Twelve Oaks Center
: 15500 Wayzata Boulevard
: Wayzata, MN 55391

Thank you for your reply to my posting. I will keep this information for my reference and pass it to my mother in the Philippines. Doctors told her that there is no treatment to this disease and all they can do is delay the progress of the disease.

Thank you,
Arthur

Thank you,
Arthur


=
Glad to know that this information was useful. If your father has the "idiopathic" form of cerebellar degeneration, then there is no specific theraphy currently available to treat the underlying disease process, however, physical theraphy and the use of a three wheeled walker with hand brkes could help prevent falls and improve other activities od daily functioning.





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