Clinical Manifestations of Ataxia

Ataxic symptoms may be quite variable. They include:

Posture and gait
Postural instability, swaying while standing
Wide-based gait, sometimes likened to a "drunken reeling"
Uneven stride, with steps of different lengths and not always straight forward

Speech
Speech in a monotone, with breathiness and accelerations or pauses between syllables
"Explosive" or "scanning" speech, with rapid bursts of words

Limb movements
Intention tremor (tremor is most pronounced at the end of a movement)
Impaired alternating movements, such as turning the hand over and back
Impaired movements to an intended position, such as reaching for an object

Eye movements
Involuntary back-and-forth eye movements (nystagmus)

Ataxia may be the only neurologic symptom, or, depending on the disorder, may be accompanied by dementia, seizures, myoclonus, dystonia, parkinsonism, and other disorders.

	Evaluation