Acute Ataxia

ACUTE ATAXIA, a name used to denote several heterogeneous clinical syndromes. These include: 1) tabetic A. o.- a variety of tabes course, in which coordination disorders develop rapidly, often subsequently showing a tendency to regress; 2) peripheral, or polyneuritic A. o.- an acute developing polyneuritis of various etiology, in whose symptomatology incoordination of movements comes to the forefront (neurotabes or pseudotabes peripheriques), and 3) A. o. of Leyden-Westphal (Leyden-Westphal),-syn.: cerebral, cerebellar, central, general A. o., sometimes simply A. o.,-a unique symptom complex accompanying various acute infections or insolation. A. o. of Leyden-Westphal begins at the height of the infection, most often with a comatose state (often with various motor phenomena of irritation); gradually the coma is replaced by an atactic period, during which coordination of all voluntary musculature (including the musculature of mimicry, respiration, speech) is disturbed. A. o. takes on the character of either motor ataxia or, predominantly, cerebellar (in malaria), often both components are mixed; closing the eyes does not intensify A. o., tendon reflexes do not disappear, sensitivity is preserved. Tremor, nystagmus, mild pyramidal symptoms, and small residual intellectual changes are common; pupils, fundus of the eye, sphincters are normal. The prognosis (especially in childhood) is good; the course is regressive, up to complete recovery, but sometimes persistent residual phenomena remain. The pathological anatomy of the disease is unclear. Treatment is symptomatic.