Cerebellar degeneration is a disease process in which neurons in the cerebellum - the area of the brain that controls muscle coordination and balance - deteriorate and die. Diseases that cause cerebellar degeneration can also involve areas of the brain that connect the cerebellum to the spinal cord, such as the medulla oblongata, the cerebral cortex, and the brain stem. Cerebellar degeneration is most often the result of inherited genetic mutations that alter the normal production of specific proteins that are necessary for the survival of neurons.
Associated diseases: Diseases that are specific to the brain, as well as diseases that occur in other parts of the body, can cause neurons to die in the cerebellum. Neurological diseases that feature cerebellar degeneration include:
Other diseases that can cause cerebellar degeneration include:
Symptoms: The most characteristic symptom of cerebellar degeneration is a wide-legged, unsteady, lurching walk, usually accompanied by a back and forth tremor in the trunk of the body. Other symptoms include slow, unsteady and jerky movement of the arms or legs, slowed and slurred speech, and nystagmus -- rapid, small movements of the eyes.
The NINDS funds research to find the genes involved in diseases that cause cerebellar degeneration. Discovering these genes,
identifying their mutations, and understanding how the abnormal proteins they produce cause cerebellar degeneration, will
eventually help scientists find ways to prevent, treat, and even cure the diseases that involve cerebellar degeneration.
National Ataxia Foundation (NAF) 2600 Fernbrook Lane North Suite 119 Minneapolis, MN 55447-4752 naf@ataxia.org http://www.ataxia.org Tel: 763-553-0020 Fax: 763-553-0167 |
Friedreich's Ataxia Research Alliance (FARA) P.O. Box 1537 Springfield, VA 22151 fara@CureFA.org http://www.CureFA.org Tel: (703) 426-1576 Fax: (703) 425-0643 |
National Multiple Sclerosis Society 733 Third Avenue 3rd Floor New York, NY 10017-3288 nat@nmss.org http://www.nationalmssociety.org Tel: 212-986-3240 800-344-4867 (FIGHTMS) Fax: 212-986-7981 |
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Last updated June 27, 2008