Sensory ataxia

Question 1

Define

Sensory ataxia

Answer 1

• is both a symptom and a sign in neurology.
• ataxia due to loss of sensorial proprioception input and dysfunction of dorsal columns - similar symptoms to cerebellar ataxia with certain differences:
• wide-based and high-stepping gait
• pts often look to their feet to know their position in space
• (+) Romberg’s sign

Question 2

Causes of

Sensory ataxia

Answer 2

Causes:

Sensory ataxia can be a manifestation of sensory large fiber peripheral neuropathies and conditions causing dysfunction of the dorsal columns of the spinal cord due to a variety of disorders:

• infectious, auto-immune, periphereal nerve damage, metabolic, toxic, vascular and hereditary diseases*
• (those involved in proprioception)*

Question 3

Signs of

Sensory ataxia

Answer 3

Early signs:

• Poor coordination.
• Unsteady walk and a tendency to stumble.
• Difficulty with fine motor tasks, such as eating, writing or buttoning a shirt.
• Change in speech.
• Involuntary back-and-forth eye movements (nystagmus)
• Difficulty swallowing

• Positive Romberg’s sign
• Close eyes cause coordination symptoms worsen
• dysfunction of the dorsal columns of the spinal cord