What causes Ataxia?
Most forms of Ataxia are hereditary, meaning that they do (or can) run in families. With some forms, it may only take the genes of one parent to pass along the disease. These are known as Dominant Ataxias. There are other forms of Ataxia that can only be contracted if both of the parents carry the gene for the disease. These are referred to as Recessive Ataxias. All forms of hereditary Ataxias are caused by a defect in a certain gene present at the beginning of a person’s life. Everyone has genes that have little mistakes or variations in them. Most variations do not cause disease. Occasionally, however, variations are significant enough to cause disease, including Ataxia. Not all cases of Ataxia are genetically inherited, though. Environmental factors such as over-exposure to certain chemical toxins or head injuries can result in Ataxia also. Furthermore, there are many cases of Ataxia without any known cause. These are known as Sporadic Ataxias. Many people diagnosed with Sporadic At
