What is Friedreich ataxia?

Friedreich’s ataxia is a rare, inherited, degenerative disease. It damages the spinal cord, peripheral nerves, and the cerebellum portion of the brain. This conditions tends to develop in children and teens and gradually worsens over time.

What is the life expectancy of someone with Friedreich’s ataxia?

The symptoms of Friedreich’s ataxia usually get gradually worse over many years. People with the condition tend to have a shorter life expectancy than normal. Many people live until at least their 30s, and some can live into their 60s or beyond.

What is Frederick’s disease?

Friedreich’s ataxia is a rare genetic disease that causes difficulty walking, a loss of sensation in the arms and legs, and impaired speech. It’s also known as spinocerebellar degeneration. “Ataxia” means lack of order. There are a number of types of ataxia with a number of causes.

How serious is ataxia?

Life expectancy is generally shorter than normal for people with hereditary ataxia, although some people can live well into their 50s, 60s or beyond. In more severe cases, the condition can be fatal in childhood or early adulthood. For acquired ataxia, the outlook depends on the underlying cause.

Can ataxia be corrected?

There’s no treatment specifically for ataxia. In some cases, treating the underlying cause resolves the ataxia, such as stopping medications that cause it. In other cases, such as ataxia that results from chickenpox or other viral infections, it’s likely to resolve on its own.

Does ataxia affect memory?

The cerebellum plays a role in some forms of thinking. Patients with cerebellar atrophy may have impaired recall of newly learned information or difficulty with “executive functions” such as making plans and keeping thoughts in proper sequence.

What is the cause of Krabbe’s disease?

Krabbe disease is caused when a person inherits two copies of an altered (mutated) gene — one copy from each parent. A gene provides a kind of blueprint for producing proteins. If there is an error in this blueprint, then the protein product may not work properly.

Does anxiety cause ataxia?

Episodes of ataxia and other symptoms can begin anytime from early childhood to adulthood. They can be triggered by environmental factors such as emotional stress, caffeine, alcohol, certain medications, physical activity, and illness.

Can ataxia go away?

There is no cure for ataxia. The outlook will depend on the type, cause, and severity. Some types of hereditary ataxia can shorten a person’s lifespan, but many people will have the same life expectancy as those without the condition.