Acute Cerebellar Ataxia Overview
Learn About Acute Cerebellar Ataxia
View Main Condition: Movement Disorders
Acute cerebellar ataxia is the sudden inability to coordinate muscle movement due to disease or injury to the cerebellum. This is the area in the brain that controls muscle movement. Ataxia means loss of muscle coordination, especially of the hands and legs.
Cerebellar ataxia; Ataxia - acute cerebellar; Cerebellitis; Post-varicella acute cerebellar ataxia; PVACA
Acute cerebellar ataxia in children, particularly younger than age 3, may occur several days or weeks after an illness caused by a virus.
Viral infections that may cause this include chickenpox, Coxsackie disease, Epstein-Barr, echovirus, among others.
Other causes of acute cerebellar ataxia include:
- Abscess of the cerebellum
- Alcohol, medicines, insecticides, and illicit drugs
- Bleeding into the cerebellum
- Multiple sclerosis
- Strokes of the cerebellum
- Vaccination
- Trauma to head and neck
- Certain conditions associated with some cancers (paraneoplastic disorders)
Ataxia may affect movement of the middle part of the body from the neck to the hip area (the trunk) or the arms and legs (limbs).
When the person is sitting, the body may move side-to-side, back-to-front, or both. Then the body quickly moves back to a sitting upright position.
When a person with ataxia of the arms reaches for an object, the hand may sway back and forth.
Common symptoms of ataxia include:
- Clumsy speech pattern (dysarthria)
- Repetitive eye movements (nystagmus)
- Uncoordinated eye movements
- Walking problems (unsteady gait) that can lead to falls
- Difficulty controlling arm movements
Treatment depends on the cause:
- If the acute cerebellar ataxia is due to bleeding, surgery may be needed.
- For an ischemic stroke, medicine to thin the blood can be given. Removing a blood clot from within the blood vessels may also be needed.
- Infections may need to be treated with antibiotics or antivirals.
- Corticosteroids may be needed for swelling (inflammation) of the cerebellum (such as from multiple sclerosis).
- Cerebellar ataxia caused by a recent viral infection may not need treatment.
- Physical therapy may be needed to reduce risk of falling.
Massachusetts General Physicians Organization Inc
Jeremy Schmahmann is a Neurologist in Boston, Massachusetts. Dr. Schmahmann is rated as an Elite provider by MediFind in the treatment of Acute Cerebellar Ataxia. His top areas of expertise are Spinocerebellar Ataxia, Acute Cerebellar Ataxia, Olivopontocerebellar Atrophy, Drug Induced Dyskinesia, and Gastrostomy. Dr. Schmahmann is currently accepting new patients.
UCL Queen Square Institute Of Neurology
Henry Houlden practices in London, United Kingdom. Mr. Houlden is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Acute Cerebellar Ataxia. His top areas of expertise are Acute Cerebellar Ataxia, Drug Induced Dyskinesia, Movement Disorders, Gastrostomy, and Deep Brain Stimulation.
Erasmus MC
Alexis Brice practices in Rotterdam, Netherlands. Ms. Brice is rated as an Elite expert by MediFind in the treatment of Acute Cerebellar Ataxia. Her top areas of expertise are Acute Cerebellar Ataxia, Spastic Paraplegia Type 7, Spasticity, Paraplegia, and Deep Brain Stimulation.
People whose condition was caused by a recent viral infection should make a full recovery without treatment in a few months. Strokes, bleeding, or infections may cause permanent symptoms.
Falls may result in injury.
In rare cases, movement or behavioral disorders may persist.
Contact your provider if any symptoms of ataxia appear.
Summary: The purpose of this study is to create a repository for cerebellar ataxia and nucleotide repeat diseases in order to fully investigate the genetic and phenotypic presentations of both.
Background: Spinocerebellar ataxia type 7 (SCA7) is a disease in which people have problems with coordination, balance, speech and vision. It is caused by a change in the ATXN7 gene. A mutation in this ATXN7 gene causes changes in eye cells, which can lead to vision loss. There is no cure for SCA7 but researchers are looking for possible treatments. Researchers need more information about SCA7. They want to c...
Published Date: February 11, 2025
Published By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD, Department of Neurology, Cooper Medical School at Rowan University, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network. Also reviewed by David C. Dugdale, MD, Medical Director, Brenda Conaway, Editorial Director, and the A.D.A.M. Editorial team.
Kuo SH, Lin CC, Ashizawa T. Cerebellar ataxia. In: Jankovic J, Mazziotta JC, Pomeroy SL, Newman NJ, eds. Bradley and Daroff's Neurology in Clinical Practice. 8th ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2022:chap 23.
Mink JW. Movement disorders. In: Kliegman RM, St. Geme JW, Blum NJ et al, eds. Nelson Textbook of Pediatrics. 22nd ed. Philadelphia, PA: Elsevier; 2025:chap 637.