Causes of Sensitive Ataxia and Methods of Improving the Condition of the Patient

Sensitive ataxia is a type of movement coordination disorder in cases of deep muscular and articular sensitivity. There is such a symptom when the receptors or conductors are damaged in polyneuropathy( peripheral innervation disorder), posterior columns in the spinal cord( most often), posterior roots, brainstem structures, visual thigh or thymus gland. Pathology is much less common than cerebellar ataxia.

The cause of development is the loss of afferent( centripetal) impulses from the peripheral tissues of ligaments and tendons through the spinal structures to a specific area of ​​the brain.

Sensitive ataxia can be static( inability to hold a pose) or dynamic( problems in making a move).

In what disorders does it occur?

Disruption of proprioceptive afferentation occurs during the following conditions:

• Friedreich disease;
• neurosyphilis;
• expressed deficiency of vitamins E and B12;
• funicular myelosis;
• spin dry;
• polyneuropathy;
• acute disorders of the circulatory system;
• tumor.

Symptomatic features of

Sensitive ataxia lacks information about the spatial distribution of the body in the CNS, therefore coordination is impaired. This leads to a change in gait and incontinence in standing position. A characteristic feature is the change in the sensitivity of muscles and joints. Particular difficulty for such a patient is the implementation of movements with hands that require precise movement.

The sensitive type of ataxia is enhanced in the absence of visual control( with eyes closed or in a dark room).

Tremor for such a disease is not a characteristic feature. There is a decrease or complete loss of tendon reflexes.

The patient's gait differs in disproportionate flexion and extension of the lower limbs; it seems to him that he does not walk on a hard surface, but falls down with his feet, goes like a cotton wool, and lacks confidence in the strength of the surface's support force. Therefore, it goes slowly, each leg puts with force, as if "stamps" every step, the heel at the same time strikes the floor, legs when walking widely apart. This symptomatology is especially characteristic if the lesion affects Gaull's bundles.

There is a rare variant of the disease, in which deep sensitivity is not disturbed. This can be when only the spinal cord pathway is affected. If changes occur in the thalamus or brainstem, sensitivity is impaired on the opposite side. Two-sided ataxia can occur with a pathological focus in the caudal part of the bridge or the intersection of the medial loop.

The severe form of a sensitive ataxia can lead a person to a total inability to stand and walk.

How is sensitive ataxia determined?

To determine the disease, the heel-knee, finger-nose test is performed. The patient is also asked to circle his circle on paper or draw a simple geometric figure in the air. The free flexion and extension of the hands and fingers on the hands is investigated. All tests are done with closed and open eyes. There is also a study for deep sensitivity.

In the Romberg pose, with a sensitive type of ataxia, a person is unable to maintain balance with closed eyes and feet shifted together, most often there is a strong swaying or falling.

With erased features, such a test is complicated by moving the stops to one line( one after another).The patient freely holds his hands on the horizontal level under the control of his vision, but after a request to close his eyes he can not be held in the same position - the hands are shifted in different directions, the fingers begin to worm-like to worm in the type of athetosis( pseudoathetosis).With maximum flexion or extension of the limbs, it is easier for him to hold the pose than in the intermediate positions.

Treatment and therapy

Sensitive ataxia is treated symptomatically and includes drugs to improve cerebral circulation, a means for overall strengthening the body. A great role is played in improving the condition and reducing discoordination of special exercises.

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