What is ataxic cerebral palsy?

Ataxic cerebral palsy is brain damage to the cerebellum which is located at the base of the brain. That part of the brain, the cerebellum, is in control of the the bodies muscles that handle the bodies balance and coordination.

Since those muscles controlled by the cerebellum are being directed by a damaged control center, the cerebellum, the limbs, the legs and arms, are lacking a healthy control center and the movements are out of control which accounts for the lack of coordination typically seen in victims of cerebral palsy.

A victim of Ataxic cerebral palsy is usually afflicted with leg movements that make a prolonged gait when walking. Since their cerebellum is damaged the brain is not receiving accurate signals in terms of properly transmitting visual cues of depth and width and the victim of ataxic cerebral palsy looks as if he is attempting to keep his balance as if walking on ice. Their feet are usually spread out and the arms are flailing aimlessly.

Another significant trait of victims of ataxic cerebral palsy is their intense shaking when trying to pick up an object of even to dress themselves. The muscles in the hands lack control by the brain and the victim of ataxic cerebral palsy central nervous system seems to be trying to compensate for the hand muscles lack of mental control by the cerebellum by directing useless signals to the muscles to contract and perform the expected eye hand coordination.

The brain's attempt to compensate by re directing the muscle coordinating task is ineffective and the electrical signals converge in the fingers that are soon overloaded and begin to shake uncontrollably until the victim of ataxic cerebral palsy either goes through with his desire to use his hands and completes it or gives up and the tremors relax and dissipate.

Most victims of ataxic cerebral palsy become easily upset because the disease is very hard to control. Some treatments are able to give the victim of ataxic cerebral palsy a limited amount of independence in taking care of his own needs. The fact is that the ataxic cerebral palsy victim should be evaluated and consultation made with a host of medical professionals working together to arrive at a viable treatment option to give some amount of relief to the victim of ataxic cerebral palsy.

The symptoms of ataxic cerebral palsy are in the standing and walking positions of the legs that are angular and forced balancing and in the hand tremors when attempting to do a physical task. There may be other medical disorders in addition to the ataxic cerebral palsy. There is no medication that can control the shaking that is common for these victims of ataxic cerebral palsy although some physicians put their patients on certain benzodiazepines for a short time to alleviate the stress on their patients. Physical therapy and non medical treatments occasionally are sometimes effective in soothing stressed out muscles and in providing relief for the patient of ataxic cerebral palsy.

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