U.S. flag

An official website of the United States government

Format

Send to:

Choose Destination

Sensory ataxia

MedGen UID:
66020
Concept ID:
C0240991
Sign or Symptom
Synonyms: Ataxia, Sensory; Ataxias, Sensory; Sensory Ataxia; Sensory Ataxias
SNOMED CT: Sensory ataxia (445458007)
 
HPO: HP:0010871
Monarch Initiative: MONDO:0100311

Definition

Incoordination of movement caused by a deficit in the sensory nervous system. Sensory ataxia can be distinguished from cerebellar ataxia by asking the patient to close his or her eyes. Persons with cerebellar ataxia show only a minimal worsening of symptoms, whereas persons with sensory ataxia show a marked worsening of symptoms. [from HPO]

Term Hierarchy

Conditions with this feature

Dejerine-Sottas disease
MedGen UID:
3710
Concept ID:
C0011195
Disease or Syndrome
Dejerine-Sottas neuropathy is a demyelinating peripheral neuropathy with onset in infancy. It can show autosomal dominant or recessive inheritance. Affected individuals have delayed motor development due to severe distal motor and sensory impairment, resulting in difficulties in gait. Some patients have generalized hypotonia in infancy. Other features may include pes cavus, scoliosis, and sensory ataxia. Nerve conduction velocities are severely decreased (sometimes less than 10 m/s), and sural nerve biopsy shows severe loss of myelinated fibers (summary by Baets et al., 2011).
Progressive external ophthalmoplegia with mitochondrial DNA deletions, autosomal dominant 3
MedGen UID:
373087
Concept ID:
C1836439
Disease or Syndrome
Progressive external ophthalmoplegia is characterized by multiple mitochondrial DNA deletions in skeletal muscle. The most common clinical features include adult onset of weakness of the external eye muscles and exercise intolerance. Patients with C10ORF2-linked adPEO may have other clinical features including proximal muscle weakness, ataxia, peripheral neuropathy, cardiomyopathy, cataracts, depression, and endocrine abnormalities (summary by Fratter et al., 2010). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of autosomal dominant progressive external ophthalmoplegia, see PEOA1 (157640). PEO caused by mutations in the POLG gene (174763) is associated with more complicated phenotypes than PEO caused by mutations in the SLC25A4 (103220) or C10ORF2 genes (Lamantea et al., 2002).
Posterior column ataxia-retinitis pigmentosa syndrome
MedGen UID:
324636
Concept ID:
C1836916
Disease or Syndrome
Posterior column ataxia with retinitis pigmentosa (AXPC1) is an autosomal recessive neurologic disorder characterized by childhood-onset retinitis pigmentosa and later onset of gait ataxia due to sensory loss (summary by Ishiura et al., 2011).
Autosomal dominant sensory ataxia 1
MedGen UID:
332346
Concept ID:
C1837015
Disease or Syndrome
Autosomal dominant sensory ataxia-1 (SNAX1) is a peripheral neuropathy resulting from the degeneration of dorsal root ganglia that affects both central and peripheral neurites of sensory neurons. Affected individuals show adult onset of slowly progressive clumsiness, gait ataxia, walking difficulties, and distal sensory loss which may be associated with abnormal sensory nerve conduction values. Some patients have vestibular ocular dysfunction. Muscle weakness and atrophy are not observed, and brain imaging is normal (summary by Cortese et al., 2020).
Sensory ataxic neuropathy, dysarthria, and ophthalmoparesis
MedGen UID:
375302
Concept ID:
C1843851
Disease or Syndrome
POLG-related disorders comprise a continuum of overlapping phenotypes that were clinically defined long before their molecular basis was known. Most affected individuals have some, but not all, of the features of a given phenotype; nonetheless, the following nomenclature can assist the clinician in diagnosis and management. Onset of the POLG-related disorders ranges from infancy to late adulthood. Alpers-Huttenlocher syndrome (AHS), one of the most severe phenotypes, is characterized by childhood-onset progressive and ultimately severe encephalopathy with intractable epilepsy and hepatic failure. Childhood myocerebrohepatopathy spectrum (MCHS) presents between the first few months of life and about age three years with developmental delay or dementia, lactic acidosis, and a myopathy with failure to thrive. Other findings can include liver failure, renal tubular acidosis, pancreatitis, cyclic vomiting, and hearing loss. Myoclonic epilepsy myopathy sensory ataxia (MEMSA) now describes the spectrum of disorders with epilepsy, myopathy, and ataxia without ophthalmoplegia. MEMSA now includes the disorders previously described as spinocerebellar ataxia with epilepsy (SCAE). The ataxia neuropathy spectrum (ANS) includes the phenotypes previously referred to as mitochondrial recessive ataxia syndrome (MIRAS) and sensory ataxia neuropathy dysarthria and ophthalmoplegia (SANDO). About 90% of persons in the ANS have ataxia and neuropathy as core features. Approximately two thirds develop seizures and almost one half develop ophthalmoplegia; clinical myopathy is rare. Autosomal recessive progressive external ophthalmoplegia (arPEO) is characterized by progressive weakness of the extraocular eye muscles resulting in ptosis and ophthalmoparesis (or paresis of the extraocular muscles) without associated systemic involvement; however, caution is advised because many individuals with apparently isolated arPEO at the onset develop other manifestations of POLG-related disorders over years or decades. Of note, in the ANS spectrum the neuropathy commonly precedes the onset of PEO by years to decades. Autosomal dominant progressive external ophthalmoplegia (adPEO) typically includes a generalized myopathy and often variable degrees of sensorineural hearing loss, axonal neuropathy, ataxia, depression, parkinsonism, hypogonadism, and cataracts (in what has been called "chronic progressive external ophthalmoplegia plus," or "CPEO+").
Hemolytic anemia due to glucophosphate isomerase deficiency
MedGen UID:
462080
Concept ID:
C3150730
Disease or Syndrome
Glucose phosphate isomerase (GPI) deficiency is an inherited disorder that affects red blood cells, which carry oxygen to the body's tissues. People with this disorder have a condition known as chronic hemolytic anemia, in which red blood cells are broken down (undergo hemolysis) prematurely, resulting in a shortage of red blood cells (anemia). Chronic hemolytic anemia can lead to unusually pale skin (pallor), yellowing of the eyes and skin (jaundice), extreme tiredness (fatigue), shortness of breath (dyspnea), and a rapid heart rate (tachycardia). An enlarged spleen (splenomegaly), an excess of iron in the blood, and small pebble-like deposits in the gallbladder or bile ducts (gallstones) may also occur in this disorder.\n\nHemolytic anemia in GPI deficiency can range from mild to severe. In the most severe cases, affected individuals do not survive to birth. Individuals with milder disease can survive into adulthood. People with any level of severity of the disorder can have episodes of more severe hemolysis, called hemolytic crises, which can be triggered by bacterial or viral infections.\n\nA small percentage of individuals with GPI deficiency also have neurological problems, including intellectual disability and difficulty with coordinating movements (ataxia).
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4F
MedGen UID:
761704
Concept ID:
C3540453
Disease or Syndrome
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease type 4F (CMT4F) is an autosomal recessive demyelinating neuropathy characterized by distal sensory impairment and distal muscle weakness and atrophy affecting the lower more than the upper limbs. Nerve conduction velocities are decreased and sural nerve biopsy shows loss of myelinated fibers. The age at onset is variable and can range from childhood to adult years. When the onset is in infancy, the phenotype is characterized as Dejerine-Sottas syndrome (DSS; 145900). For a phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of autosomal recessive demyelinating Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, see CMT4A (214400).
Juvenile-onset diabetes mellitus-central and peripheral neurodegeneration syndrome
MedGen UID:
863873
Concept ID:
C4015436
Disease or Syndrome
Combined cerebellar and peripheral ataxia with hearing loss and diabetes mellitus (ACPHD) is an autosomal recessive multisystem disorder including defects in glucose metabolism, diffuse neurodegeneration, multiple hormone deficiencies, severe growth retardation with possible growth hormone deficiencies, and subtle osseous changes suggesting early-onset bone dysplasia (summary by Ozon et al., 2020).
Arthrogryposis, distal, with impaired proprioception and touch
MedGen UID:
934659
Concept ID:
C4310692
Disease or Syndrome
Distal arthrogryposis with impaired proprioception and touch is an autosomal recessive neurologic disorder characterized by loss of certain mechanosensation modalities resulting in ataxia, difficulty walking, dysmetria, muscle weakness and atrophy, and progressive skeletal contractures. Patients have onset of symptoms in early childhood (summary by Chesler et al., 2016 and Delle Vedove et al., 2016).
Neuropathy, congenital hypomyelinating, 2
MedGen UID:
1648446
Concept ID:
C4722277
Disease or Syndrome
Congenital hypomyelinating neuropathy-2 is an autosomal dominant neurologic disorder characterized by early-onset hypotonia, severely delayed motor development, muscle weakness with areflexia, and severely decreased nerve conduction velocities (NCV) resulting from improper myelination of axons. The severity is variable: some patients may present at birth with contractures and respiratory insufficiency, whereas others may achieve walking (summary by Warner et al., 1996). CHN shows significant phenotypic overlap with Dejerine-Sottas syndrome (DSS; 145900), which is also a neuropathy with early onset. Some classify the disorders differently, noting that CHN is characterized by hypo- or amyelination resulting from a congenital defect in myelin formation, whereas DSS has features of continuous myelin breakdown, with demyelination and remyelination (summary by Smit et al., 2008). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of CHN, see CHN1 (605253).
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, axonal, mitochondrial form, 1
MedGen UID:
1731194
Concept ID:
C5435765
Disease or Syndrome
Mitochondrial form of axonal Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease-1 (CMTMA1) is inherited only through the maternal line. The disorder is characterized by onset of distal muscle weakness and atrophy mainly affecting the lower limbs and resulting in difficulty walking in the second decade of life, although both earlier and later onset can occur. Upper limb involvement often develops with time, and affected individuals have weakness and atrophy of the intrinsic hand muscles. Other features may include distal sensory impairment, foot deformities, scoliosis, hypo- or hyperreflexia, spastic paraparesis, and neurogenic bladder. Electrophysiologic studies are compatible with an axonal sensorimotor peripheral neuropathy, and muscle and nerve biopsy show evidence of mitochondrial dysfunction with decreased activities of respiratory complexes, mtDNA deletions, and mitochondrial hyperplasia (summary by Fay et al., 2020).
Leukoencephalopathy, hereditary diffuse, with spheroids 2
MedGen UID:
1794254
Concept ID:
C5562044
Disease or Syndrome
Hereditary diffuse leukoencephalopathy with spheroids-2 (HDLS2) is an autosomal dominant neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive cognitive and executive dysfunction, psychiatric disturbances, and neurologic symptoms, such as gait abnormalities, paresis, seizures, and rigidity. Symptom onset is usually in adulthood, although earlier onset has been reported. Some patients have an acute encephalopathic course with severe neurologic decline resulting in early death, whereas other patients have a more protracted and chronic disease course. Neuropathologic examination shows a leukoencephalopathy with axonal spheroids and myelination defects (summary by Sundal et al., 2012). For a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of HDLS, see HDLS1 (221820).
Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease axonal type 2V
MedGen UID:
1800473
Concept ID:
C5569050
Disease or Syndrome
A rare axonal hereditary motor and sensory neuropathy characterized by adult onset of recurrent pain in legs with or without cramps, progressive loss of deep tendon reflexes and vibration sense, paresthesia in the feet and later in the hands. Patients often experience sleep disturbances and mild sensory ataxia.
Spastic paraplegia 88, autosomal dominant
MedGen UID:
1824020
Concept ID:
C5774247
Disease or Syndrome
Autosomal dominant spastic paraplegia-88 (SPG88) is characterized by onset of symptoms in the first year of life. Affected individuals show delayed motor development with walking difficulties due to spasticity of the lower limbs. The disorder is slowly progressive, but variable in severity; some patients are unable to ambulate independently. Most patients have a pure form of the disorder, although rare patients have been reported to have additional features, including peripheral neuropathy, speech delay, ADHD, and nonspecific brain imaging abnormalities (Schob et al., 2021, Estiar et al., 2022, De Winter et al., 2022). For a general phenotypic description and a discussion of genetic heterogeneity of autosomal dominant spastic paraplegia, see SPG3A (182600).
Spastic paraplegia 79A, autosomal dominant, with ataxia
MedGen UID:
1824073
Concept ID:
C5774300
Disease or Syndrome
Autosomal dominant spastic paraplegia-79A with ataxia (SPG79A) is a slowly progressive neurodegenerative disorder characterized predominantly by cerebellar and/or sensory ataxia and spasticity of the lower limbs leading to gait difficulties. The onset is usually in adulthood (median age of 49 years), but can range from childhood to age 70. Additional common features include sensorimotor neuropathy and visual impairment with optic atrophy. The disorder is slowly progressive (Park et al., 2022).

Professional guidelines

PubMed

Duan H, Jing Y, Li Y, Lian Y, Li J, Li Z
Front Immunol 2023;14:1168821. Epub 2023 Apr 6 doi: 10.3389/fimmu.2023.1168821. PMID: 37090712Free PMC Article
Lam R
Can Fam Physician 2011 Jul;57(7):765-70. PMID: 21753097Free PMC Article
Gamelin E, Gamelin L, Bossi L, Quasthoff S
Semin Oncol 2002 Oct;29(5 Suppl 15):21-33. doi: 10.1053/sonc.2002.35525. PMID: 12422305

Recent clinical studies

Etiology

Le Cann M, Bouhour F, Viala K, Simon L, Tard C, Rossi C, Morel G, Lagrange E, Magy L, Créange A, Michaud M, Franques J, Echaniz-Laguna A, Antoine JC, Baron M, Arnulf B, Puma A, Delmont E, Maisonobe T, Leblond V, Roos-Weil D
Blood 2020 Nov 19;136(21):2428-2436. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020007092. PMID: 32959046
Casseb RF, Martinez AR, de Paiva JL, França MC Jr
J Neuroimaging 2015 Sep-Oct;25(5):704-9. Epub 2015 Feb 10 doi: 10.1111/jon.12210. PMID: 25678358
Jung HH, Danek A, Walker RH
Orphanet J Rare Dis 2011 Oct 25;6:68. doi: 10.1186/1750-1172-6-68. PMID: 22027213Free PMC Article
Tang S, Wang J, Lee NC, Milone M, Halberg MC, Schmitt ES, Craigen WJ, Zhang W, Wong LJ
J Med Genet 2011 Oct;48(10):669-81. Epub 2011 Aug 31 doi: 10.1136/jmedgenet-2011-100222. PMID: 21880868
Wong LJ, Naviaux RK, Brunetti-Pierri N, Zhang Q, Schmitt ES, Truong C, Milone M, Cohen BH, Wical B, Ganesh J, Basinger AA, Burton BK, Swoboda K, Gilbert DL, Vanderver A, Saneto RP, Maranda B, Arnold G, Abdenur JE, Waters PJ, Copeland WC
Hum Mutat 2008 Sep;29(9):E150-72. doi: 10.1002/humu.20824. PMID: 18546365Free PMC Article

Diagnosis

Ong S, Cassidy A
Pract Neurol 2022 Feb;22(1):57-59. Epub 2021 Nov 5 doi: 10.1136/practneurol-2021-003070. PMID: 34740963
Mathis S, Duval F, Soulages A, Solé G, Le Masson G
J Neurol 2021 Oct;268(10):3675-3689. Epub 2020 Jun 15 doi: 10.1007/s00415-020-09994-y. PMID: 32556571
Le Cann M, Bouhour F, Viala K, Simon L, Tard C, Rossi C, Morel G, Lagrange E, Magy L, Créange A, Michaud M, Franques J, Echaniz-Laguna A, Antoine JC, Baron M, Arnulf B, Puma A, Delmont E, Maisonobe T, Leblond V, Roos-Weil D
Blood 2020 Nov 19;136(21):2428-2436. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020007092. PMID: 32959046
Rahman S, Copeland WC
Nat Rev Neurol 2019 Jan;15(1):40-52. doi: 10.1038/s41582-018-0101-0. PMID: 30451971Free PMC Article
Pirker W, Katzenschlager R
Wien Klin Wochenschr 2017 Feb;129(3-4):81-95. Epub 2016 Oct 21 doi: 10.1007/s00508-016-1096-4. PMID: 27770207Free PMC Article

Therapy

Fennessy JR, Cornett KMD, Burns J, Menezes MP
J Peripher Nerv Syst 2023 Sep;28(3):308-316. Epub 2023 Aug 24 doi: 10.1111/jns.12587. PMID: 37537696
Tezenas du Montcel S, Petit E, Olubajo T, Faber J, Lallemant-Dudek P, Bushara K, Perlman S, Subramony SH, Morgan D, Jackman B, Figueroa KP, Pulst SM, Fauret-Amsellem AL, Dufke C, Paulson HL, Öz G, Klockgether T, Durr A, Ashizawa T; READISCA Consortium Collaborators
Neurology 2023 Apr 25;100(17):e1836-e1848. Epub 2023 Feb 16 doi: 10.1212/WNL.0000000000207088. PMID: 36797067Free PMC Article
Swart G, Blair C, Lu Z, Yogendran S, Offord J, Sutherland E, Barnes S, Palavra N, Cremer P, Bolitho S, Michael Halmagyi G
Eur J Neurol 2021 Dec;28(12):3938-3944. Epub 2021 Sep 6 doi: 10.1111/ene.15077. PMID: 34427020
Le Cann M, Bouhour F, Viala K, Simon L, Tard C, Rossi C, Morel G, Lagrange E, Magy L, Créange A, Michaud M, Franques J, Echaniz-Laguna A, Antoine JC, Baron M, Arnulf B, Puma A, Delmont E, Maisonobe T, Leblond V, Roos-Weil D
Blood 2020 Nov 19;136(21):2428-2436. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020007092. PMID: 32959046
Finsterer J, Zarrouk Mahjoub S
Seizure 2012 Jun;21(5):316-21. Epub 2012 Mar 27 doi: 10.1016/j.seizure.2012.03.003. PMID: 22459315

Prognosis

Coly M, Adams D, Attarian S, Bouhour F, Camdessanché JP, Carey G, Cauquil C, Chanson JB, Chrétien P, Créange A, Delmont E, Fargeot G, Frachet S, Gendre T, Kuntzer T, Labeyrie C, Maisonobe T, Michaud M, Moulin M, Nicolas G, Noury JB, Péréon Y, Puma A, Sole G, Taithe F, Tard C, Théaudin M, Timsit S, Venditti L, Echaniz-Laguna A
J Neurol 2024 Aug;271(8):4982-4990. Epub 2024 May 20 doi: 10.1007/s00415-024-12410-4. PMID: 38767661
Tan CY, Goh KJ, Oh AW, Devaux J, Shahrizaila N
Neuromuscul Disord 2022 Mar;32(3):255-262. Epub 2022 Jan 22 doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2022.01.006. PMID: 35183410
Rahman S
Dev Med Child Neurol 2012 May;54(5):397-406. Epub 2012 Jan 28 doi: 10.1111/j.1469-8749.2011.04214.x. PMID: 22283595
Jung HH, Danek A, Walker RH
Orphanet J Rare Dis 2011 Oct 25;6:68. doi: 10.1186/1750-1172-6-68. PMID: 22027213Free PMC Article
Wong LJ, Naviaux RK, Brunetti-Pierri N, Zhang Q, Schmitt ES, Truong C, Milone M, Cohen BH, Wical B, Ganesh J, Basinger AA, Burton BK, Swoboda K, Gilbert DL, Vanderver A, Saneto RP, Maranda B, Arnold G, Abdenur JE, Waters PJ, Copeland WC
Hum Mutat 2008 Sep;29(9):E150-72. doi: 10.1002/humu.20824. PMID: 18546365Free PMC Article

Clinical prediction guides

Swart G, Blair C, Lu Z, Yogendran S, Offord J, Sutherland E, Barnes S, Palavra N, Cremer P, Bolitho S, Michael Halmagyi G
Eur J Neurol 2021 Dec;28(12):3938-3944. Epub 2021 Sep 6 doi: 10.1111/ene.15077. PMID: 34427020
Mathis S, Duval F, Soulages A, Solé G, Le Masson G
J Neurol 2021 Oct;268(10):3675-3689. Epub 2020 Jun 15 doi: 10.1007/s00415-020-09994-y. PMID: 32556571
Le Cann M, Bouhour F, Viala K, Simon L, Tard C, Rossi C, Morel G, Lagrange E, Magy L, Créange A, Michaud M, Franques J, Echaniz-Laguna A, Antoine JC, Baron M, Arnulf B, Puma A, Delmont E, Maisonobe T, Leblond V, Roos-Weil D
Blood 2020 Nov 19;136(21):2428-2436. doi: 10.1182/blood.2020007092. PMID: 32959046
Pirker W, Katzenschlager R
Wien Klin Wochenschr 2017 Feb;129(3-4):81-95. Epub 2016 Oct 21 doi: 10.1007/s00508-016-1096-4. PMID: 27770207Free PMC Article
Wong LJ, Naviaux RK, Brunetti-Pierri N, Zhang Q, Schmitt ES, Truong C, Milone M, Cohen BH, Wical B, Ganesh J, Basinger AA, Burton BK, Swoboda K, Gilbert DL, Vanderver A, Saneto RP, Maranda B, Arnold G, Abdenur JE, Waters PJ, Copeland WC
Hum Mutat 2008 Sep;29(9):E150-72. doi: 10.1002/humu.20824. PMID: 18546365Free PMC Article

Supplemental Content

Table of contents

    Clinical resources

    Practice guidelines

    • PubMed
      See practice and clinical guidelines in PubMed. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.
    • Bookshelf
      See practice and clinical guidelines in NCBI Bookshelf. The search results may include broader topics and may not capture all published guidelines. See the FAQ for details.

    Consumer resources

    Recent activity

    Your browsing activity is empty.

    Activity recording is turned off.

    Turn recording back on

    See more...