Ataxia diagnosis

Ataxia is a condition that might be a sign of many other diseases or be a separate condition. To better understand ataxia’s nature, medical practitioners should carefully examine the patient’s previous medical records and know more about the patient’s current situation, symptoms, and disease progression. After the consultation with neurologists, the patient will get a list of all lab tests and medical procedures to help confirm the diagnosis. Complete blood count and inflammation blood tests will help exclude various infectious causes of ataxia and allow doctors to understand the current health status better. In addition, evaluation of kidney and liver functions is required to plan future treatment and exclude toxicological-related conditions that might cause ataxia. Finally, after a spinal tap and examination of obtained cerebrospinal fluid sample, neurologists will understand the status of the nervous system functioning and ensure that the patient doesn’t have tuberculosis, meningitis, and other infectious diseases that might cause ataxia. MRI scan of the brain is required to get a clear view of the patient’s brain and find a potential cause of ataxia by anatomical abnormalities. Also, doctors might prescribe a DNA test to confirm or exclude hereditary ataxia. As a result, following the ataxia diagnostic program, doctors recommend the most appropriate treatment strategy.