Sometimes referred to as dyssynergia, it is a diminution or loss of coordination over voluntary movements and balance that can result, for example, in a staggering gait. Classified as a type of cerebral palsy, it is due to degeneration of the cerebellum or lesions in other areas of the central nervous system (e.g., in the spinal cord). Its determinants are varied, and examples are: a viral infection (e.g., chicken pox), encephalitis, trauma, stroke, and alcohol and drug abuse. It can also be inherited as an autosomal dominant disease. There are different types of ataxia, classified according to their determinants and location (e.g., gait ataxia, locomotor ataxia, optic ataxia, sensory ataxia).
See Autosomal dominant condition/disease, Cerebellum (disorders), Cerebral palsy, Gait, Medulloblastoma, Reelin