Abstract
In children, ataxia may be caused by a wide number of hereditary or acquired diseases. The prevalence varies significantly in causes between pediatric and adult ataxia. Pediatric ataxia may be classified as acute, progressive, non-progressive, intermittent, and episodic. Cerebellar dysfunction is the leading cause of pediatric ataxia, while sensory (afferent) and vestibular ataxias are less common in children. A careful history and neurological examination are essential in classifying pediatric ataxia based on the course of symptoms and involved systems and narrowing the differential diagnosis. Neuroimaging plays a key role in the further work-up of pediatric ataxia and may be diagnostic or allow planning targeted further investigations.
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Poretti, A., Boltshauser, E. (2016). Overview of Ataxias in Children. In: Gruol, D., Koibuchi, N., Manto, M., Molinari, M., Schmahmann, J., Shen, Y. (eds) Essentials of Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders. Springer, Cham. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24551-5_71
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DOI: https://doi.org/10.1007/978-3-319-24551-5_71
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