sensory ataxia

Can result from abnormalities anywhere along the afferent pathway from peripheral nerve, dorsal root, dorsal spinal funiculus, or the sensory projection from the thalamus to the parietal lobe cortex.

The functional defect results from an impaired perception of the location of the body part combined with relatively preserved strength in the member. Clinical findings include defective joint position and vibration sense in the leg and sometimes the arms, unstable stance with Romberg's sign, and a gait of slapping or steppage quality. Some examples of diseases that cause sensory ataxia are shown in the table below.

Polyneuropathy

Diabetes

Hypothyroidism

Cisplatin

Isoniazid

Diphtheria

Myelopathy

Acute transverse myelitis

Vacuolar myelopathy(AIDS)

Multiple Sclerosis

Vascular Malformations

Tumor or Cord compression

There is a lot of others diseases that can cause disorders of gait and equilibrium, such as spastic ataxia, frontal lobe disorders, hemiparesis and retropulsion. Nevertheless, their anatomical and physiological basis are very distinct, sometimes poorly understood, and are beyond the scope of this review.

Sensory Neuronopathies

MedStudents - Neurology