Paralysis Resource Guide - (Page 17) CONDITIONS FRIEDREICH’S ATAXIA Friedreich’s ataxia is an inherited disease that causes progressive damage to the nervous system. It can result in muscle weakness, speech difficulties or heart disease. The first symptom is usually difficulty in walking. It is named after the physician Nicholas Friedreich, who first described the condition in the 1860s. “Ataxia” refers to coordination problems and unsteadiness and occurs in many diseases and conditions. Friedreich’s ataxia is marked by degeneration of nerve tissue in the Although there is no spinal cord and of nerves that hard proof that they control arm and leg movework, many people ment. The spinal cord becomes thinner and nerve with Friedreich’s cells lose some of the myelin ataxia take antioxidant insulation that helps them vitamins to limit cell conduct impulses. destruction. Friedreich’s ataxia affects about 1 out of 50,000 people in the United States. Males and females are affected equally. Symptoms usually begin between the ages of 5 and 15, but can appear as early as 18 months or as late as age 30. Early signs may include unsteady posture, frequent falling and progressive difficulty walking due to an impaired ability to coordinate voluntary movements. Rapid, involuntary movements of the eyeball are common. Most people with Friedreich’s ataxia develop scoliosis (curving of the spine to one side), which, if severe, can impair breathing. There is currently no effective cure or treatment for Friedreich’s ataxia. However, many of the symptoms and accompanying complications can be treated. Many people take antioxidant vitamins to counteract oxydative stress and cell destruction; faulty cellular chemistry causes muscle or nerve cells to release excess free radicals, which wreak havoc on healthy cells. Antioxidants, such as vitamin E and coenzyme Q10, stabilize the free radicals. It is not clear that these supplements can affect the course of the disease. “ ” 17
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