Ataxia, also known as MSA-C (Multi System Atrophy, cerebellar type)
Main symptoms of Ataxia:
Lack of coordination
Slurred Speech
Difficulty Walking, eating and swallowing
Mood swings
Depression
Apathy
Irritability
Ataxia is an umbrella term for a group of neurological disorders that affect balance, coordination and
speech due to damage of the cerebellum part of the brain controlling movement and balance.
It can also be caused by damage to the spinal cord, or other nerves.
Ataxia can be disabling and people with the disease experience a number of challenges, for example there
may be difficulty expressing thoughts logically, apathy, irritability mood swings including depression.
Life expectancy is generally shorter than normal for people with hereditary Ataxia. In more severe cases
the condition can be fatal in childhood or early adulthood.
Huntington's Disease (HD), also known as Huntington's Chorea
Main symptoms of Huntington's:
Inability to walk, talk, swallow & balance
Mood swings
Depression
Schizophrenia
Double incontinence
Memory loss
Huntington's Disease is a complex progressive brain disorder caused by a defective gene.
It is hereditary
It is characterised by uncontrolled movements, mental instability and loss of thinking ability. There is
no cure for the disease and it is an autosomal dominant disease, which means that if one parent
has the
disease there is a 50% chance that their children wil have it too.
The disease can sometimes affect very young people, not just adults.
In the late stages, people with Huntington's require assistance in all areas of life and often become
bedridden.
Movements become exremely slow and they are unable to convey what they feel because of speech impairment
People with Huntington's Disease usually live for 15 to 20 years after their diagnosis.
Motor Neurone Disease (MND), also known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
Main symptoms of Motor Neurone Disease:
Muscle weakness & stiffening
Difficulty walking
Difficulty talking
Difficulty swallowing
Difficulty breathing
Motor Neurone Disease describes a group of diseases that affect the nerves (motor neurons) in the brain
and spinal cord that tell the muscles what to do.
Messages from the motor neurons gradually stop reaching the muscles. This leads the muscles to weaken,
stiffen and waste.
It can affect walking, talking, swallowing and breathing.
Some people experience changes in their thinking and behaviour.
Motor Neurone Disease is life threatening and there is no cure
In Spain, Motor Neurone Disease is known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - the most common form
of Motor Neurone Disease.
Some forms of the disease are fatal.
Multiple Sclerosis, also known as MS
Main symptoms of Multiple Sclerosis:
Communication problems
Poor vision
Problems with limb movement
Lack of sensation and balance
Multiple Sclerosis is a potentially disabling disease of the brain and the spinal cord (Cental Nervous
System).
In Multiple Sclerosis, the immune system attacks the protective sheath (myelin) that covers the nerve
fibres and causes communication problems between the brain and the rest of the body, for example;
problems with vision, arm or leg movement, sensation or balance
It is a lifelong condition and although not usually the cause of death, it can be a severely disabling
condition.
Parkinson's
Main symptoms of Parkinson's:
Tremor
Rigidity
Loss of Movement
Parkinson's Diesease is a brain disorder that leads to shaking, stiffness and difficulty with walking,
balance and coordination.
Symptoms usually begin gradually and get worse over time.
As the disease progresses, people may have difficulty walking and talking.
There is currently no cure.
The most common symptoms are tremor, ridigity and loss of movement.
Many people with Parkinson's Disease live between 10 and 20 years after being diagnosed.
Advanced symptoms of Parkinson's can make people more vulnerable to poor health and increased disability.
These complications can sometimes result in people dying.