This timely reference presents, for the first time, new findings in molecular genetics that are applicable to the epidemiology, pathogenesis, neuropathology, clinical features, and management of ataxia-bridging the gap between scientific and clinical practice. Organized by the distinctive ataxia disorders, their pathogenesis, and management-facilitating quick and efficient diagnoses! Providing complementary sections on the anatomy of the spinocerebellar system, its normal function, and a history of ataxia research and management, the Handbook of Ataxia Disorders clarifies the impact of identifying the molecular causes of ataxia offers in-depth analysis of dominant and recessive and nonhereditary ataxia disorders explores the vital connection between the genotypes and phenotypes of various degenerative ataxia disorders and more! Written by more than 60 international experts and supplemented with over 2600 literature references, photographs, micrographs, drawings, and tables, the Handbook of Ataxia Disorders is an essential and useful reference for clinical neurologists and neuropathologists, neuropediatricians, geneticists, physiatrists, and medical school students in these disciplines.

Dana Creighton and her mother both were affected by the same inherited cerebellar degeneration, known as ataxia--a loss of control over body movements. Both were treated by a healthcare system that failed them in different ways. Yet their experiences were disparate. Creighton eventually found the right tools to piece together meaning in her life; her mother resisted accepting her condition, in part because doctors repeatedly said nothing was wrong with her. Twenty-five years after her mother's suicide, Creighton's memoir finds striking similarities and differences in their lives and traces a lineage of family trauma. Drawing on research in neuroplasticity, medical records, personal correspondence and genealogy, the author highlights the gap between the lived experience of a debilitating ailment and the impersonal aims of clinicians. She shows how the stories parents tell themselves about living with a genetic disorder influences how they communicate it to their children.

Neurogenetics is intended for any physician or scientist who manages patients with inherited diseases of the nervous system. It presents the clinical phenotypes of the most commonly inherited neurologic diseases, and their molecular pathogenesis, followed by a description of the appropriate tests to be used in diagnosis. Two introductory chapters familiarize the nongeneticist with medical genetic terminology and molecular genetic techniques useful in the analysis of genetic disease and genetic testing. Subsequent chapters examine major neurologic disorders caused by single defects, as well as disease phenotypes such as Alzheimer disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis which may be caused by defects in single genes, but may also be seen as sporadic diseases. The genetic components of other common neurologic disorders, such as epilepsy, multiple sclerosis, migraine, and stroke are all covered in detail. The final chapter discusses genetic counseling of symptomatic and pre-symptomatic individuals. Throughout, chapters discuss genotype/phenotype correlations and, where appropriate, animal models for inherited human neurologic diseases. Several chapters are devoted to recently discovered diseases caused by unstable DNA repeats. Special emphasis is placed on conveying how DNA testing can be applied to the daily practice of geneticists and neurologists.

During the last three decades, many laboratories worldwide have dedicated their research activities to understanding the roles of the cerebellum in motor control, cognitive processes and the biology of mental processes, behavioral symptoms and emotion. These advances have been associated with discoveries of new clinical disorders, in particular in the field of genetic ataxias, and the growing number of diseases presents a source of difficulty for clinicians during daily practice. This practical guide summarizes and evaluates current knowledge in the field of cerebellar disorders. Encompassing details of both common and uncommon cerebellar ataxias, including vascular, immune, neoplastic, infectious, traumatic, toxic and inherited disorders, this book will assist clinicians in the diagnosis and management of the full spectrum of cerebellar ataxias encountered in daily practice. Essential reading for clinicians, including general practitioners, neurologists, pediatricians, radiologists, psychiatrists and neuropsychologists, this will also prove a valuable tool for students, trainees and researchers.

Hereditary or genetic diseases featuring involuntary movements constitute a major aspect of the practice of neurology, functional neurosurgery, genetics, and many areas of basic and applied neuroscience research. Describing the current knowledge on these disorders, Genetics of Movement Disorders brings together information essential for clinicians, geneticists, and neuroscientists in one source. Utilizing a convenient and accessible format, the book is designed to allow easy identification of relevant information, with the overall organization of topics following established phenotypic classifications of movement disorders such as Parkinsonian syndromes, chorea, ataxia, and major categories of diseases grouped by gene locus. This book broadly appeals to neurologists, neuroscientists, geneticists, as well as cell and molecular biologists and hematologists. - Consistently formatted to present a clinical description of the disorder, followed by an in-depth analysis of the mutation and function of the mutated gene including cellular and animal models - Emphasizes the use of DNA tests for each respective disorder - Provides up-to-date, easily accessible information for clinicians, geneticists, and neuroscientists

My name is Patricia Birdsong Hamilton. I was born and grew up in Atlanta, Georgia, graduated from Spelman College in Atlanta in 1974, and received my MBA from Atlanta University (now Clark - Atlanta University) in 1975. I am one of seven children born to Annie and R.C. Birdsong, am married and am the proud mother of one son and one daughter. I was diagnosed with Spinocerebellar Ataxia at the age of thirty-four. Because I was unable to find a book that could provide me with some insight into the way the disease may affect me, I decided to write my own. My objective was to learn how to live with my medical condition. The books I wrote are about my personal experiences before and after my diagnosis. I discovered ways to cope with the disease, the way I came to grips with my situation and how I developed an attitude that enabled me to move on with my life. "My Thirty Five Years with Ataxia" is a book that chronologically describes the challenges I have experienced over the years. I define ataxia and reveal some family history concerning ataxia. Through out the book one has to keep in mind that we are chemically and biologically different and we react differently to medication. With A positive attitude, the support of God's blessings, family and friends. I meet each hardship head on. Other books published by the author are: A Balancing Act: Living with Spinal Cerebellar Ataxia Coping Skills for the Ataxia Individual Broken Shell Not, a Broken Sprit Stretching Toward a Healthier You! A Balancing Act: Walking What's UP? Why do You Walk Funny?

A comprehensive survey of dysfunction due to stroke, this revised edition remains the definitive guide to stroke patterns and syndromes.

This lavishly illustrated atlas provides indispensable information to clinicians, geneticists and visual scientists working with inherited retinal diseases. It is filled with high-quality images, up-to-date genetic information and comprehensive electrophysiology. The data for each individual disorder have been summarised in an accessible, reader-friendly format for easy reference. The illustrations include colour fundus photographs, fluorescein angiograms, OCT scans, electrophysiological studies and pedigrees. The editors and authors are well-known experts in the field and have drawn upon their extensive experience to produce this unique atlas.

Clinics in Developmental Medicine No. 191-192 This clinically orientated text by an international group of experts is the first definitive reference book on disorders of the cerebellum in children. It presents a wealth of practical clinical experience backed up by a strong scientific basis for the information and guidance given. The first part sets out the theoretical underpinnings of cerebellar disorders. This is followed by sections on clinical conditions grouped according to common characteristics such as aetiology and symptomatology. The descriptions of the clinical conditions each systematically cover, as appropriate, epidemiology, prevalence, diagnostic criteria, clinical features (including course and prognosis), pathophysiology, genetics, investigations, differential diagnosis, and management and treatment. This book will be an invaluable resource for all those caring for children affected by cerebellar disorders, including malformations, genetic and metabolic disorders, acquired cerebellar damage, vascular disorders and acute ataxias. This comprehensive reference text on cerebellar disorders in children includes chapters on cerebellar development, prenatal cerebellar imaging, imaging of the posterior fossa, with coverage of a broad range of malformations, genetic and metabolic disorders involving the cerebellum, prenatal cerebellar disruptions (as related to prematurity), vascular disorders, tumors and paraneoplastic syndromes, as well as acute ataxia and trauma to the posterior fossa. Numerous checklists are provided to assist in the differential diagnosis of clinical signs and neuroimaging findings. Readership: Paediatric neurologists, paediatricians, neurologists, developmental paediatricians, neuroimaging specialists, geneticists, neonatologists

Shifting Into High Gear charts the course of Kyle Bryant's transformation as he journeys on a recumbent tricycle across the United States in the throes of Friedreich's ataxia, a life-shortening and disabling disease. Full of humor and reflection, it's a heroic journey of a man driven to reframe the language of disease through action and service. As you travel with Kyle during two cross-country bike rides through the American West, Texas, the Southern States, and finally to the shores of the Atlantic Ocean, the grueling rides become a compelling backdrop for a series of lessons and ruminations which embrace an alternative worldview and provide practical solutions to everyday problems. A thrilling adventure story, yes, Shifting Into High Gear is also ultimately about helping readers reinterpret the conditions of their lives and learning how positive thinking, purposeful connection, and deliberate actions can help anyone reach beyond their limits and live a bolder and bigger life no matter what the circumstance. Deeply passionate and compassionate, Kyle uses his amazing story to teach readers how to replace the handicapping language of "disability" with the agency to build a thriving and hopeful life. He bravely exposes the shadow-side of using disabling language and asks us to commit to a collective goal of understanding disease and its emotional impact and embrace the disabled population as equal individuals. In telling his story, Kyle's desire is that instead of viewing disease as a deficit, we would see it as another state of being—simply as a life which strikes out on a different path.