DEAR DR. GOTT: My 75-year-old grandpa has been having a great deal of difficulty walking for about a month. When he went to his doctor to find what was causing the problem, his doctor ordered an MRI of the brain, indicating ataxia as a diagnosis.
I can’t understand what an MRI of the brain has to do with difficulties walking, and I sure don’t know what ataxia is. Can you fill in the blanks?
DEAR READER: This peculiar sounding word implies a lack of coordination that occurs with voluntary movements such as walking. Speech, eye movement and swallowing can also be affected. A person might have difficulty speaking, stumble and fall for no apparent reason, or have difficulty eating. [Read more...]