What is cerebellar ataxia?

Today I'm going to share one of the CJD symptoms my mother had that I will never forget: cerebellar ataxia.

According the the Medline Plus Encyclopedia, "acute cerebellar ataxia is sudden onset of uncoordinated muscle movement."

For my mom, this meant she couldn't control her balance and gait. Her legs shook and she was very unsteady to say the least. She never fell though, I have to say. My mother complained of dizziness and vertigo and even carried around a plastic bag because she was nauseous. When she walked, her leg would jerk out in any direction imaginable. It was very hard for her to control herself as she walked.

That was October 8, 2004, the day we took her to the emergency room. She died November 10, 2004.

More on CJD from Medline Plus.

More about CJD from NORD.