Ataxia Telangiectasia

Introduction: Ataxia Telangiectasia

Ataxia Telangiectasia: Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare, progressive, neurodegenerative childhood disease that affects the nervous system and other body systems. ... more about Ataxia Telangiectasia.

Ataxia Telangiectasia: A rare inherited childhood disorder involving progressive degeneration of the nervous system. More detailed information about the symptoms, causes, and treatments of Ataxia Telangiectasia is available below.

Symptoms of Ataxia Telangiectasia

• Balance difficulty
• Slurred speech
• Ataxia (lack of muscle control)
• Clumsiness
• Problems walking

See full list of 44 symptoms of Ataxia Telangiectasia

Medical Textbooks Online about Ataxia Telangiectasia

Book excerpts: Copyright © 2008 Lippincott Williams & Wilkins. All rights reserved.

Less Common Symptoms of Ataxia Telangiectasia

• Areas of altered skin
• Areas of altered hair pigmentation
• Café au lait spots
• Sclerodermatous changes
• Lymph system malignancy

See full list of 24 occasional symptoms of Ataxia Telangiectasia

Diagnostic Tests for Ataxia Telangiectasia

• Fetal proteins blood test

Read more about tests for Ataxia Telangiectasia

Causes of Ataxia Telangiectasia

Read more about causes of Ataxia Telangiectasia.

Treatments for Ataxia Telangiectasia

• Symptomatic and supportive treatments
• Physical therapy
• Occupational therapy
• Speech therapy
• Gamma-globulin injections - for weakened immune systems.

See full list of 6 treatments for Ataxia Telangiectasia

Videos for Ataxia Telangiectasia

Patient Surveys for Ataxia Telangiectasia

• Patient Profile Survey
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• Survey about the symptoms of your Ataxia Telangiectasia
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Prognosis for Ataxia Telangiectasia

Prognosis for Ataxia Telangiectasia: Poor. Life-shortening. Neurodegenerative. Often death in teens or 20's.

More about prognosis of Ataxia Telangiectasia

Reseach about Ataxia Telangiectasia

Visit our research pages for current research about Ataxia Telangiectasia treatments.

Clinical Trials for Ataxia Telangiectasia

The US based website ClinicalTrials.gov lists information on both federally and privately supported clinical trials using human volunteers.

Some of the clinical trials listed on ClinicalTrials.gov for Ataxia Telangiectasia include:

• Caspofungin Acetate in Treating Aspergillosis in Patients With Hematologic Cancer or in Patients Who Have Undergone a Stem Cell Transplant - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - caspofungin acetate
• Study for Treatment of Cancer in Children With Ataxia-Telangiectasia - This study is currently recruiting patients (Current: 23 Nov 2006) - Vinblastine,Vincristine,Prednisone,Daunorubicin

Read more about Clinical Trials for Ataxia Telangiectasia

Statistics for Ataxia Telangiectasia

• Medical statistics for Ataxia Telangiectasia
• Prevalence and incidence statistics for Ataxia Telangiectasia
• Death and Mortality statistics for Ataxia Telangiectasia
• Society statistics for Ataxia Telangiectasia
• Symptom statistics for Ataxia Telangiectasia

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Article Excerpts about Ataxia Telangiectasia

Ataxia telangiectasia (A-T) is a rare, progressive, neurodegenerative childhood disease that affects the nervous system and other body systems. (Source: excerpt from NINDS Ataxia Telangiectasia Information Page: NINDS)

Definitions of Ataxia Telangiectasia:

Rare hereditary disease characterized by extreme sensitivity to ionizing radiation or radiomimetic drugs because of a defect in DNA repair. AT heterozygosity is estimated to occur in more than 2% of the U.S. population; heterozygotes exhibit increased radiation sensitivity and are at increased risk for several types of cancer. The normal version of the gene that is defective in AT appears to activate the p53-dependent response to DNA damage. - (Source - Diseases Database)

Ataxia Telangiectasia is listed as a "rare disease" by the Office of Rare Diseases (ORD) of the National Institutes of Health (NIH). This means that Ataxia Telangiectasia, or a subtype of Ataxia Telangiectasia, affects less than 200,000 people in the US population.
Source - National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Ophanet, a consortium of European partners, currently defines a condition rare when it affects 1 person per 2,000. They list Ataxia Telangiectasia as a "rare disease".
Source - Orphanet