title: Risk factors for idiopathic cerebellar ataxia of late onset.
abstract: In an attempt to identify risk factors for the development of idiopathic cerebellar ataxia (IDCA) we performed a case-control study of 59 IDCA patients. Hypertension and medicine intake were less frequent in IDCA than in neurological controls. Multiple logistic regression yielded an odds ratio (OR) for hypertension of 0.13 (95% confidence interval: 0.00-1.02, P=0.0527) and medicine intake of 0.10 (95% confidence interval: 0.00-0.72, P=0.0157). In contrast, we did not identify an association of IDCA with a number of medical diseases, head trauma, smoking, alcohol intake, rural living and well-water drinking. Some of these factors have been previously shown to be associated with other neurodegenerative diseases. In addition, serum antibody titers against neurotropic viruses were not elevated in IDCA.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Germany.
authors.forename: T
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Klockgether
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Bürk
authors.forename: U
authors.initials: U
authors.lastname: Wüllner
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Wenning
authors.forename: J B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Schulz
authors.forename: G
authors.initials: G
authors.lastname: Döller
authors.forename: K
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Wessel
authors.forename: P
authors.initials: P
authors.lastname: Huss
authors.forename: A
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Krämer
authors.forename: R
authors.initials: R
authors.lastname: Lüdtke
mesh_terms: D000367:Age Factors; D017668:Age of Onset; D000914:Antibodies, Viral / Q000097:blood; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000453:epidemiology* / Q000276:immunology; D014645:Herpesvirus 3, Human / Q000276:immunology; D006801:Humans; D006973:Hypertension / Q000175:diagnosis; D007074:Immunoglobulin G / Q000097:blood; D016015:Logistic Models; D008875:Middle Aged; D016017:Odds Ratio; D012307:Risk Factors
chemical_list: D000914:Antibodies, Viral; D007074:Immunoglobulin G