title: Nationwide population-based epidemiologic study on cerebellar ataxia in Taiwan.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To conduct the first nationwide population-based epidemiologic study on cerebellar ataxia in Taiwan.
  
  
  METHODS
  Cerebellar ataxia cases were identified from the National Health Insurance Research Database by using the corresponding International Classification of Diseases, Ninth Revision (ICD-9) codes, from January 2005 to December 2007. Age- and sex-specific incidences were estimated by dividing the number of new cases by the population data.
  
  
  RESULTS
  During the study, 934 cases were identified (average annual incidence: 0.91/100,000). No significant difference was noted in the incidence in men and women. The majority of the patients were middle-aged or elderly.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  The average annual incidence rate of cerebellar ataxia in Taiwan was 0.91/100,000, without a significant difference between the genders.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Changhua Christian Hospital Lukang Branch, Changhua, Taiwan, ROC.
authors.forename: Tin-Lun
authors.initials: TL
authors.lastname: Tsai
authors.forename: Chin-San
authors.initials: CS
authors.lastname: Liu
authors.forename: Chien-Hsu
authors.initials: CH
authors.lastname: Lai
mesh_terms: D000293:Adolescent; D000328:Adult; D000367:Age Factors; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D002524:Cerebellar Ataxia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000453:epidemiology*; D018672:Community Health Planning; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009313:National Health Programs / Q000706:statistics & numerical data; D012189:Retrospective Studies; D012737:Sex Factors; D013624:Taiwan / Q000453:epidemiology; D055815:Young Adult