title: Primary and secondary ataxias.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  This article discusses recent advances in the understanding of clinical and genetic aspects of primary ataxias, including congenital, autosomal recessive, autosomal dominant, episodic, X-linked, and mitochondrial ataxias, as well as idiopathic degenerative and secondary ataxias.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Many important observations have been published in recent years in connection with primary ataxias, particularly new loci and genes. The most commonly inherited ataxias may present with typical and atypical phenotypes. In the group of idiopathic degenerative ataxias, genes have been found in patients with multiple system atrophy type C. Secondary ataxias represent an important group of sporadic, cerebellar, and afferent/sensory ataxias.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Knowledge of primary ataxias has been growing rapidly in recent years. Here we review different forms of primary ataxia, including inherited forms, which are subdivided into congenital, autosomal recessive cerebellar ataxias, autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias, episodic ataxias, X-linked ataxias, and mitochondrial ataxias, as well as sporadic ataxias and idiopathic degenerative ataxias. Secondary or acquired ataxias are also reviewed and the most common causes are discussed.
authors.affiliation: aMovement Disorders Unit and Neurology Service, Department of Internal Medicine, Hospital de Clínicas, Federal University of Paraná, Curitiba, Paraná, Brazil bDepartment of Neurology, University of Florida, Gainesville, Florida, USA.
authors.forename: Hélio A G
authors.initials: HA
authors.lastname: Teive
authors.forename: Tetsuo
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Ashizawa
mesh_terms: D001259:Ataxia / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000235:genetics / Q000503:physiopathology; D006801:Humans