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FACTS ABOUT SPINOCEREBELLAR ATAXIA
- Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) is an inherited form of ataxia, a rare and progressively debilitating neurological disease caused by damage to the cerebellum, the part of the brain responsible for coordinating movement.
- SCA affects approximately 15,000 people in the United States and 24,000 in Europe and the United Kingdom.
- SCA is predominantly inherited disorder that can impact several generations of families at the same time. Patients are usually diagnosed in their mid-30s, but it can affect people of all ages, genders and races.
- Symptoms of SCA include impairment in cognition and affect, issues with vision, eye movements, slurred speech, difficulty swallowing, loss of voluntary motor skills, incoordination of arms and legs and loss of balance.
- Some of the symptoms are often misperceived as intoxication and lead to stigmatization and discrimination within the general community.
- Most SCA patients end up in wheelchairs and usually die prematurely, approximately 10-20 years from the onset of the symptoms.
- Beyond the physical burden, the mental and emotional burden of the disease is great. It often impacts the patients’ and caregivers’ quality of life. In fact, a study found over 50% of people with SCA experience suicidal thoughts.
- There is no cure for SCA and currently, there are no FDA-approved treatments for this debilitating disease.
- For more information, visit www.ataxia.org [ataxia.org].
