Neurológia pre prax 1/2025
Hereditary ataxias with onset after the age of 50
Chronic ataxias with onset after the age of 50 differ significantly from ataxias with childhood or early adulthood onset. This article focuses on late-onset hereditary ataxias, particularly on new subtypes such as CANVAS (Cerebellar Ataxia, Neuropathy, and Vestibular Areflexia Syndrome) and SCA27B (Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 27B). It describes their clinical manifestations and diagnostic methods, including genetic testing and differential diagnosis against other sporadic ataxias, such as Multiple system atrophy type C. We present the main principles of diagnosing hereditary ataxias and the diagnostic approach used at the Center of Hereditary Ataxias at the Motol University Hospital, which includes a combination of laboratory, imaging, and genetic tests that allow for the exclusion of acquired causes and a pragmatic diagnosis of hereditary diseases.
Keywords: hereditary ataxia, CANVAS, SCA27B, FXTAS, multiple system atrophy type C, genetic diagnostics, neurodegenerative diseases
