Abstract
"Ataxia" as a term is a homonym for an unusual course of a disease. As a symptom, ataxia means impaired, irregular movement.
Ataxia is known as a group of hereditary diseases, too. Historical meaning of ataxia as a sign of unusual course of disease is no longer used, spinocerebellar ataxia as a group of hereditary diseases is lively discussed in a context of news in molecular genetics.
Nevertheless, it seems that precise clinical description of ataxia as a symptom is no longer considered to be relevant as we have many possibilities in neuroimaging and electrophysiological investigation. However, clinical feature of ataxia can serve as an important clue in differential diagnosis.
This text describes ataxia as a symptom. We discussed specific signs of ataxia from syndromological point of view and highlighted the most common causes of ataxia and some of the rare causes and causes imitating ataxia, too.