Signs and symptoms of paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system can develop relatively quickly, often over days to weeks. Signs and symptoms of paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system often begin even before a cancer is diagnosed. Signs and symptoms vary depending on the body part being injured, and may include:  Difficulty walking Difficulty maintaining balance Loss of muscle coordination Loss of muscle tone or weakness Loss of fine motor skills, such as picking up objects Difficulty swallowing Slurred speech or stuttering Memory loss and other thinking (cognitive) impairment Vision problems Sleep disturbances Seizures Hallucinations Unusual involuntary movements  Types of paraneoplastic syndromes Examples of paraneoplastic syndromes of the nervous system include:  Cerebellar degeneration (cerebellar ataxia). This is the loss of nerve cells in the area of the brain that controls muscle functions and balance (cerebellum). Signs and symptoms may include unsteady or impaired walking, lack of muscle coordination in your limbs, inability to maintain your trunk posture, dizziness, nausea, involuntary eye movement, double vision, difficulty speaking, or difficulty swallowing. Limbic encephalitis. This is inflammation affecting a region of the brain known as the limbic system, which controls emotions, behaviors and certain memory functions. People with this disorder may experience personality changes or mood disturbances, memory loss, seizures, hallucinations, or drowsiness. Encephalomyelitis. This syndrome refers to inflammation of the brain and spinal cord. There may be a wide variety of symptoms and signs depending on the area affected. Opsoclonus-myoclonus. This syndrome is due to dysfunction of the cerebellum or its connections. It can cause rapid, irregular eye movements (opsoclonus) and involuntary, chaotic muscle jerks (myoclonus) in your limbs and trunk. Stiff person syndrome. Previously called stiff man syndrome, this syndrome is characterized by progressive, severe muscle stiffness or rigidity, mainly affecting your spine and legs. It may also cause painful muscle spasms. Myelopathy. This term refers to a syndrome of injury limited to the spinal cord. Depending on the level of spinal cord injury, you may have changes in bowel and bladder function, and severe weakness and numbness up to a certain level in your body. If the level of injury includes your neck, you can have severe disability affecting all four limbs.  Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome. This is a syndrome caused by disrupted communication between nerves and muscles. Signs and symptoms include pelvic and lower extremity muscle weakness, fatigue, difficulty swallowing, difficulty speaking, irregular eye movement, and double vision. Autonomic nervous system problems can include dry mouth and erectile dysfunction in males. When it occurs as a paraneoplastic syndrome, Lambert-Eaton myasthenic syndrome is typically associated with lung cancer.   Myasthenia gravis. Myasthenia gravis is also related to disrupted communication between nerves and muscles and also characterized by weakness and rapid fatigue of any of the muscles that are under voluntary control, including muscles in your face, eyes, arms and legs. The muscles involved in chewing, swallowing, talking and breathing may be affected as well. When myasthenia gravis occurs as a paraneoplastic syndrome, it is typically associated with cancer of the thymus gland (thymoma).  Neuromyotonia. Neuromyotonia — also known as Isaacs' syndrome — is characterized by abnormal impulses in nerve cells outside the brain and spinal cord (peripheral nerve hyperexcitability) that control muscle movement. These impulses can cause twitching, muscle rippling that looks like a "bag of worms," progressive stiffness, muscle cramps, slowed movement and other muscle impairments. Peripheral neuropathy. This condition refers to patterns of damage to nerves that transmit messages from the brain or spinal column to the rest of your body. When damage involves only the sensory nerves of the peripheral nervous system, you can have pain and disturbances in sensation anywhere in your body. Dysautonomia. Dysautonomia refers to a wide range of signs and symptoms resulting from injury to the nerves that regulate involuntary body functions (autonomic nervous system), such as heart rate, blood pressure, sweating, and bowel and bladder functions. When this part of the nervous system is affected, common symptoms are low blood pressure, irregular heartbeats and trouble breathing. 
signs symptoms paraneoplastic syndromes nervous system can develop quickly  days weeks  signs symptoms paraneoplastic syndromes nervous system begin cancer diagnosed  signs symptoms vary depending body part being injured  may include:  difficulty walking difficulty maintaining balance loss muscle coordination loss muscle tone weakness loss fine motor skills  picking objects difficulty swallowing slurred speech stuttering memory loss thinking (cognitive) impairment vision problems sleep disturbances seizures hallucinations unusual involuntary movements  types paraneoplastic syndromes examples paraneoplastic syndromes nervous system include:  cerebellar degeneration (cerebellar ataxia)  loss nerve cells area brain controls muscle functions balance (cerebellum)  signs symptoms may include unsteady impaired walking  lack muscle coordination limbs  inability maintain trunk posture  dizziness  nausea  involuntary eye movement  double vision  difficulty speaking  difficulty swallowing  limbic encephalitis  inflammation affecting region brain known limbic system  controls emotions  behaviors memory functions  people disorder may experience personality changes mood disturbances  memory loss  seizures  hallucinations  drowsiness  encephalomyelitis  syndrome refers inflammation brain spinal cord  may wide variety symptoms signs depending area affected  opsoclonus-myoclonus  syndrome due dysfunction cerebellum connections  can cause rapid  irregular eye movements (opsoclonus) involuntary  chaotic muscle jerks (myoclonus) limbs trunk  stiff person syndrome  previously called stiff man syndrome  syndrome characterized progressive  severe muscle stiffness rigidity  mainly affecting spine legs  may cause painful muscle spasms  myelopathy  term refers syndrome injury limited spinal cord  depending level spinal cord injury  may changes bowel bladder function  severe weakness numbness level body  level injury includes neck  can severe disability affecting limbs   lambert-eaton myasthenic syndrome  syndrome caused disrupted communication nerves muscles  signs symptoms include pelvic lower extremity muscle weakness  fatigue  difficulty swallowing  difficulty speaking  irregular eye movement  double vision  autonomic nervous system problems can include dry mouth erectile dysfunction males  occurs paraneoplastic syndrome  lambert-eaton myasthenic syndrome typically associated lung cancer    myasthenia gravis  myasthenia gravis disrupted communication nerves muscles characterized weakness rapid fatigue muscles voluntary control  including muscles face  eyes  arms legs  muscles involved chewing  swallowing  talking breathing may affected well  myasthenia gravis occurs paraneoplastic syndrome  typically associated cancer thymus gland (thymoma)   neuromyotonia  neuromyotonia — known isaacs' syndrome — characterized abnormal impulses nerve cells brain spinal cord (peripheral nerve hyperexcitability) control muscle movement  impulses can cause twitching  muscle rippling looks like "bag worms " progressive stiffness  muscle cramps  slowed movement muscle impairments  peripheral neuropathy  condition refers patterns damage nerves transmit messages brain spinal column rest body  damage involves only sensory nerves peripheral nervous system  can pain disturbances sensation body  dysautonomia  dysautonomia refers wide range signs symptoms resulting injury nerves regulate involuntary body functions (autonomic nervous system)  heart rate  blood pressure  sweating  bowel bladder functions  part nervous system affected  common symptoms low blood pressure  irregular heartbeats trouble breathing
paraneoplastic syndromes