Long-term management of inherited cerebellar degeneration involves an ongoing commitment to supportive care therapies, as well as a longitudinal relationship with a neurologist. In some instances adjustments need to be made in the patients home, to improve accessibility and mobility in and around their living environment, to optimise safety.For non-hereditary types of cerebellar degeneration, some physical and mental indicators can be reversed by treating the fundamental cause. For instance, the signs and symptoms of paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration can be managed by initially terminating the underlying cancer with treatments such as surgery, radiation therapy and chemotherapy. In cases of nutritional or alcoholic cerebellar degeneration, symptoms of these conditions can be relieved by initially consuming a balanced diet and discontinuing the consumption of alcohol respectively, followed by dietary supplementation with thiamine. Prognosis
The long-term prospect for patients with cerebellar degeneration differs according to the underlying cause of the disease. Each inherited or acquired disease that results in cerebellar degeneration has its own specific prognosis, however most are generally poor, progressive and often fatal. Epidemiology
Cerebellar degeneration continues to carry a considerable burden on the health of the world population, as well as on health agencies and governing bodies across the globe. Cerebellum-related disorders generally transpire in individuals between the ages of 45 to 65 years, however the age of symptomatic onset differs in accordance with the underlying cause of the degenerative disorder. For paraneoplastic cerebellar degeneration, the average age of onset is 50 years, generally affecting a greater population of males than females.
These disorders prevail when T-cells (also known as white blood cells) begin to harm familiar cells in the central nervous system rather than the cancerous cells, resulting in degeneration of neurons in the cerebellum. Other signs and symptoms that commonly result from the incursion of a paraneoplastic disorder include an impaired ability to talk, walk, sleep, maintain balance and coordinate muscle activity, as well as experiencing seizures and hallucinations. Paraneoplastic disorders are prevalent among middle-aged individuals, typically those with lung, lymphatic, ovarian or breast cancer. Nutritional deficiency
Nutritional deficiency relates to an insufficient amount of macronutrients and micronutrients being provided to the body. Nutrient deficiencies are most prevalent among infants, the elderly, the poverty-stricken, and individuals with eating disorders. Alcohol use disorder is the diagnosis of which an individual frequently consumes excessive amounts of alcohol, and thus becomes dependent on the intoxicating substance. Studies show that men of every age group consume more alcohol than women, where the prevalence is higher in some regions of the world than others, such as across Western Europe and Australia. Nutritional deficiency is a non-inherited conditions that lead to impaired absorption or utilisation of the vitamin thiamine (B-1) by the body, thus causing temporary or permanent damage to cerebellar cells. Alcoholic degeneration of cerebellar cells is the most common trigger of spinocerebellar ataxia. Diagnosis
To select an appropriate and accurate diagnostic test for cerebellar degeneration, it is crucial that a range of factors specific to each patient are taken into consideration.