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Prevalence of ataxia in children: a systematic review
Kristin E Musselman1, Cristina T Stoyanov, Rhul Marasigan
1From the Department of Neuroscience (K.E.M., A.J.B.), Johns Hopkins School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD; Kennedy Krieger Institute (K.E.M., R.M., A.J.B.), Baltimore, MD; Johns Hopkins Bloomberg School of Public Health (C.T.S.), Baltimore, MD; Department of Clinical Neurological Sciences (M.E.J.), Western University, London, Ontario, Canada; School of Kinesiology (J.K.), University of Minnesota, Minneapolis; and Department of Physical Therapy (S.M.M.), University of Delaware, Newark.
Insights
Childhood ataxia, a common motor disorder, is more prevalent than previously thought. This systematic review estimates its worldwide occurrence, highlighting ataxic cerebral palsy as a key factor.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Pediatrics
- Epidemiology
Background:
- Childhood ataxia is a debilitating neurological disorder affecting motor function.
- Understanding its prevalence is crucial for diagnosis and management.
Purpose of the Study:
- To estimate the global prevalence of childhood ataxia from genetic and acquired causes.
- To identify key etiological factors and regional variations.
Main Methods:
- A systematic review adhering to PRISMA guidelines was performed.
- Data from five databases were analyzed, focusing on prevalence and incidence studies of childhood ataxia.
- Articles were categorized by World Health Organization (WHO) region and etiology, with bias assessment.
Main Results:
- 115 articles were included, with over 50% of data from the Europe WHO region.
- Acquired ataxias showed greater regional variation than genetic ataxias.
- Ataxic cerebral palsy significantly contributed to childhood ataxia prevalence; estimated European prevalence is ~26/100,000 children.
Conclusions:
- Childhood ataxia is a common motor disorder with a higher prevalence than previously assumed.
- Further research into its epidemiology, assessment, and treatment is essential.
Objective:
To estimate the prevalence of childhood ataxia resulting from both genetic and acquired causes.
Methods:
A systematic review was conducted following the PRISMA (Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-analyses) statement. Five databases were searched for articles reporting a frequency measure (e.g., prevalence, incidence) of ataxia in children. Included articles were first grouped according to the World Health Organization (WHO) regions and subsequently classified according to etiology (genetic, acquired, or mixed). Each article was assessed for its risk of bias on the domains of sampling, measurement, and analysis. Incidence values were converted to prevalence estimates whenever possible. European prevalence estimates for different etiologies of ataxia were summed to gauge the overall prevalence of childhood ataxia.
Results:
One hundred fifteen articles were included in the review. More than 50% of the data originated from the Europe WHO region. Data from this region also showed the least susceptibility to bias. Little data were available for Africa and Southeast Asia. The prevalence of acquired ataxias was found to vary more greatly across regions than the genetic ataxias. Ataxic cerebral palsy was found to be a significant contributor to the overall prevalence of childhood ataxia across WHO regions. The prevalence of childhood ataxias in Europe was estimated to be ∼26/100,000 children and likely reflects a minimum prevalence worldwide.
Conclusions:
The findings show that ataxia is a common childhood motor disorder with a higher prevalence than previously assumed. More research concerning the epidemiology, assessment, and treatment of childhood ataxia is warranted.
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