Does Autoimmunity Play a Role in Cerebellar Ataxia with Sensory Ganglionopathy?

[Scott Adams]

Cerebellar ataxia with sensory ganglionopathy (SG) is a disabling combination of neurological dysfunction that usually occurs as part of certain hereditary ataxias. However, some patients present this combination with no apparent genetic cause.

A team of researchers recently set out to if autoimmunity might have a role to play in SG. The team reviewed records of all patients that have been referred to the Sheffield Ataxia Centre who had neurophysiological and imaging data suggestive of SG and cerebellar ataxia respectively.

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[Wheatwacked]

"They found 40 patients with combined cerebellar ataxia and sensory ganglionopathy..Nineteen patients had gluten sensitivity, of whom 3 patients had biopsy proven celiac disease...Only 3 patients were classified as having a truly idiopathic combination of cerebellar ataxia with sensory ganglionopathy."

So, 37 of 40 patients diagnosed as cerebellar ataxia would have been receiving inappropriate or at best ineffective treatment. Why didn't the researchers indicate how many were GFD compliant or if a gluten free diet had any effect on their outcomes?

It is not surprising. During the development of modern wheat one of the genetic changes they made was to add a neurotoxin to increase resistance to insects.