Ataxia

2 definitions found

From The Collaborative International Dictionary of English v.0.48 [gcide]:

  Ataxia \A*tax"i*a\, Ataxy \At"ax*y\, n. [NL. ataxia, Gr. ?, fr.
     ? out of order; 'a priv. + ? ordered, arranged, ? to put in
     order: cf. F. ataxie.]
     1. Disorder; irregularity. [Obs.] --Bp. Hall.
        [1913 Webster]
  


     2. (Med.)
        (a) Irregularity in disease, or in the functions.
        (b) The state of disorder that characterizes nervous
            fevers and the nervous condition. [archaic]
            [1913 Webster]
  
     3. (Med.) Loss of coordination in the voluntary muscles,
        especially the limbs; an inability to coordinate voluntary
        muscle movements; it results in unsteady movements and a
        staggering gait. See also {locomotor ataxia}, an ataxia
        which occurs when attempting to perform coordinated
        muscular movements.
  
     Syn: ataxy
          [WordNet 1.5 +PJC]
  
     {Locomotor ataxia}. See {Locomotor}.
        [1913 Webster]

From WordNet (r) 2.0 [wn]:

  ataxia
       n : inability to coordinate voluntary muscle movements; unsteady
           movements and staggering gait [syn: {ataxy}, {dyssynergia},
            {motor ataxia}]