Symptoms Of Friedreich's Ataxia

Changes In Vision

Friedreich's ataxia will also manifest in the visual pathways causing some changes in vision, including vision loss as well as abnormal and excessive eye movements. While these visually related symptoms will not be seen until later stages of the disease, they are important when making choices regarding treatment for Friedreich's ataxia. Usually, both the posterior and anterior neural visual pathways will slowly and progressively deteriorate as the Friedreich's ataxia worsens. The disease causes the already delicate optic nerve fibers and the optic nerve divergences to decay. However, significant vision loss does not occur until there has been significant thinning of these nerve fibers. The vision issues that occur in Friedreich's ataxia patients will begin from their peripheral vision and then steadily become more intense toward the central vision of the patient's eyes. Typically the vision loss associated with Friedreich's ataxia is characterized by a marked decrease in the individual's visual depth.

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