The preservation of tendon reflexes distinguishes this disorder from Friedreich'sataxia.
2
He has used a wheelchair since Friedreich'sataxia, a muscle-wasting disease, made walking impossible.
3
Other important differences from Friedreich'sataxia are absence of optic atrophy, diabetes mellitus, cardiomyopathy and severe skeletal deformity.
4
A cluster of Friedreich'sataxia patients has been previously investigated in two neighbouring villages of the Paphos district of Cyprus.
5
Unexpectedly, the genes responsible for Friedreich'sataxia and a form of autosomal recessive spastic paraplegia place these diseases in the category of mitochondrial disorders.