Friedreich s Ataxia

Friedreich's Ataxia (FRDA) is a rare, inherited, life-shortening neurological disorder that affects movement, balance, coordination, speech and vision. It's caused by a mutation in a gene on chromosome 9, which encodes a protein called frataxin that is deficient or absent in people with the condition. Symptoms usually start in early childhood and include a wide variety of physical, cognitive and emotional problems. FRDA affects 1 in every 50,000 people and is one of the most common hereditary ataxias. Current treatments focus on managing symptoms and include physical and occupational therapies, medications and assistive devices. Growing research and promising gene therapy trials are offering hope for the future for those affected by FRDA.