ataxo-, ataxia-

The inability to perform coordinated voluntary movements smoothly which affect the distal portion of the extremities, such as the hands and fingers, the feet, and the toes: Acroataxia results in a person being unable to synchronize his or her muscle activities when trying to move around and which prevents effortless and easy movements.

An irregular tension of the blood vessels.

An inability to form phrases and sentences despite the ability to enunciate individual words: Communication for Mitchell, the wounded soldier, was difficult because of the ataxaphasias he was experiencing during which he was able to say individual words but he wasn't able to combine them into normal sentences.

1. Absence or lack of order; lack of coordination: Meg's cousin always refused to dance because of her sense of ataxia and feeling as if she had two left feet.
2. The inability of someone to be physically able to perform complex moves during muscle activity while making voluntary movements or when doing irregular muscular actions: Swimming proved to be difficult for Harriet's sister because of her ataxia and inability to move her arms and legs in coordinated and sequential movements.
3. Unsteadiness, incoordination or disorganization of movements in the absence of paralysis: For a few moments after getting off the Merry-Go-Round, Billy looked as if he were experiencing ataxia because he was staggering with dizziness and walking in an uncoordinated way.

Muscular weakness combined with incoordination: The progressive neurological condition that Mark was was experiencing is characterized by ataxiadynamia which may be caused by damage to the cerebellum or that part of the brain which is responsible for the coordination of complex voluntary muscular movements as well as the maintenance of posture and balance.

A record obtained with an ataxiameter, an instrument for measuring the degree and direction of the swaying of the body and head in static ataxia (inability to keep one's equilibrium), with the individual's eyes closed.

An instrument for measuring the degree and direction of the swaying of the body and head in static ataxia, with the individual's eyes closed. Also: ataxiameter.

An instrument for measuring involuntary tremor and unsteadiness (as the swaying of the whole body in the erect posture).

An unsteadiness, incoordination, or disorganization of movements of the body in the absence of paralysis: Symptoms of ataxiamnesia include mental confusion, vision impairment, stupor, coma, hypothermia, hypertension and daytime drowsiness.

1. The inability to arrange words or to form connected sentences.
2. The inability to construct phrases, while retaining the ability to say isolated words.

A medical condition that results in the lack of proper coordination of the speech muscles: After Trisha's uncle had a stroke, it appeared that he developed ataxiophemia and was unable to use his speech muscles that produce the ability to speak clearly.

1. An excessive fear of clutter, disarray, disarrangement, or of being in an disheveled situation: Some people who are afflicted with ataxiophobia have obsessive-compulsive ailments that are persistent, intense, senseless, and worrisome, in fact they tend to be so excessive at keeping things neat and tidy that they make it nearly impossible to exist with others who are of a less-than-orderly nature.
2. An abnormal fear of falling or tripping: Ataxia is a lack of co-ordination in the muscles which is a symptom of damage to part of the central nervous system, and so people who have ataxiophobia may be that way because of their experiences in swaying or even falling down, especially if they close their eyes even for a second.

Loss of muscle coordination; especially, of the extremities; ataxy.

A description of a situation in which the patient displays alternating phases of paralysis and of ataxia, as seen in patients with severe infections; such as, typhoid fever.

A mental dread of disorder or chaos: Every time Mrs. Smith went to visit her husband's Aunt Gracia, Gracia's ataxophobia appeared to increase because she was constantly rearranging things on her shelves or dusting things to such a degree, that it was impossible to carry on much of a conversation with her.