The root cause of incurring a<unk>  degenerative condition can be due to a range of different inherited or acquired (non-genetic and non-inherited) conditions, including neurological diseases, paraneoplastic disorders, nutritional deficiency, and chronic heavy alcohol use. Neurological diseases A neurological disease refers to any ailment of the central nervous system, including abnormalities of the brain, spinal cord and other connecting nerve fibres. Where millions of people are affected by neurological diseases on a worldwide scale, it has been identified that the number of different types of neurological diseases exceeds six hundred, any of which an individual can incur. Some of the most prevalent types include Alzheimer's disease, cerebral palsy, epilepsy, Parkinson's disease and stroke. More specifically, the neurological diseases that can cause<unk>  include:Diagram of two different nerve cells. The diagram on the left shows a nerve cell that is healthy and normally-functioning. The diagram on the right shows a nerve cell with a damaged myelin sheath, being the cause of multiple sclerosis. Inherited * Spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA), which refers to a group of conditions caused by mutations in the genes of a human, and are characterised by degenerative changes to many parts of the central nervous system, inclusive of the cerebellum, brain stem, and spinal cord. If a parent is affected by SCA, each of their children will have a 50% risk of inheriting the mutated gene. Non-inherited * Multiple sclerosis (MS), a progressive and incurable condition caused by the combination of an individual's genetic influences and environmental circumstances. It occurs when the myelin sheath of the nerve cells becomes damaged. As the myelin sheath is responsible for protecting the nerves and conducting rapid impulses between them, any damage to this lipid-rich layer will result in delayed and interrupted nerve impulses to and from the brain. * Transmissible spongiform encephalopathies (TSEs), which refers to a combination of diseases caused by the subsistence of foreign proteins in the blood, called prions. Prions originate in the bloodstream via ingestion of contaminated foods or through contact with contaminated medical instruments, body fluids, or infected tissue. This causes severe inflammation of the brain, impairing one's memory, personality and muscular coordination. * Acute & haemorrhagic stroke, resulting in the death of neurons in the cerebellum due to a disrupted flow of oxygen to the brain. This disrupted flow may be due to one of two causes; either a narrowing or blocked artery which derives from a build-up of plaque in the inner walls of the coronary arteries, or a ruptured blood vessel, commonly deriving from high blood pressure or head trauma. Paraneoplastic disorders Paraneoplastic disorders are a combination of non-inherited conditions that are activated by an individual's autoimmune response to a malignant tumour. These disorders prevail when T-cells (also known as white blood cells) begin to harm familiar cells in the central nervous system rather than the cancerous cells, resulting in degeneration of neurons in the cerebellum. Other signs and symptoms that commonly result from the incursion of a paraneoplastic disorder include an impaired ability to talk, walk, sleep, maintain balance and coordinate muscle activity, as well as experiencing seizures and hallucinations. Paraneoplastic disorders are prevalent among middle-aged individuals, typically those suffering from lung, lymphatic, ovarian or breast cancer. Nutritional deficiency Nutritional deficiency relates to an insufficient amount of macronutrients and micronutrients being provided to the body. Nutrient deficiencies are most prevalent among infants, the elderly, the poverty-stricken, and individuals with eating disorders. Alcohol use disorder is the diagnosis of which an individual frequently consumes excessive amounts of alcohol, and thus becomes dependent on the intoxicating substance. Studies show that men of every age group consume more alcohol than women, where the prevalence is higher in some regions of the world than others, such as across Western Europe and Australia. Nutritional deficiency is a non-inherited conditions that lead to impaired absorption or utilisation of the vitamin thiamine (B-1) by the body, thus causing temporary or permanent damage to<unk>  cells. Alcoholic degeneration of<unk>  cells is the most common trigger of spinocerebellar ataxia.
Cerebellar degeneration
Cerebral atrophy
Leukoencephalopathy
Corticobasal degeneration
Cerebellar abiotrophy
Central chromatolysis
Synaptopathy
White dot syndromes