Acquired (non-genetic) ataxia
This type of ataxia usually results from some type of environmental
factor such as a brain injury, tumor or chemical exposure.
For example, head trauma or stroke can cause ataxia. Exposure to
high levels of alcohol can lead to ataxia. A brain tumor can cause a
person to become ataxic. Acquired ataxia is not passed on in
families, so the children of an affected person are not at an increased
risk to develop ataxia. Multiple System Atrophy (MSA) is a
fairly common cause of adult onset ataxia whose cause is unknown
and which is usually not inherited