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Medical Definition of Spinocerebellar degeneration
1. An autosomal recessive inherited disorder that leads to the progressive dysfunction of the cerebellum, spinal cord and peripheral nerves. Symptoms usually begin in childhood before puberty and consist of an unsteady gait (ataxia), slurred speech (dysarthria) and jerky eye movements (nystagmus). Other findings include kyphoscoliosis, hammer toe, heart disease and high arches. Congestive heart failure is a common complication. There is no known treatment and prognosis is poor. Inheritance: autosomal recessive. (27 Sep 1997)