The Impact of Compulsivity and Impulsivity in Cerebellar Ataxia: A Case Series

Background: The cerebellum has recently been identified to have a key role in reward processing, and individuals with ataxia have been found to be more impulsive and compulsive as part of cerebellum-related cognitive and behavioral disturbances.

Case Report: We reported five individuals with cerebellar ataxia who demonstrate impulsive and compulsive behaviors, including hobbyism, gambling, and compulsive medication use, to illustrate that these symptoms can be highly disabling.

Discussion: These five cases provide examples of behavioral symptoms in cerebellar ataxia. Further investigations of the pathomechanism of these symptoms will advance our understanding of the cerebellum in cognition and behavior.