noun
sclerosis of the posterior and lateral columns of the spinal cord; characterized by muscular weakness and abnormal gait; occurs in children
• Syn: ↑herediatry spinal ataxia
• Hypernyms: ↑ataxia, ↑ataxy, ↑dyssynergia, ↑motor ataxia
* * *
\\ˈfrēˌdrīks-, -īḵs\ noun also friedreich's diseaseUsage: usually capitalized F
Etymology: after Nikolaus Friedreich died 1882 German physician
: a recessive hereditary anomaly marked by muscular incoordination and twitching and usually becoming manifest in the adult
* * *
Friedreich's ataxia /frēˈdrīhhs a-takˈsi-ə/
noun
An inherited degenerative disease affecting the nervous system, causing muscle weakness, speech disorders, etc
ORIGIN: Nikolaus Friedreich (1825–82), German physician who described it
Useful english dictionary. 2012.