There are many possible causes of cerebellar atrophy, including the use of an anti-seizure drug called Dilantin.

Dilantin, generically known as phenytoin, is an anti-seizure medication that has been also approved to treat a wide variety of disorders. It is used to treat tonic-clonic and complex partial seizures. It is often used in patients who suffer from epilepsy. Sometimes it is used during surgery to treat and prevent seizures.

Dilantin works to prevent and treat seizures by preventing certain types of abnormal neural activity from spreading throughout the brain.

What is Cerebellar Atrophy?

Cerebellar atrophy is a degeneration or shrinking of the brain tissue. It occurs when the brain loses neurons. Neurons are highly specialized nerve cells that transmit information in the brain.

Sometimes, this atrophy can be generalized. This means that the brain in its entirety has shrunk and has lost neurons. Other times, the atrophy is focalized. When this atrophy is focalized in the cerebellum, certain functions of the body can be affected.

The cerebellum is divided into two hemispheres and sits behind the brain stem and underneath the cerebrum. It affects the voluntary movements of the body and regulates posture, balance, coordination, and speech.

When the cerebellum suffers from degeneration, the symptoms may seem similar to that of a stroke. Patients may lose balance, experience tremors and slow movements and suffer from unsteady eye movements.

Additionally, patients may experience slow or slurred speech, small rapid movements of the eyes (nystagmus), slow or jerky movements in the limbs, body tremors, and an unsteady walk.

Causes of Cerebellar Atrophy

Some patients experience cerebellar atrophy after using drugs such as Dilantin. However, there are other  possible causes of cerebellar atrophy.

The brain loses neurons and experiences atrophy for a variety of reasons. Some causes of cerebellar atrophy include:

• Aging
• Alcohol or drug use
• Multiple sclerosis
• Stroke
• Tumors
• Seizures
• Chemotherapy treatments
• Phenytoin use
• Other cerebral disorders

Naturally, as an individual gets older, neurons are lost due to age. This can cause some atrophy in the brain.

However, case studies suggest the use of Dilantin over a long period of time may cause a certain amount of cerebellar degeneration.

Dilantin has been linked with a buildup of toxins in the brain which can lead to cerebellar atrophy. When drug serum levels are above the therapeutic range and patients use Dilantin long term, cerebellar atrophy has been reported.

Research has shown that patients who have moderate to severe atrophy were the phenytoin patients who were exposed to the drug longer and had a higher total dosage.

Another study published regarding the causes of cerebellar atrophy looked at patients with epilepsy and who were also exposed to phenytoin. It found that these patients have significantly smaller cerebella than those who were not exposed to phenytoin.

If you or someone you love has been exposed to phenytoin through the use of Dilantin as an anti-seizure medication and have experienced some of the symptoms of cerebellar atrophy, you may be entitled to legal compensation.