**8. Final remarks**

Due to the very particular nature of ataxia, it is necessary that diagnoses, symptoms or "severity" be evaluated in research targeted at the affected population. It is relevant because, although an intervention may be useful for a population with ataxia who share the same characteristics (e.g., speech problems), it may not be useful without modification for other individuals with other characteristics (e.g., problems that are not problems speech).

To better address the efficacy and safety of treatments for degenerative or hereditary ataxia, longitudinal studies in this field of investigation are also needed. The multidisciplinary team is unquestionably important in the diagnosis and treatment of patients with ataxia. Patients with ataxia typically receive evaluations several times a year, ideally by a specialized team that includes a neurologist, an advanced palliative care nurse, and, as needed, additional medical professionals such as psychiatrists, physiatrists, social workers, palliative, and others.

An important point to remember is that its diagnosis can be more difficult due to the overlapping of phenotypes of different etiologies. Once the common and uncommon presentations of ataxia have been detected, the diagnostic process can be aided by medical history and clinical features, as with any neurological condition. The essential interventions of ataxia disorders can be unraveled through knowledge of the pathophysiological aspects to gain an overview of ataxia along with reading contemporary and up-to-date evidence-based information in various settings. A key point is the correlation of the scenario and age group, identifying whether the disorder appeared in early childhood or even in adulthood and old age. It is the role of an interprofessional team to evaluate the care and management of patients with ataxia, and it is also fundamental, in this case, to take into account the opinions and listen carefully to the patients themselves, caregivers, and professionals involved in forming guidelines for interventions based on their own experiences. The World Health Organization (WHO) highlights September 25 of each year as the international day to raise awareness of these symptoms related to ataxia and this little-known neurological disease, which can sometimes have genetic and hereditary origins.

Finally, future research is imperative to determine whether patients with ataxia can benefit from any type or amount of intervention, according to this review of the intervention domain, as well as improving the ability to detect and differentiate diseases, especially considering that it is a disease, syndrome, and symptom at the same time.

*Introductory Chapter: Insights into Ataxia DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.5772/intechopen.113755*
