Spinocerebellar Ataxia Treatment in India

Ayaan Khan, a 42-year-old software engineer...

Ayaan Khan, a 42-year-old software engineer and father of two young daughters, had watched his own father succumb to Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 (SCA3). When Ayaan began experiencing subtle symptoms, a slight slur in his speech, occasional clumsiness while playing with his kids, and a feeling of unsteadiness on stairs, he knew in his heart what it was. Genetic testing confirmed the inherited SCA3 mutation. Over two years, his gait became increasingly wide and unsteady, making his daily commute and work at a computer station difficult and unsafe. His neurosurgeon, after exhaustive medication trials for symptom management, recommended a focused ultrasound thalamotomy. The non-invasive procedure targeted the ventral intermediate nucleus of his thalamus to reduce his disabling tremor and improve limb coordination. The treatment itself was a long but painless session in an MRI machine. In the months following, Ayaan's intention tremor significantly reduced, granting him newfound stability. While the procedure did not halt the disease's progression, it gave him precious time of improved function. Emotionally, he moved from a place of dread and grief over a future he felt he'd already seen, to one of determined agency. He felt he had fought back, buying more quality time to be an active, present father, which brought him profound peace and a sense of reclaiming some control.