Editing Ataxia (section)

=== Potassium pump ===
Malfunction of the [[sodium-potassium pump]] may be a factor in some ataxias. The {{chem2|Na+/K+}} pump has been shown to control and set the intrinsic activity mode of [[cerebellar]] [[Purkinje neurons]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Forrest MD, Wall MJ, Press DA, Feng J | title = The sodium-potassium pump controls the intrinsic firing of the cerebellar Purkinje neuron | journal = PLOS ONE | volume = 7 | issue = 12 | pages = e51169 | date = December 2012 | pmid = 23284664 | pmc = 3527461 | doi = 10.1371/journal.pone.0051169 | doi-access = free | bibcode = 2012PLoSO...751169F }}</ref> This suggests that the pump might not simply be a homeostatic, "housekeeping" molecule for ionic gradients; but could be a computational element in the [[cerebellum]] and the [[brain]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Forrest MD | title = The sodium-potassium pump is an information processing element in brain computation | journal = Frontiers in Physiology | volume = 5 | issue = 472 | pages = 472 | date = December 2014 | pmid = 25566080 | pmc = 4274886 | doi = 10.3389/fphys.2014.00472 | doi-access = free }}</ref> Indeed, a [[ouabain]] block of {{chem2|Na+/K+}} pumps in the cerebellum of a live [[mouse]] results in it displaying ataxia and [[dystonia]].<ref>{{cite journal | vauthors = Calderon DP, Fremont R, Kraenzlin F, Khodakhah K | title = The neural substrates of rapid-onset Dystonia-Parkinsonism | journal = Nature Neuroscience | volume = 14 | issue = 3 | pages = 357–365 | date = March 2011 | pmid = 21297628 | pmc = 3430603 | doi = 10.1038/nn.2753 }}</ref> Ataxia is observed for lower ouabain concentrations, dystonia is observed at higher ouabain concentrations.