About Brothers On A Quest, Inc
Ataxia with Oculomotor Apraxia Type 2 (AOA2) is a rare neurological disease. For families, such as ours, who are affected by it, life is never the same. Unfortunately, AOA2 tends to begin in late adolescence, leaving patients unable to drive, walk, write, and handle their own basic daily needs. Common symptoms of AOA2 include balance problems, tremors, loss of motor skills, double vision, and muscle weakness. This page is dedicated to sharing our story and raise awareness about AOA2. Although we must use a wheelchair and AOA2 has robbed us of the ability to live independently, we remain optimistic about the future, thanks to UCLAs Brent Fogel, M.D., Ph.D. who is determined to find a cure for AOA2. He is one of a handful of investigators specifically researching AOA2.
The word ataxia is often used to describe a symptom of incoordination which can be associated with infections, injuries, other diseases, or degenerative changes in the central nervous system. Ataxia is also used to denote a group of specific degenerative diseases of the nervous system called the hereditary and sporadic ataxias which are the National Ataxia Foundations primary emphases.