Non-movement disorder heralds symptoms of Machado-Joseph disease years before ataxia.

We describe three patients with the Machado-Joseph disease (MJD) genetic abnormality who had non-movement disorder neurological symptoms or signs that preceded the gait ataxia by several years. This implies that some clinical manifestations other than ataxia may be considered part of the herald symptoms of MJD, especially in the setting of a positive family history.