I recently had an MRI of my brain (I have had many over the years) and the MD who reviewed it wrote his impressions as: Moderate chronic white matter disease in the brain, not definitely changed since a previous study a year ago. The pattern could be secondary to demyelinating disease or chronic small-vessel ischemic changes .MS has been ruled out. I am developing severe ataxia over the course of a couple of years after 6 years of balance and weakness problems. Could this cause ataxia? Thank you.