Exercise Training Program for Cerebellar Ataxia

Sponsor

Hugo W. Moser Research Institute at Kennedy Krieger, Inc. (Other)

Overall Status

Completed

CT.gov ID

NCT01307176

Collaborator

Eunice Kennedy Shriver National Institute of Child Health and Human Development (NICHD) (NIH)

Enrollment

Location

Arm

Duration (Months)

0.5

Patients Per Site Per Month

Study Details

Study Description

Brief Summary

The purpose of this study is to determine whether a person's ability to adapt (i.e. short term motor learning) predicts their ability to benefit from physical therapy exercises.

Condition or Disease	Intervention/Treatment	Phase
Cerebellar Ataxia	Behavioral: Home exercise program	N/A

Detailed Description

The cerebellum is important for coordination of movement and for motor learning. No medications systematically improve cerebellar ataxia, and little is known about the effectiveness of rehabilitation exercises, which are often the only treatment option. Here, we ask whether a person's ability to adapt (i.e. short term motor learning) predicts their ability to benefit from physical therapy exercises. This pilot-clinical trial will test a subject's ability to adaptively learn a new walking pattern in a single session, and then any improvement of walking and balance over a 13 week time period during which they participate in a specialized home exercise training program. Our prediction is that those individuals with some preserved adaptive learning ability will be the best rehabilitation candidates.

Study Design

Study Type:

Interventional

Actual Enrollment :

25 participants

Allocation:

N/A

Intervention Model:

Single Group Assignment

Masking:

None (Open Label)

Primary Purpose:

Treatment

Official Title:

Exercise Training Program for Cerebellar Ataxia

Study Start Date :

Feb 1, 2011

Actual Primary Completion Date :

Feb 1, 2014

Actual Study Completion Date :

Feb 1, 2015

Arms and Interventions

Arm	Intervention/Treatment
Experimental: Home exercise program Balance and walking exercise program	Behavioral: Home exercise program The home exercise program uses standard physical therapy exercises that have never been rigorously tested for people with cerebellar ataxia. These include sitting balance exercises (e.g. sitting on a peanut-shaped exercise ball and moving arms or legs), standing balance exercises (e.g. weight shifting, moving arms and legs), and walking exercises (e.g. walking heel-to-toe). The exercises are in a progression, going from less to more challenging. Though the exercises are standard, they are the intervention that we are testing and we will consider them experimental. Other Names: Woodway Split Belt Treadmill Company: Woodway USA, Inc

Arm

Intervention/Treatment

Experimental: Home exercise program

Balance and walking exercise program

Behavioral: Home exercise program

The home exercise program uses standard physical therapy exercises that have never been rigorously tested for people with cerebellar ataxia. These include sitting balance exercises (e.g. sitting on a peanut-shaped exercise ball and moving arms or legs), standing balance exercises (e.g. weight shifting, moving arms and legs), and walking exercises (e.g. walking heel-to-toe). The exercises are in a progression, going from less to more challenging. Though the exercises are standard, they are the intervention that we are testing and we will consider them experimental.

Other Names:

Woodway Split Belt Treadmill

Company: Woodway USA, Inc

Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

Change in walking speed from baseline to mid-training and to post-training [Participants are assessed at baseline (week 1 and week 3), mid-training (week 6), and post-training (week 9 and week 13). There are a total of 13 weeks for this study with 5 visits during that time period]
Here, we ask whether a person's ability to adapt (i.e. short term motor learning) predicts their ability to benefit from physical therapy exercises. Our prediction is that those individuals with some preserved adaptive ability will be show the greatest improvement in walking speed.