Could Tai-chi Help Maintain Balance of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Patients

Changhua Christian Medical Foundation

Status: Completed

Conditions: Spinocerebellar Ataxias; Tai Chi

Treatments: Behavioral: Tai chi; Drug: conventional medicine

Study type: Interventional

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT03687190

121013

Details and patient eligibility

About

Spinocerebellar atrophy is the most common autosomal dominant inherited ataxia. There are over thirty subtypes, which characterize neurologic features differently. They all have obvious substantial cerebellar atrophies in image, and unstable gait、ataxia. In general a prevalence of about three cases per 100 000 people is assumed, but this may be an underestimate. Progressive neurologic degeneration, in about 10-20 years, will leads to disability or wheelchair-dependent. Accompanying with fatigue, downhill course of the disease often made patients depressive and hopeless. The recent review of researches concludes no effective therapy for the disease. The purpose of the investigator's study is to explore the Tai-chi exercise effect for spinocerebellar ataxia.

Enrollment: 21 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 20 to 80 years old

Volunteers: No Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• progressive ataxia accompanied with the observation of cerebellar atrophy on magnetic resonance or computed tomography images
• SARA score of less than 20

Exclusion criteria

• Patients with complicated cerebellar disorders, such as multiple system atrophy, Parkinson-plus syndromes, secondary cerebellar degeneration from encephalitis, trauma, hypoxia, cerebrovascular diseases, and toxic- or drug-induced cerebellar degeneration
• SARA score of larger than 20

Trial design

Primary purpose: Supportive Care

Allocation: Non-Randomized

Interventional model: Parallel Assignment

Masking: None (Open label)

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21 participants in 2 patient groups

Tai chi

Experimental group

Description:

participants in this group accepted Tai chi exercise and conventional medicine.

Treatment:

Drug: conventional medicine

Behavioral: Tai chi

controlled group

Active Comparator group

Description:

participants were not received Tai chi exercise, but only routine conventional medicine

Treatment:

Drug: conventional medicine