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Progression of Gait Ataxia in Patients with Degenerative Cerebellar Disorders: a 4-Year Follow-Up Study

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A Letter to the Editor to this article was published on 05 January 2017

Abstract

In the present study, the progression of gait impairment in a group of patients with primary degenerative cerebellar ataxias was observed over a period of 4 years. A total of 30 patients underwent an initial gait analysis study, and thereafter only 12 were evaluated because they completed the 2- and 4-year follow-up evaluations. Time–distance parameters, trunk and joint range of motion (RoM), and variability parameters (e.g., coefficients of variation) were measured at the baseline and at each follow-up evaluation. The scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA) was used to evaluate disease severity. We found a significant increase in the SARA score at both the 2- and 4-year follow-up evaluations. Almost all the gait variables changed significantly only at the 4-year follow-up. Particularly, we found a significant decrease in the step length and in the hip, knee, and ankle joint RoM values and noted a significant increase in the trunk rotation RoM and stride-to-stride and step length variability. Furthermore, a significant difference in ankle joint RoM was found between spinocerebellar ataxia and sporadic adult-onset ataxia patients, with the value being lower in the former group of patients. Our findings suggest that patients with degenerative cerebellar ataxias exhibit gait decline after 4 years from the baseline. Moreover, patients try to maintain an effective gait by adopting different compensatory mechanisms during the course of the disease in spite of disease progression.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Medical and Surgical Sciences and Biotechnologies, Sapienza University of Rome, Via Faggiana 1668, 40100, Latina, Italy

    Mariano Serrao, Carlo Casali, Christian Marcotulli, Luca Leonardi, Gaia Fragiotta & Francesco Pierelli

  2. Rehabilitation Centre Policlinico Italia, Piazza del Campidano 6, 00162, Rome, Italy

    Mariano Serrao, Giorgia Chini & Martina Rinaldi

  3. Biolab3, Department of Engineering, Roma TRE University, Via Vito Volterra 62, 00149, Roma, Italy

    Giorgia Chini & Martina Rinaldi

  4. Fondazione Don Gnocchi Foundation, Milan, Italy

    Carmela Conte

  5. Department of Occupational and Environmental Medicine, Epidemiology and Hygiene, INAIL, Via Fontana Candida 1, 00040, Monte Porzio Catone, Italy

    Alberto Ranavolo

  6. Department of Mechanical and Aerospace Engineering, “Sapienza” University of Rome, Via Eudossiana 18, 00184, Rome, Italy

    Fabiano Bini

  7. Department of Neurophysiology of Vision and Neurophthalmology, G.B. Bietti Foundation-IRCCS, Via Livenza 3, 00198, Rome, Italy

    Gianluca Coppola

  8. IRCCS Neuromed, Pozzilli (IS), Italy

    Francesco Pierelli

Authors
  1. Mariano Serrao
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  2. Giorgia Chini
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  3. Carlo Casali
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Correspondence to Mariano Serrao.

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Serrao, M., Chini, G., Casali, C. et al. Progression of Gait Ataxia in Patients with Degenerative Cerebellar Disorders: a 4-Year Follow-Up Study. Cerebellum 16, 629–637 (2017). https://doi.org/10.1007/s12311-016-0837-2

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