Article

Physical therapy intervention is the primary treatment for gait
ataxia and imbalance in individuals with cerebellar damage. Our aim was to
determine if a home balance exercise program is feasible for improving locomotor
and balance abilities in these individuals. METHODS: A total of 14 patients with
cerebellar ataxia participated in a 6-week individualized home-based balance
exercise program and attended 5 testing sessions (2 pretraining, 1 midtraining, 1
posttraining, and 1 one-month follow-up visit). Pretraining, posttraining, and
follow-up testing included a neurological assessment, clinical gait and balance
tests, and laboratory assessments of balance and walking. Participants kept logs
of the frequency and level of balance challenge during their training. RESULTS:
Walking speed improved across visits, as did stride length, percentage
double-limb support time, Timed Up and Go (TUG), and Dynamic Gait Index. Post hoc
comparisons in these measures revealed that significant rehabilitative
improvements occurred over the 6-week training period, and all but TUG gains were
retained 1 month later. There were no changes across the other measures for the
group. Regression analysis indicated that improvements in walking speed were
affected by the level of balance challenge but not by age, ataxia severity,
proprioception, or duration of exercise. CONCLUSIONS: Improvement in locomotor
performance in people with cerebellar ataxia was observable after a 6-week home
balance exercise program. The exercise program must be designed to provide a
significant challenge to the person's balance.
CI - (c) The Author(s) 2014.

Langue : ANGLAIS