TY - JOUR PY - 2014// TI - Training balance with opto-kinetic stimuli in the home: a randomized controlled feasibility study in people with pure cerebellar disease JO - Clinical rehabilitation A1 - Bunn, Lisa M. A1 - Marsden, Jonathan F. A1 - Giunti, Paola A1 - Day, Brian L. SP - 143 EP - 153 VL - 29 IS - 2 N2 - OBJECTIVE: To investigate the feasibility of a randomized controlled trial of a home-based balance intervention for people with cerebellar ataxia.

DESIGN: A randomized controlled trial design. SETTING: Intervention and assessment took place in the home environment. PARTICIPANTS: A total of 12 people with spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 were randomized into a therapy or control group. Both groups received identical assessments at baseline, four and eight weeks. INTERVENTIONS: Therapy group participants undertook balance exercises in front of optokinetic stimuli during weeks 4-8, while control group participants received no intervention. MAIN MEASURES: Test-retest reliability was analysed from outcome measures collected twice at baseline and four weeks later. Feasibility issues were evaluated using daily diaries and end trial exit interviews.

RESULTS: The home-based training intervention with opto-kinetic stimuli was feasible for people with pure ataxia, with one drop-out. Test-retest reliability is strong (intraclass correlation coefficient >0.7) for selected outcome measures evaluating balance at impairment and activity levels. Some measures reveal trends towards improvement for those in the therapy group. Sample size estimations indicate that Bal-SARA scores could detect a clinically significant change of 0.8 points in this functional balance score if 80 people per group were analysed in future trials.

CONCLUSIONS: Home-based targeted training of functional balance for people with pure cerebellar ataxia is feasible and the outcome measures employed are reliable.

Language: en

LA - en SN - 0269-2155 UR - http://dx.doi.org/10.1177/0269215514539336 ID - ref1 ER -