Phase I Single-Blinded Randomized Controlled Trial Comparing Balance and Aerobic Training in Degenerative Cerebellar Disease.
Scott Barbuto, Dario Martelli, Omofuma Isirame and 7 others
PMID 32383352WHAT IT FOUND
Home aerobic training improved ataxia severity more than home balance training in this small pilot.
Both helped walking and balance, but aerobic gains lasted longer at three months. A larger trial needs 26 people per group to confirm these findings.
Key findings
01Aerobic training reduced ataxia severity scores by an average of 2.1 points, compared to 1.0 point for balance training.
02At three months post-training, the aerobic group still showed significant improvements in ataxia and fitness, while the balance group did not.
03Three falls occurred in the balance training group, though none caused injury.
STILL TO COME
How it was doneWhat they foundWhat it means for PTsWhat it means for OTs
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What it does not show
The sample size was very small (20 participants), which limits the certainty of the findings and allowed for chance imbalances in baseline severity between groups. The study included a heterogeneous group of degenerative cerebellar disorders, so it is unclear if aerobic training benefits all subtypes equally. Participants were not blinded to their assignment, which could influence effort and reporting. The study was not powered to detect clinical differences, as it was designed as a feasibility pilot for a future larger trial.
Declared interests
The authors declare no potential conflicts of interest. The research was supported by the N.I.H. and non-U.S. government grants.
The easy way to misread this
Do not conclude that aerobic training is definitively superior to balance training for all patients. This was a small pilot study with only 20 participants, designed to test feasibility for a larger trial rather than to provide final clinical guidance. The improvements seen were statistically significant but the sample size is too small to rule out chance findings.