A rehabilitation program to increase balance and mobility in ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay: An exploratory study

Isabelle Lessard, Viviane Masterman, Isabelle Côté, Cynthia Gagnon, Elise Duchesne, Isabelle Lessard, Viviane Masterman, Isabelle Côté, Cynthia Gagnon, Elise Duchesne

Abstract

Autosomal recessive spastic ataxia of Charlevoix-Saguenay (ARSACS) is characterized by balance impairment and mobility limitations, which both increase the risk of falling. The objective of this study was to explore the effects of a rehabilitation program aimed at increasing trunk and lower limb motor control on balance and walking abilities, and accomplishment of activities of daily living. In this exploratory study, a group-supervised rehabilitation program was performed three times a week for 8 weeks (two sessions at a rehabilitation gym and one pool session). Outcome measures included the Ottawa Sitting Scale, Berg Balance Scale, modified Activities-specific Balance Confidence Scale, 30-Second Chair Stand Test, 10-Meter Walk Test, Barthel Index, and Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia. Significant improvements in balance, trunk control, maximal and self-selected walking speed difference, ataxia severity and accomplishment of specific activities of daily living were noted for the whole group at the end of the program. At the individual level, all participants improved beyond the standard error of measurement in at least two outcome measures. Also, most participants reported many perceived improvements related to balance, posture and functional mobility. This study provides encouraging results on the effects of a rehabilitation program for ambulatory people with ARSACS. Group intervention could have a positive impact on their daily lives and improve the health care service offered to this population. Future studies with larger sample sizes including control groups and other forms of ataxia are necessary to validate our results to generalize them.

Conflict of interest statement

The authors have declared that no competing interests exist.

Copyright: © 2022 Lessard et al. This is an open access article distributed under the terms of the Creative Commons Attribution License, which permits unrestricted use, distribution, and reproduction in any medium, provided the original author and source are credited.

Figures

Fig 1. Study flow chart.
Fig 1. Study flow chart.
The diagram illustrates the different stages of the study.

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