Improvement after cerebellar injury achieved by coordination dynamics therapy.
Coordination dynamics therapy of changing intensity was administered at home for nearly 8 years (at the beginning at low intensity) to a patient who had suffered a severe injury of the cerebellum (and of the cerebrum). Motor functions improved markedly during the first year of rather intensive therapy (by 42%), but there was but little improvement in the 5 following years (by 27%). An intensive 3-week coordination dynamics therapy was administered after 4 years of quantified therapy at an up-to-date therapy place under optimal conditions. The motor functions improved strongly (by 29% in 13 days). Therapy under professional conditions was shown to be much more efficient (by the factor of 150 as quantified by low-load coordination dynamics values) than that at home. A comparable patient with a brain (cerebral) injury improved slightly more under optimal conditions (by the factor of 390). In the patient with the injury of the cerebellum, the largest improvement concerned speech and higher mental functions. The strong improvement during the 3-weeks of optimal therapy may have partly been due to the enhanced training of CNS symmetries. It thus seems that not only phase and frequency coordination between neuron firings has to be improved by the therapy, but also symmetries in CNS organization.
Schalow
G
G
Institute of Exercise Biology and Physiotherapy, Centre of Behavioural and Health Sciences, University of Tartu, 5 Jakobi Street, 51014, Estonia. g_schalow@hotmail.com
D001259:Ataxia / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002490:Central Nervous System / Q000503:physiopathology; D002526:Cerebellar Diseases / Q000175:diagnosis / Q000503:physiopathology / Q000534:rehabilitation*; D002540:Cerebral Cortex / Q000503:physiopathology; D004292:Dominance, Cerebral / Q000502:physiology*; D004576:Electromyography; D005081:Exercise Therapy; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D007839:Functional Laterality / Q000502:physiology; D006699:Home Care Services; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation; D009415:Nerve Net / Q000503:physiopathology; D009416:Nerve Regeneration / Q000502:physiology; D009460:Neurologic Examination; D009483:Neuropsychological Tests; D009949:Orientation / Q000502:physiology; D010348:Patient Care Team; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012931:Social Environment