Cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with ataxia: A double-blind, randomized, sham-controlled study.
OBJECTIVE
Numerous studies have highlighted the possibility of modulating the excitability of cerebellar circuits using transcranial direct current stimulation. The present study investigated whether a single session of cerebellar anodal transcranial direct current stimulation could improve symptoms in patients with ataxia.


METHODS
Nineteen patients with ataxia underwent a clinical and functional evaluation pre- and post-double-blind, randomized, sham, or anodal transcranial direct current stimulation.


RESULTS
There was a significant interaction between treatment and time on the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia, on the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale, on the 9-Hole Peg Test, and on the 8-Meter Walking Time (P < 0.001). At the end of the sessions, all performance scores were significantly different in the sham trial, compared to the intervention trial.


CONCLUSIONS
A single session of anodal cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation can transiently improve symptoms in patients with ataxia and might represent a promising tool for future rehabilitative approaches.
Centre for Ageing Brain and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Alberto
A
Benussi
Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation Unit, Neurologia Clinica e Comportamentale, Fondazione Santa Lucia IRCCS, Rome, Italy.|Stroke Unit, Policlinico Tor Vergata, Rome, Italy.
Giacomo
G
Koch
IRCCS Centro San Giovanni di Dio-Fatebenefratelli, Brescia, Italy.
Maria
M
Cotelli
Centre for Ageing Brain and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Alessandro
A
Padovani
Centre for Ageing Brain and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Neurology Unit, University of Brescia, Brescia, Italy.
Barbara
B
Borroni
D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000704:Analysis of Variance; D001259:Ataxia / Q000628:therapy*; D002531:Cerebellum / Q000502:physiology*; D004185:Disability Evaluation; D004311:Double-Blind Method; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008609:Mental Status Schedule; D008875:Middle Aged; D011597:Psychomotor Performance / Q000502:physiology; D012720:Severity of Illness Index; D065908:Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation / Q000379:methods*; D016138:Walking
cerebellar ataxia; cerebellar stimulation; transcranial direct current stimulation