Effect of A Home-Base Core Stability Exercises in Hereditary ataxia. A Randomized Controlled Trial

Background: Core stability exercises (CSE) have been shown to be effective in improving sitting balance in several neurological diseases, but the evidence is scarce on Hereditary Ataxias (HA).
Objective: To evaluate the effectiveness of a home-based CSE program in terms of ataxia severity, sitting balance, balance confidence, gait speed, lower limb motor function, quality of life, health status and falls rate in individuals with HA at short- and long-term.
Methods: This is an assessor-blind randomized controlled clinical trial parallel group 1:1. The HA individuals were divided in two groups. Experimental group (EG) performed standard care in addition CSE and control group (CG) standard care. The CSE had a duration of 5-week (1-hour/day). The assessment was performed at baseline, endpoint and follow-up (5-week). The primary outcomes were ataxia severity assessed by the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia and sitting balance assessed by Spanish-version of Trunk Impairment Scale 2.0. The secondary outcomes were balance confidence by Activities-specific Balance Confidence (ABC), gait speed by 4-meter walk test (4-MWT), the lower limb motor function by 30-seconds sit-to-stand, quality of life (QoL) by EQ-5D-5L, health status by EQ-5D and falls rate.
Results: Twenty-three individuals with mild to moderate HA were recruited the mean age and standard deviation was 51.8 ± 11.10 years. A positive effect was observed favoring to EG in ABC, 4-MWT, EQ-5D-5L, EQ-5D and falls rate.
Conclusions: A 5-week home-based CSE improve balance confidence, health status, quality of life (mobility, self-care, usual-activities), gait speed and falls rate in HA individuals.