Long term clinical and neurophysiological effects of cerebellar transcranial direct current stimulation in patients with neurodegenerative ataxia

A. Benussi, V. Dell’Era, M.S. Cotelli, M. Turla, C. Casali, A. Padovani, B. Borroni, Brain Stimulation, Available online 3 November 2016, ISSN 1935-861X, doi:10.1016/j.brs.2016.11.001.

We performed a double-blind, randomized, sham controlled trial with cerebellar tDCS (5 days/week for 2 weeks) in twenty patients with ataxia (SCA2, SCA38, SCA14, with Friedreich’s ataxia, AOA type 2, MSA-C, FXTAS and SOAO). A two-weeks’ treatment with anodal cerebellar tDCS improves symptoms in patients with ataxia and restores physiological cerebellar brain inhibition pathways. Cerebellar tDCS might represent a promising future therapeutic and rehabilitative approach in patients with neurodegenerative ataxia.