Cerebellar TMS in treatment of a patient with cerebellar ataxia: evidence from clinical, biomechanics and neurophysiological assessments

Cerebellum. 2013 Oct;12(5):707-12. doi: 10.1007/s12311-013-0485-8.

Abstract

We describe a patient with a probable diagnosis of idiopathic late-onset cerebellar atrophy who shows improvement of limb coordination, speech, and gait following 21 days of transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) applied to scalp regions presumably corresponding to the cerebellum. This case study provides, for the first time, a quantitative assessment of gait improvement in response to TMS therapy in ataxia, as well as neurophysiological evidence in support of modification of cerebellar-cortical interaction that may underlie some of the improvements.

Publication types

  • Case Reports
  • Research Support, N.I.H., Extramural
  • Research Support, Non-U.S. Gov't

MeSH terms

  • Cerebellar Ataxia / diagnosis
  • Cerebellar Ataxia / physiopathology
  • Cerebellar Ataxia / therapy*
  • Cerebellum / pathology*
  • Electromyography / methods
  • Female
  • Gait / physiology
  • Humans
  • Middle Aged
  • Task Performance and Analysis
  • Transcranial Magnetic Stimulation* / methods
  • Treatment Outcome