Non-invasive brain stimulation shows promise for ataxia, but more research needed to confirm efficacy

Non-invasive brain stimulation (NIBS), including rTMS and tES, shows potential in reducing ataxia symptoms in patients with degenerative cerebellar ataxia (DCA), according to a study.

However, due to a serious risk of bias and low certainty of the evidence in the analyzed studies, more high-quality research is needed to confirm these findings and optimize treatment protocols.

A systematic review and meta-analysis included data from 17 randomized controlled trials with a total of 661 patients assessed using the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and 606 patients evaluated with the International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS). Despite showing a significant reduction in ataxia symptoms, as measured by SARA (MD = -2.49) and ICARS (MD = -5.27), the studies exhibited a serious risk of bias and low certainty of evidence. Subgroup analyses suggested that both rTMS and tES were effective, with no significant difference between the methods. Further analysis highlighted the importance of rTMS frequency and the total number of tES sessions in reducing ataxia symptoms.

Reference
Matsugi A, Ohtsuka H, Bando K, et al. Effects of Non-Invasive Brain Stimulation for Degenerative Cerebellar Ataxia: A Systematic Review and Meta-Analysis. Mov Disord Clin Pract. 2024 Sep 2. doi: 10.1002/mdc3.14205. Epub ahead of print. PMID: 39221650.