Longitudinal gait and balance decline in Friedreich's Ataxia: A pilot study

摘要

Introduction: Friedreich's Ataxia (FA) is a devastating, progressive, neurodegenerative disease. Objective measures that detect changes in neurological function in FA patients are needed to facilitate therapeutic clinical trials. The purpose of this pilot study was to analyze longitudinal changes in gait and balance in subjects with FA using the GAITRite Walkway System (R) and Biodex Balance System (TM), respectively, and to test the ability of these measures to detect change over time compared to the Friedreich's Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS).