Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41533249›Full record

Trial reportCerebellum (London, England)2026

Efficacy of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Degenerative Ataxia. A Sham-Controlled Clinical and Quantitative Analysis.

Angela Sanna, Massimiliano Pau, Micaela Porta, Giuseppina Pilia, Valentina Secci, Emanuele Cartella, Alessandro Demattia, Alessandra Paribello, Giovanni Cossu, Antonio Milia and 1 more

Registry-linked trialAbstract readRandomized Controlled Trial
PubMed Publisher
In one paragraph

Trial report in Cerebellum (London, England), 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. It is linked to trial NCT07250321 (Efficacy of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Degenerative Ataxia. A Sham-controlled Clinical and Quantitative Analysis.), which is not on this map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
0citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

NCT07250321 naactive not recruitingnot on this map

Efficacy of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Degenerative Ataxia. A Sham-controlled Clinical and Quantitative Analysis.

TypeinterventionalSponsorUniversity of CagliariRan2023 to 2025Enrolled16ConditionsAtaxia, Cerebellar, Ataxia - Genetic Diagnosis - Unknown, Ataxia, Spinocerebellar, Ataxias, HereditaryArmstranscranial direct current stimulation, Sham (No Treatment)
3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

4 · The record

Corrections and comments

PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

11 authors.

Angela Sanna *Neurology Unit, SS Trinità Hospital, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy. angelamaria.sanna@aslcagliari.it.
Massimiliano Pau *Department of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Micaela PortaDepartment of Mechanical, Chemical and Materials Engineering, University of Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Giuseppina PiliaNeurology Unit, SS Trinità Hospital, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Valentina SecciNeurology Unit, SS Trinità Hospital, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Emanuele CartellaNeurology Unit, SS Trinità Hospital, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Alessandro DemattiaNeurology Unit, SS Trinità Hospital, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Alessandra ParibelloAusonia Rehabilitation Centre, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Giovanni CossuNeurology and Stroke Unit, ARNAS G. Brotzu, Cagliari, Italy.
Antonio MiliaNeurology Unit, SS Trinità Hospital, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.
Paolo Tacconi *Neurology Unit, SS Trinità Hospital, ASL Cagliari, Cagliari, Italy.

Funding

Fondazione di Sardegna 2024.0978
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Neurodegenerative ataxias represent a heterogeneous group of disorders lacking effective treatments. This double-blind, sham-controlled study investigated the therapeutic potential of cerebellar transcranial Direct Current Stimulation (tDCS) in degenerative ataxia. Sixteen patients were randomized to receive either real or sham tDCS (10 sessions). Clinical evaluation, quantitative assessment of gait and upper limb function (through the "hand-to-mouth" task) and EEG were performed before and after treatment. Clinical outcome tools included the Modified International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (MICARS), the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and the Robertson dysarthria profile to rate ataxic and dysarthric symptoms. Quantitative kinematic assessment of upper and lower limb motor function was carried out by means of optical motion capture system. At last, resting state electroencephalography (EEG) enabled evaluation of cortical oscillatory changes. The primary outcomes were change from baseline in SARA and MICARS total scores; secondary outcomes included changes in Robertson dysarthria profile score, spatiotemporal gait and hand‑to‑mouth kinematics and cortical beta/gamma power on resting state EEG. Both real and sham tDCS groups showed improvements in ataxic and dysarthric symptoms, but real tDCS induced greater benefits in posture, gait (MICARS), and upper-limb coordination (SARA) subscales. Although statistical significance was not reached for main gait parameters, a higher proportion of patients receiving real tDCS demonstrated clinically meaningful gains in gait speed and step width. In contrast, hand-to-mouth parameters remained unchanged. EEG showed increases in central/parietal beta and low‑gamma power after active but not sham stimulation, supporting neuromodulatory effects on the cerebello-thalamo-cortical network. Overall, these data support a therapeutic potential of cerebellar tDCS in improving symptoms in degenerative ataxia of different aetiology and contribute to elucidate the mechanisms underlying these effects. ClinicalTrials.gov registration: NCT07250321 (registered 2025-11-18).

Indexed as

AtaxiaCerebellumNeurodegenerative DiseasesTranscranial Direct Current StimulationAdultAgedBiomechanical PhenomenaDouble-Blind MethodElectroencephalographyFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedTreatment OutcomeAtaxiaCerebellar transcranial direct stimulationGait analysisHand-to-mouthKinematicsResting-state EEG

Identifiers

What Socratic holds

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Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the Socratic graph.