Objective: An appropriate biomarker for spinocerebellar degeneration (SCD) is needed.

Background: Previously we reported that the average amplitude of medial-lateral of straight gait gained by triaxial accelerometers fixed in the middle of the upper back (ML) may be a quantitative and concise evaluation scale for the severity of cerebellar ataxia.

Methods: We analyzed 14 SCD patients by triaxial accelerometers 3 times over 3 years.　 Acceleration signals during 6 minutes of walking and 1 minute of standing were measured by triaxial accelerometers that were secured with a fixation vest to the middle of the lower and upper back of each subject. Analysis of covariance models adjusted for baseline scores were used to estimate sample sizes.

Results: Sample size estimates were lower for ML than SARA when looked at over the first 1.5 years and the latter 1.5 years. Alternately, the estimates for ML were higher than SARA when estimates were calculated over all 3 years.

To detect a 50% reduction of disease progression in a 2-arm trial with the respective outcome measure, 41 ML and 106 SARA patients for the first 1.5 years, 16 ML and 440 SARA patients for the latter 1.5 years were required, while 236 ML and 52 SARA patients were needed for the total 3 years. We speculate this was because gait disturbance and upper limb ataxia worsens over 3 years and not in 1.5 years.

Conclusions: Quantitative evaluation of gait ataxia by accelerometers is more sensitive than SARA when disease progression was evaluated in a period within 1.5 years.

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MDS Abstracts - https://www.mdsabstracts.org/abstract/quantitative-evaluation-of-gait-ataxia-by-triaxial-accelerometers-is-more-sensitive-than-sara-within-1-5-years/