In the year 2023, significant collaborative strides were made between the Motion Analysis Laboratory of the USL-IRCCS Hospital of Reggio Emilia, the Neurology ward of the University Hospital of Modena, and the Neurology ward of the USL-IRCCS Hospital of Reggio Emilia. This fruitful collaboration resulted in a series of published papers, predominantly centered on Parkinson’s disease, with several featured in our News section.
The CANVAS syndrome
Recently, the focus expanded to Cerebellar Ataxia with Neuropathy and Vestibular Areflexia Syndrome (CANVAS), a slowly progressive hereditary late-onset ataxia. This condition manifests with cerebellar ataxia, neuronopathy, and vestibular areflexia. It can lead to postural imbalance exacerbated by darkness and resulting in falls, dizziness, and sensory impairments such as disrupted vibration and tactile sensations, kinesthetic state deficiency, limb ataxia, and occasionally, dysfunction in pain/temperature perception.
Multidisciplinary assessment
We recently published a case series including five patients with CANVAS who underwent the following assessments:
- Hearing function
- Spontaneous and induced nystagmus
- Vestibulo-ocular reflex
- Saccadic eye movement
- Dysarthria
- Gait and balance
In this last pursuit, the Motion Analysis Laboratory of the USL-IRCCS Hospital of Reggio Emilia played a pivotal role, conducting posturography tests and employing instrumental gait analysis accompanied by surface electromyography. Specifically, the instrumented Timed Up&Go enabled a nuanced evaluation of mobility and dynamic balance.
The role of instrumental balance and gait analysis
The instrumental analysis unveiled compromised balance ability, particularly exacerbated by additional visual or somatosensory inputs. On the other hand, cognitive tasks did not worsen patient performance, aligning with the usual non-impact of CANVAS on cognitive functions. Additionally, gait analysis brought to light initial anomalies in ankle kinematics, otherwise imperceptible during clinical assessments, furnishing clinicians with early diagnostic insights.
This collaborative endeavor marks a modest yet significant advancement in comprehending rare and disabling diseases, with the ultimate goal of enhancing patients’ quality of life.
MerloBioEngineering takes pride in its association with these esteemed research networks dedicated to pursuing excellence in medical research and care.
