Use of a New Smartphone Application to Determine Changes in Eyeblink Conditioning From Home Training in Individuals With Spinocerebellar Ataxia

Plain-language summary

Spinocerebellar ataxias are a group of disorders that cause severe disability and can be fatal. There are currently no known disease-modifying treatments available for use, and there is a critical need to find treatments that slow disease progression and allow affected individuals to live more functional lives. Aerobic training show promise as a treatment for these diseases, but it is unclear if training induces neuroplastic changes within the damaged cerebellum to enhance motor learning, or if improvements are primarily caused by changes in leg strength, fatigue, and endurance. It is crucial to understand how the training impacts the brain, and particularly the cerebellum, in order to determine the most effective training regimen. To examine the impact of aerobic exercise on the brain, this study proposes using eyeblink conditioning, a form of motor learning that is dependent on the cerebellum. This study will utilize BlinkLab, a newly developed smartphone application, that overcomes the typical barriers of testing eyeblink conditioning by allowing in-home assessments without the need for expensive equipment. The investigators hypothesize that: 1) individuals with spinocerebellar ataxia will have impaired eyeblink conditioning, and 2) aerobic exercise, but not balance training, will improve eyeblink conditioning in this population. If these hypotheses are found to be true, it would further support that aerobic exercise is able to enhance motor learning in individuals with cerebellar damage. In Aim 1, investigators will test eyeblink conditioning in individuals with ataxias and follow them over time to see if eyeblink conditioning might be a biomarker for cerebellar ataxia disease progression. The investigators will then use these preliminary results to devise a larger study to further validate eyeblink conditioning as a biomarker for ataxia disease progression. Aim 2 will determine the impact of training on eyeblink conditioning. The investigators expect that aerobic training, but not balance training, will enhance eyeblink conditioning in spinocerebellar ataxia. Finally, Aim 3 will explore the use of eyeblink conditioning as a biomarker of neuroplasticity.

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