The Neural Effects of Balance Versus Aerobic Training in Individuals with Degenerative Cerebellar Diseases

项目总结/摘要 退行性小脑疾病是一组导致严重残疾并可能致命的疾病。那里 目前还没有已知的疾病修饰治疗方法可供使用，迫切需要找到 减缓疾病进展并使受影响的个体过上更有功能的生活的治疗。平衡 和有氧训练显示出治疗退化性小脑疾病的希望，但 这两种训练方法都没有得到彻底调查。关键是要了解培训如何 影响大脑，特别是小脑，以确定是否有一种训练方法更好， 减缓疾病的发展。 这项建议的目的是比较平衡与有氧训练对个人的神经影响， 退化性小脑疾病我们假设有氧训练会引起大脑皮层内的神经可塑性变化。 而平衡训练可以改善小脑退化的人， 撞击小脑外的大脑结构如果我们的假设是正确的，有氧训练可能有更多的 与平衡训练相比，它对疾病进展的影响更大，因为它直接影响小脑。 为了研究我们的假设，将使用各种神经成像技术，这将使候选人能够 获得处理和分析大脑扫描的宝贵专业知识。在AIM 1中，我们将比较小脑 在参与者进行6个月的平衡或有氧训练之前和之后的体积。在AIM 2中，我们 将通过小脑体积的变化来研究神经变化是否具有临床意义 共济失调的临床指标最后，对于AIM 3，我们将使用扩散张量成像和静息状态功能磁共振成像 扫描检查两种训练方法如何影响小脑的微观结构和功能小脑 连接.我们希望详细了解每种训练方法如何影响小脑， 导致更有针对性的训练方案，目标是减缓这些破坏性疾病的进展， 疾病 候选人具有物理医学和康复的临床背景，重点是 运动障碍他拥有免疫学博士学位，即将完成临床医学硕士学位， 研究设计和统计分析。他致力于共济失调研究的职业生涯， 运动训练的疾病进展，并计划使用额外的训练，他通过这一点， NIH职业发展奖，以支持他在这一领域的未来工作。候选人已经召集了一个 多学科指导团队完成三个培训目标：1）学习和掌握神经影像学 技术; 2）精通纵向统计方法; 3）提高granesthetic技能， 为正在进行的研究提供支持。此外，候选人还将接受职业发展方面的进一步培训 以及负责任的研究行为

PROJECT SUMMARY/ABSTRACT Degenerative cerebellar diseases 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. Balance and aerobic training show promise as treatments for degenerative cerebellar diseases, but the neural effects of both training methods have not been thoroughly investigated. It is crucial to understand how the training impacts the brain, and particularly the cerebellum, in order to determine if one training method is better at slowing disease progression than the other. The goal of this proposal is to compare the neural effects of balance versus aerobic training in individuals with degenerative cerebellar diseases. We hypothesize that aerobic training causes neuroplastic changes within the cerebellum whereas balance training causes improvements for people with cerebellar degeneration by impacting brain structures outside the cerebellum. If our hypothesis is true, aerobic training may have more influence on disease progression than balance training as it directly impacts the cerebellum. To investigate our hypothesis, various neuroimaging techniques will be used, which will allow the candidate to gain invaluable expertise in processing and analyzing brain scans. In AIM 1, we will compare cerebellar volume before and after the participants perform either 6-months of balance or aerobic training. In AIM 2, we will investigate whether neural changes have clinical significance by correlating cerebellar volume changes with clinical measures of ataxia. Finally, for AIM 3, we will use diffusion tensor imaging and resting state fMRI scans to examine how both training methods impact cerebellar microstructure and functional cerebellar connections. We hope that a detailed understanding of how each training method impacts the cerebellum will lead to more targeted training regimens with the goal of slowing disease progression of these devastating diseases. The candidate has a clinical background in Physical Medicine and Rehabilitation with an emphasis on movement disorders. He has a PhD in immunology and will be completing a master’s degree in clinical research design and statistical analysis. He is committed to a career in ataxia research focusing on the effects of exercise training on disease progression and plans to use the additional training he receives through this NIH Career Development Award to support his future work in this field. The candidate has assembled a multidisciplinary mentoring team to accomplish three training goals: 1) to learn and master neuroimaging techniques; 2) to become proficient in longitudinal statistical methods; 3) to improve grantsmanship skills to facilitate ongoing research support. In addition, the candidate will receive further training in career development and the responsible conduct of research.