Association Between Balance and the Integrity of Cerebellar White Matter Tracts in a Healthy Population
- Conditions
- CerebellumBalance
- Interventions
- Behavioral: Balance and Proprioceptive Training
- Registration Number
- NCT04934319
- Lead Sponsor
- The Catholic University of Korea
- Brief Summary
The cerebellum is involved in regulating balance and walking and plays a crucial role in the locomotor adaptation and learning processes. This study aims to investigate the association between balance and the integrity of the cerebellar white matter tracts in a healthy population. Healthy participants will undergo four weeks of balance training. The investigators will analyze changes in the microstructural integrity of the cerebellar white matter tract before and after four weeks of balance training.
- Detailed Description
The cerebellum is involved in regulating balance and walking and plays a crucial role in the locomotor adaptation and learning processes. The cerebellum's intermediate zone, which receives afferent stimuli from the sensorimotor cortex (via the cortico-ponto-cerebellar tract) and peripheral muscles (via the dorsal spinocerebellar tract), contributes to maintaining body posture and regulating walking. Proprioceptive information from the peripheral muscles passes through the dorsal spinocerebellar tract, enters the ipsilateral cerebellar hemisphere via the inferior cerebellar peduncle, and finally projects to the contralateral motor cortex through the cerebello-thalamo-cortical pathways.
Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) enables microstructural evaluation of the white matter tracts. Both diffusion tensor tractography, to determine the structural connectivity of the whole tract, and DTI-derived parameters, to determine the microstructural organization, can represent the integrity of the cerebellar white matter tracts.
The investigators will evaluate the motor-related white matter tracts, including the corticospinal tract, the cortico-ponto-cerebellar tract, the dorsal spinocerebellar tract, and the dentato-rubro-thalamo-cortical tract. Healthy participants will perform the four weeks of balance training, and DTI will be acquired before and after exercise. The investigators will analyze the DTI-derived parameters of the relevant white matter tracts and analyze the longitudinal changes. The investigators hypothesized that the four weeks of balance training would enhance the integrity of the cerebellar white matter tracts.
Recruitment & Eligibility
- Status
- COMPLETED
- Sex
- All
- Target Recruitment
- 22
- Mini-mental state examination >=26
- Independent outdoor ambulator
- Men/women with any metal implants in their body
- A prior history of psychopathology or a neurological disorders
- A prior history of osteoporosis, advanced osteoarthritis (K-L grade >=3), surgical history of hip or knee arthroplasty
- If any structural abnormalities are detected on their scan
Study & Design
- Study Type
- INTERVENTIONAL
- Study Design
- SINGLE_GROUP
- Arm && Interventions
Group Intervention Description Balance training Balance and Proprioceptive Training A single training group
- Primary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Fractional anisotropy of the cerebellar white matter tracts Four weeks Measurement of the change of DTI-derived parameters before and after balance and proprioceptive training
1. Tracts of interest
* Corticospinal tract (CST)
* Cortico-ponto-cerebellar tract (CPCT)
* Dentato-rubro-thalamo-cortical tract (DRTCT)
* Dorsal spinocerebellar tract (DSCT)
2. Measurement of DTI-derived parameter
* Fractional anisotropy (FA) values of the CST, CPCT, DRTCT, and DSCT
3. Units and scoring of the Measurement
* FA
* No unit.
* The measurement ranges from 0 to 1
* Higher scores indicate better microstructural integrity.Community Balance & Mobility Scale Four weeks Performance measure before and after balance and proprioceptive training
1. Measurement
* 13 domain
* Unilateral stance, Tandem walking, 180° tandem pivot, Lateral foot scooting, Hopping forward, Crouch and walk, Lateral dodging, Walking \& looking, Running with controlled stop, Forward to backward walking, Walk look and carry, Descending stairs, Step-ups x 1 step
2. Scoring of the Measurement
* No units.
* The measurement ranges from 0 to 96
* Higher scores indicate better postural balance and mobility.
- Secondary Outcome Measures
Name Time Method Tract volume of the cerebellar white matter tracts Four weeks Measurement of the change of DTI-derived parameters before and after balance and proprioceptive training
1. Tracts of interest
* CST
* CPCT
* DRTCT
* DSCT
2. Measurement of DTI-derived parameter
* Tract volume (TV) values of the CST, CPCT, DRTCT, and DSCT
3. Units and scoring of the Measurement
* TV
* mm\^3
* There is no limit on the range.
* Higher scores indicate better microstructural integrity.Mean diffusivity of the cerebellar white matter tracts Four weeks Measurement of the change of DTI-derived parameters before and after balance and proprioceptive training
1. Tracts of interest
* CST
* CPCT
* DRTCT
* DSCT
2. Measurement of DTI-derived parameter
* Mean Diffusivity (MD) values of the CST, CPCT, DRTCT, and DSCT
3. Units and scoring of the Measurement
* MD
* mm\^2/second
* There is no limit on the range (usually ranges 0.00005 - 0.0001 mm\^2/second).
* Higher scores indicate worse microstructural integrity.
Trial Locations
- Locations (1)
Yeouido St. Mary's Hospital
🇰🇷Seoul, Yeongdeungpo-gu, Korea, Republic of