Abstract
BACKGROUND: Patients with cerebellar disorders often experience fatigue and the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome (CCAS), both of which impair quality of life (QoL). There are no approved treatments.
OBJECTIVE: To test the hypothesis that stimulant medications improve fatigue and CCAS in patients with cerebellar disorders.
METHODS: We administered a questionnaire to 20 patients with cerebellar disorders, assessing the impact of stimulant medications on nine domains: QoL, fatigue, alertness, verbal expression, thinking clearly, and multitasking, as well as emotional state, social interactions, and physical symptoms. Patients also completed the Patient-Reported Outcome Measure of Ataxia, Mental section (PROM-Ataxia MEN), rating symptoms before and during treatment.
RESULTS: Patients perceived improvements in all domains, with 95% reporting improved alertness, 90% fatigue, and 80% executive control. PROM-Ataxia MEN scores improved by 26%.
CONCLUSIONS: These preliminary findings suggest that stimulants may be associated with perceived symptom improvements in cerebellar disorders. Given the small, heterogeneous sample and reliance on retrospective patient-report, further exploration is warranted.