Adults 18 to 100, any sex, with Cerebellar Ataxia or Spinocerebellar Ataxias. Patients with the condition only — healthy volunteers not accepted.
Results — posted to ClinicalTrials.gov
Per-arm endpoint measurements with 95% confidence intervals where reported. Source: trial results section.
Change in Overt Tapping Accuracy as Assessed by Finger Tapping to a Flashing Cue at 1Hz SpeedPrimary· Baseline and MRI duration, up to 1 hour
During the MRI session, accuracy on overt tapping will be measured by the distance of the actual tapping rate vs. target rate (1Hz). Accuracy at baseline will be compared to that of final assessment, which will take place before and after neurofeedback training, respectively. The difference in accuracy between the two tests create a delta measure (i.e., fewer errors in the final vs. baseline tests). This delta accuracy will indicate the magnitude of tapping accuracy improvements. Root mean squared error (RMSE) is the measure for both the baseline and post-treatment behavioral tasks. RMSE will
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.00141488
± .007294434
Change in Overt Tapping Accuracy as Assessed by Finger Tapping to a Flashing Cue at 4Hz SpeedPrimary· Baseline and MRI duration, up to 1 hour
During the MRI session, accuracy on overt tapping will be measured by the distance of the actual tapping rate vs. target rate (4Hz). Accuracy at baseline will be compared to that of final assessment, which will take place before and after neurofeedback training, respectively. The difference in accuracy between the two tests create a delta measure (i.e., fewer errors in the final vs. baseline tests). This delta accuracy will indicate the magnitude of tapping accuracy improvements. Root mean squared error (RMSE) is the measure for both the baseline and post-treatment behavioral tasks. RMSE will
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.00165387
± .010581808
Change in At-home Overt Tapping Accuracy as Assessed by Finger Tapping to a Flashing Cue at 1Hz SpeedPrimary· Baseline and At-home sessions (10 minutes/day), up to 23 days
Accuracy at baseline will be compared to that of final assessment, which will take place before and after the 3-week at-home practice sessions, respectively. The delta measure will indicate the magnitude of tapping accuracy improvements. Groups will be compared to examine differences in delta as a function of practice condition (tapping only or imagery plus tapping). RMSE (root mean squared error) is the measure for both the baseline and post-treatment behavioral tasks. RMSE will be based on the actual number of taps per second relative to the expected number of taps per second (e.g., 1 tap fo
Group
Value
95% CI
Randomization: Homework Sessions With Tapping Only (Control Group)
.392919831
± .6227685278
Randomization: Homework Sessions With Imagery Only (Intervention Group)
.200339199
± .3242518927
Change in At-home Overt Tapping Accuracy as Assessed by Finger Tapping to a Flashing Cue at 4Hz SpeedPrimary· Baseline and At-home sessions (10 minutes/day), up to 23 days
Accuracy at baseline will be compared to that of final assessment, which will take place before and after the 3-week at-home practice sessions, respectively. The delta measure will indicate the magnitude of tapping accuracy improvements. Groups will be compared to examine differences in delta as a function of practice condition (tapping only or imagery plus tapping). RMSE (root mean squared error) is the measure for both the baseline and post-treatment behavioral tasks. RMSE will be based on the actual number of taps per second relative to the expected number of taps per second (e.g., 4 taps f
Group
Value
95% CI
Randomization: Homework Sessions With Tapping Only (Control Group)
.35613192
± .7481023854
Randomization: Homework Sessions With Imagery Only (Intervention Group)
.067492801
± .5086197309
The Correlation Between MRI BOLD During Imagery and Finger Tapping Accuracy Improvements to a Flashing Cue at 1Hz as Assessed by a Correlation CoefficientSecondary· MRI duration, up to 1 hour
This will assess the correlation between MRI Blood Oxygen Level Dependence (BOLD) during imagery and finger tapping accuracy improvement (pre- vs. post- neurofeedback training) by a correlation coefficient. The correlation coefficient ranging from -1 to 1, where the closer the coefficient is to -1 indicates a negative association and the closer the coefficient is to 1 indicates a strong positive association.
Left Crus II cerebellum
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.850
Right Posterior Insula
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.861
Right Inferior Frontal Gyrus
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.838
Left Posterior Insula
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.842
Left Internal Capsule
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.884
Right Ventral Caudate
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.850
The Correlation Between MRI BOLD and Finger Tapping Accuracy to a Flashing Cue at 4Hz as Assessed by a Correlation CoefficientSecondary· MRI duration, up to 1 hour
This will assess the correlation between MRI Blood Oxygen Level Dependence (BOLD) during imagery and finger tapping accuracy improvement (pre- vs. post- neurofeedback training) by a correlation coefficient. The correlation coefficient ranging from -1 to 1, where the closer the coefficient is to -1 indicates a negative association and the closer the coefficient is to 1 indicates a strong positive association.
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.688
The Correlation Between the KVIQ and Imagery Accuracy of the Flashing Cross on the MRI Task as Assessed by a Correlation CoefficientSecondary· Up to 1.5 hours
The Kinesthetic and Visual Imagery Questionnaire (KVIQ), overall score ranging from 0-100, where higher scores reflect more vivid imagery) will assess imagery vividness. This will be correlated with the image accuracy measures described in Secondary Outcome Measure 5. The correlation coefficient ranging from -1 to 1, where the closer the coefficient is to -1 indicates a negative association and the closer the coefficient is to 1 indicates a strong positive association.
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
.953
The Correlation Between the ICARS and Imagery Accuracy Accuracy of the Flashing Cross on the MRI Task as Assessed by a Correlation CoefficientSecondary· Up to 1.5 hours
The International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (ICARS), overall score ranging from 0-100, where higher scores indicate more severe neurological impairment) will assess neurological impairments. This will be correlated with image accuracy measures described in 'Secondary Outcome Measure 5. The correlation coefficient ranging from -1 to 1, where the closer the coefficient is to -1 indicates a negative association and the closer the coefficient is to 1 indicates a strong positive association.
Group
Value
95% CI
Pre-Randomization: fMRI Neurofeedback
-.263
Sponsor's own description
The aim of the research is to improve motor function in people with cerebellar ataxia by using neuroimaging methods and mental imagery to "exercise" motor networks in the brain. The relevance of this research to public health is that results have the potential to reduce motor deficits associated with cerebellar atrophy, thereby enhancing the quality of life and promoting independence.
Publications & conference data
1 peer-reviewed publication reference this trial (live from Europe PMC):
Publications: Europe PMC API search by NCT ID, retrieved 10 June 2026
Drug + disease cross-links: matched in real time against Drug Landscape's normalised drug + company + condition tables
Sponsor: as reported to ClinicalTrials.gov by Johns Hopkins University
Last refreshed: 8 January 2025
Drug Landscape aggregates and links these public records for informational use only. Always verify against the primary source before clinical or regulatory decisions. Canonical URL: https://druglandscape.com/trial/NCT05436262.