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Novel Therapeutic Challenges in Cerebellar Diseases

  • Reference work entry
Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders

Abstract

In the last decade, substantial scientific progress has enabled a better understanding of the pathogenesis of cerebellar diseases and the improvement of their diagnoses. Extensive preclinical work is expanding the possibilities of using experimental models to analyze disease-specific mechanisms and to approach candidate therapeutic strategies to create a rationale for clinical trials that might finally lead to successful treatment. At present, drug treatment of cerebellar disorders has shown limited effectiveness and current treatment is primarily supportive. Until effective and selective pharmacological treatment leading to better quality of life as well as increased survival of patients with cerebellar diseases is found, physical and sensory rehabilitation techniques are revealing effective approaches for improving the patient’s quality of life. The objective of this chapter is to provide an updated summary of the treatments currently available for cerebellar disorders, in particular for spinocerebellar ataxias, and to discuss the new emerging therapeutic strategies that are resulting from the intensive ongoing basic and translational research devoted to cerebellar diseases.

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Acknowledgments

Dr. Ivelisse Sanchez’s helpful comments and suggestions are kindly acknowledged. Dr. Antoni Matilla’s scientific research on ataxias is funded by the Spanish Ministry of Science and Innovation (BFU2008-00527/BMC), the Carlos III Health Institute (CP08/00027), the Latin American Science and Technology Development Programme (CYTED) (210RT0390), the European Commission (EUROSCA project, LHSM-CT-2004-503304), and the Fundació de la Marató de TV3 (Televisió de Catalunya). We are indebted to the Spanish Ataxia Association (FEDAES), the Spanish Federation for Rare Diseases (FEDER), and the ataxia patients for their continuous support and motivation. Antoni Matilla is a Miguel Servet Investigator in Neurosciences of the Spanish National Health System.

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Authors and Affiliations

  1. Department of Neurosciences, Basic, Translational and Molecular Neurogenetics Research Unit, Health Sciences Research Institute Germans Trias I Pujol (IGTP), Universitat Autònoma de Barcelona, Ctra. de Can Ruti, Camí de les escoles s/n, 08916, Badalona (Barcelona), Spain

    Dr. Antoni Matilla-Dueñas

  2. Neurology Service, Hospital de Martorell, 08760, Barcelona, Spain

    Dr. Carme Serrano

  3. National Reference Care Centre for People with Rare Diseases and Their Families–CREER–(Burgos), IMSERSO, Calle Bernardino Obregón, 09001, Burgos, Spain

    Dr. Yerko Ivánovic

  4. Neurodegeneration Unit, Neurology Service, University Hospital Germans Trias i Pujol (HUGTP), Badalona (Barcelona), Spain

    Dr. Ramiro Alvarez & Dr. Pilar Latorre

  5. Neurodegenerative Diseases Unit, University Hospital of Girona Dr. Josep Trueta, Girona, Spain

    Dr. David Genís

  6. Monte Alto Rehabilitation Medical Center, (Madrid), Private Practice, Calle Monte Alto 25, 28223, Madrid, Spain

    Dr. Yerko Ivánovic

Authors
  1. Dr. Antoni Matilla-Dueñas
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  2. Dr. Carme Serrano
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  3. Dr. Yerko Ivánovic
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  4. Dr. Ramiro Alvarez
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  5. Dr. Pilar Latorre
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  6. Dr. David Genís
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Corresponding author

Correspondence to Antoni Matilla-Dueñas .

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Editors and Affiliations

  1. Unité d'Etude du Mouvement (UEM), FNRS, Neurologie ULB Erasme, Bruxelles, Belgium

    Mario Manto

  2. Ataxia Unit, Cognitive and Behavioral Neurology Unit, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA

    Jeremy D. Schmahmann

  3. Neuroscience Institute of the Cavalieri-Ottolenghi Foundation (NICO), University of Turin, Orbassano, Turin, Italy

    Ferdinando Rossi

  4. Molecular and Integrative Neuroscience Department (MIND), The Scripps Research Institute, California, CA, USA

    Donna L. Gruol

  5. Department of Integrative Physiolgy, Gunma University Graduate School of Medicine, Maebashi, Gunma, Japan

    Noriyuki Koibuchi

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Matilla-Dueñas, A., Serrano, C., Ivánovic, Y., Alvarez, R., Latorre, P., Genís, D. (2013). Novel Therapeutic Challenges in Cerebellar Diseases. In: Manto, M., Schmahmann, J.D., Rossi, F., Gruol, D.L., Koibuchi, N. (eds) Handbook of the Cerebellum and Cerebellar Disorders. Springer, Dordrecht. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-94-007-1333-8_106

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