Treatment of 16 patients with spinocerebellar ataxia 6 by traditional herbal medicine
|
a case study has been carried out.
16 cases of spinocerebellar ataxia 6(SCA6)with typical symptoms were
treated with mixtures of medicinal herbs. Genetic tests revealed expanded allele of 22~25 CAG repeats at the spinocerebellar ataxia type 6 locus.
Head MRI revealed a typical atrophic image in cerebellum.
For the systems therapy with medicinal herbs, the differential diagnosis by
traditional herbal medicine was made according to the guideline. Mixtures
of 18~26 medicinal herbs were given according to the differential diagnosis
in each patient. The remedies used for the cases consist of several different ingredients, which have well-established histories of use for treatment of
vertigo, tremor, or ataxia and are expected to exert their specific effects.
In 11 of 16 patients, ataxia of gait and stance was significantly improved
after 30~ 60 days of the herbal treatment. In these patients,34~85%
reductuion were obtained on the 100-point semiquantitative International
Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scales (ICARS) scores.
The results imply the therapeutic potential of herbal medicine for
spinocerebellar ataxia 6. Further extensive investigations are required to
clarify the mechanisms by which the remission induction of this genetic
disease of CAG repeat expansion mutation has been attained with the medicinal herbs.