Clinical Research Directory

Longitudinal Analysis of Oral Communication in Friedreich's Ataxia

Sponsor: Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, France

Summary

Friedreich Ataxia (FA) is a hereditary neurological disease that is associated with a cerebellar syndrome and pyramidal symptoms. Clinical expression varies from one individual to another and throughout the evolution of the disease and is partially related to an abnormal expansion of the GAA triplet repeat in the frataxin gene. Dysarthria, a disorder in the motor production of speech, is always present in the clinical presentation of the disease (Schöls et al. 1997 ; Harding 1981 ; Dürr et al. 1996 ; Delatycki et al. 1999). It has been the subject of specific studies exploring the link between the evolution of dysarthria and disease progression (J. Folker et al. 2010; J. E. Folker et al. 2012; Rosen et al. 2012; Brendel et al. 2013). These studies allowed for the identification of markers for speech disintegration, specific to FA dysarthria, using perceptive voice measures, but also acoustics and objectives for qualifying voice and speech at the same time. The challenge is in finding measures sufficiently appropriate and sensitive to detect the evolution of these indicators throughout the course of the disease (Rosen et al. 2012). The neurological scales that take in to account all signs of a cerebellar syndrome are not sufficiently sensitive (Marelli et al. 2012). In addition, hearing difficulties develop during the course of the disease in addition to visual disturbances (gaze instability) which hinder communication. The ORFA study aims to evaluate oral communication in FA patients and identify appropriate measures that allow for the comparison of dysarthria pre and post-treatment in a clinical trial and can be used for the evaluation of efficacy.

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