Trial reportAnnals of neurology2017
Docosahexaenoic acid is a beneficial replacement treatment for spinocerebellar ataxia 38.
Trial report in Annals of neurology, 2017. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 16 papers, 1 of them a synthesis that pooled it.
What it found
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The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.
The trial behind it
Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.
Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.
Who cites it
16 citing papers in PubMed, 1 synthesis or guideline pooled it, 37 citations in OpenAlex.
- [European journal of nuclear medicine and molecular imaging · 2023Pooled it
- Comparison of Two Therapeutic Approaches of Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in a Sardinian Family Affected by Spinocerebellar Ataxia 38: a Clinical and Computerized 3D Gait Analysis Study.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2024Trial
- Hereditary Ataxias in Argentina.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2025Review
- Dietary and lifestyle interventions for the management of hereditary ataxias.Frontiers in nutrition · 2025Review
- Potential Clinical Benefit of Very Long Chain Fatty Acid Supplementation in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 34.Cerebellum (London, England) · 2024Review
- Genetic Testing of Movements Disorders: A Review of Clinical Utility.Tremor and other hyperkinetic movements (New York, N.Y.) · 2024Review
- Spinocerebellar ataxia 38: structure-function analysis shows ELOVL5 G230V is proteotoxic, conformationally altered and a mutational hotspot.Human genetics · 2023Article
- Effects of the administration of Elovl5-dependent fatty acids on a spino-cerebellar ataxia 38 mouse model.Behavioral and brain functions : BBF · 2022Article
- Therapeutic Use of Cerebellar Intermittent Theta Burst Stimulation (iTBS) in a Sardinian Family Affected by Spinocerebellar Ataxia 38 (SCA 38).Cerebellum (London, England) · 2022Article
- Placebo response in degenerative cerebellar ataxias: a descriptive review of randomized, placebo-controlled trials.Journal of neurology · 2022Review
- Involvement of Microglia in Neurodegenerative Diseases: Beneficial Effects of Docosahexahenoic Acid (DHA) Supplied by Food or Combined with Nanoparticles.International journal of molecular sciences · 2021Review
- Contributions to the study of spinocerebellar ataxia type 38 (SCA38).Journal of neurology · 2020Article
- Docosahexaenoic acid in ARSACS: observations in two patients.BMC neurology · 2020Observational
- The neurological update: therapies for cerebellar ataxias in 2020.Journal of neurology · 2020Review
- Recent advances in understanding dominant spinocerebellar ataxias from clinical and genetic points of view.F1000Research · 2018Review
- Movement disorders: Patients with spinocerebellar ataxia 38 benefit from DHA supplementation.Nature reviews. Neurology · 2017Article
Corrections and comments
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Authors and funding
20 authors at 11 institutions in 5 countries.
Funding
No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.
Abstract
objectiveSpinocerebellar ataxia 38 (SCA38) is caused by mutations in the ELOVL5 gene, which encodes an elongase involved in the synthesis of polyunsaturated fatty acids, including docosahexaenoic acid (DHA). As a consequence, DHA is significantly reduced in the serum of SCA38 subjects. In the present study, we evaluated the safety of DHA supplementation, its efficacy for clinical symptoms, and changes of brain functional imaging in SCA38 patients.
methodsWe enrolled 10 SCA38 patients, and carried out a double-blind randomized placebo-controlled study for 16 weeks, followed by an open-label study with overall 40-week DHA treatment. At baseline and at follow-up visit, patients underwent standardized clinical assessment, brain 18-fluorodeoxyglucose positron emission tomography, electroneurography, and ELOVL5 expression analysis.
resultsAfter 16 weeks, we showed a significant pre-post clinical improvement in the DHA group versus placebo, using the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA; mean difference [MD] = +2.70, 95% confidence interval [CI] = +0.13 to + 5.27, p = 0.042). At 40-week treatment, clinical improvement was found significant by both SARA (MD = +2.2, 95% CI = +0.93 to + 3.46, p = 0.008) and International Cooperative Ataxia Rating Scale (MD = +3.8, 95% CI = +1.39 to + 6.41, p = 0.02) scores; clinical data were corroborated by significant improvement of cerebellar hypometabolism (statistical parametric mapping analyses, false discovery rate corrected). We also showed a decreased expression of ELOVL5 in patients' blood at 40 weeks as compared to baseline. No side effect was recorded.
interpretationDHA supplementation is a safe and effective treatment for SCA38, showing an improvement of clinical symptoms and cerebellar hypometabolism. Ann Neurol 2017;82:615-621.
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