hi and welcome, i went looking for any possible nutrition connections and found this
Oral zinc sulphate supplementation for six months in SCA2 patients: a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial.
http://www.ncbi.nlm.nih.gov/pubmed/21562746
Abstract
Cuban patients with Spinocerebellar Ataxia type 2 (SCA2) have reduced concentrations of zinc in serum and cerebrospinal fluid (CSF). To assess the effect and safety of zinc supplementation, 36 Cuban SCA2 patients were randomly assigned to receive daily either 50 mg ZnSO(4) or placebo, together with neurorehabilitation therapy in a randomized, double-blind, placebo-controlled clinical trial during 6 months. Outcome measures included the changes of zinc levels in CSF and serum, ataxia score, oxidative stress and saccadic eye movements. At the end of the study, the Zinc-treated group showed: (i) a significant increase of the Zn levels in the CSF, (ii) mild decrease in the ataxia scale subscores for gait, posture, stance and dysdiadochocinesia (iii) reduction of lipid's oxidative damage, and (iv) reduction of saccadic latency when compared with the placebo group. The treatment was safe and well tolerated by all subjects. This study demonstrated the efficacy and safety of Zn supplementation, combined with neurorehabilitation for SCA2 patients and therefore it may encourage further studies on the clinical effect of zinc supplementation in SCA2 based in the conduction of future clinical trials with higher number of subjects.
Spinocerebellar degeneration secondary to chronic intestinal malabsorption: A vitamin E deficiency syndrome
http://onlinelibrary.wiley.com/doi/10.1 ... 3/abstract
Two adults are described who developed a progressive neurological disorder more than 20 years after the onset of chronic fat malabsorption. The clinical features included dysarthria, cerebellar ataxia, and prominent proprioceptive loss with depressed or absent tendon reflexes. Serum vitamin E was undetectable in both cases. One patient improved clinically and electrophysiologically after oral therapy with vitamin E. The findings in these patients were similar to those in others recently reported with vitamin E deficiency associated with biliary atresia. Electrophysiological observations suggested that the human deficiency state parallels that found neuropathologically in vitamin E-deficient animals.
perhaps zinc and vit E tests would be useful. i don't have a target for vit e levels, but there is an old ms protocol (klenner) that emphasizes vitamin e. personally i found the use of vit e extremely useful. zinc too.
