[Disability and occupational therapy in patients with Friedreich's ataxia]

Friedreich ataxia (FA) is a neurodegenerative disease characterized by a progressive course resulting in severe disability. The occupational therapy (OT) is aimed to facilitate task performance by improving relevant performing skills or developing and teaching compensatory strategies to overcome lost performances. This study was aimed to investigate the role of OT in FA subjects carried out with sequential treatments performed during a scheduled time period. Neurological deficits, physical performances, and quality of life were evaluated with appropriate outcome measures in 10 subjects with FA who underwent three different in-hospital rehabilitation periods in one year. The baseline evaluation was performed at the beginning of the rehabilitation treatment and the final one at the end. The observed long-lasting stability of the neurological deficits and the increased functional independence of FA subjects may be considered a remarkable outcome indicating that sequential OT treatments may contribute to limit the progression of disability and maintain the participation in the everyday activities. OT and neuromotor rehabilitation may contribute to recover common abilities of FA patients representing the correct approach to the management of the disease.