Aerobic anti-gravity exercise in patients with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease types 1A and X: A pilot study

Background: Charcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) disease is a hereditary neuropathy associated with impaired walking capacity. Some patients are too weak in the lower extremity muscles to walk at gravity with sufficient intensity or duration to gain benefit.

Aim: The aim was to investigate the effect of aerobic anti-gravity exercise in weak patients with CMT 1A and X.

Methods: Five adult patients performed moderate-intensity aerobic anti-gravity exercise 3/week for 10 weeks.

Results: There was a significant positive difference in Berg balance scale and postural stability test between test occasions, and walking distance in the 6-min walk test trended to increase.

Conclusions: The study indicates that the anti-gravity treadmill training of patients with CMT should be pursued in larger CMT cohorts.