Table 2.
Description of the 3 posterior latent classes according to the patient's baseline characteristics
| Characteristic | No. (%) or Mean ± SDa | P valueb | ||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Decreasing BMI, n = 88 | Increasing BMI, n = 70 | Stable BMI, n = 226 | ||
| Genotype | <0.0001c | |||
| SCA1 | 19 (21.6) | 20 (28.6) | 41 (18.1) | |
| SCA2 | 30 (34.1) | 27 (38.6) | 68 (30.1) | |
| SCA3 | 38 (43.2) | 12 (17.1) | 55 (24.3) | |
| SCA6 | 1 (1.1) | 11 (15.7) | 62 (27.4) | |
| Women | 47 (53.4) | 41 (58.6) | 91 (40.3) | 0.0095c |
| Age, y | 38.4 ± 11.8a | 50.1 ± 12.0b | 55.8 ± 12.1c | < 0.0001c |
| Age at onset, y | 27.7 ± 9.2a | 40.6 ± 11.5b | 45.5 ± 11.5c | < 0.0001c |
| Disease duration, y | 10.7 ± 6.3 | 9.5 ± 5.8 | 10.2 ± 5.3 | 0.4470 |
| SARA score | 15.9 ± 7.5a | 12.8 ± 7.4b | 13.6 ± 6.6b | 0.0108c |
| Disease stage | 0.0241c | |||
| 1 | 47 (55.3) | 40 (59.7) | 131 (61.2) | |
| 2 | 22 (25.9) | 22 (32.8) | 69 (32.2) | |
| 3 | 16 (18.8) | 5 (7.5) | 14 (6.5) | |
| Diabetes | 0 (0.0) | 5 (7.5) | 10 (4.8) | 0.0569 |
| Cancer | 1 (4.0) | 0 (0.) | 3 (3.8) | 0.6202 |
| Gastrointestinal diseases | 7 (8.2) | 9 (13.4) | 16 (7.6) | 0.3361 |
| CAGd | ||||
| SCA1 | 51.3 ± 6.3a | 45.4 ± 3.8b | 45.7 ± 3.7b | <0.0001c |
| SCA2 | 42.5 ± 3.4a | 39.2 ± 2.9b | 37.7 ± 2.4b | < 0.0001c |
| SCA3 | 70.9 ± 3.1a | 68.6 ± 3.8a,b | 67.1 ± 4.2b | < 0.0001c |
| SCA6 | 22.0 | 22.3 ± 0.5 | 22.5 ± 1.2 | 0.4904 |
| Anxiety or depression, yes | 44 (50.0) | 36 (51.4) | 100 (44.2) | 0.4597 |
| Any psychotropic use, yes | 14 (15.9) | 14 (20.0) | 32 (14.2) | 0.4991 |
| INAS score | 5.2 ± 2.3a | 3.8 ± 2.2b | 3.5 ± 2.1b | < 0.0001c |
| Hyperreflexia, yes | 41 (47.1) | 19 (27.1) | 69 (30.4) | 0.0087c |
| Areflexia, yes | 35 (39.8) | 29 (41.4) | 102 (45.3) | 0.6300 |
| Extensor plantar, yes | 34 (41.0) | 26 (38.8) | 55 (25.9) | 0.0175c |
| Spasticity, yes | 38 (43.7) | 17 (24.6) | 59 (26.6) | 0.0071c |
| Paresis, yes | 19 (21.6) | 12 (17.1) | 30 (13.5) | 0.2030 |
| Muscle atrophy, yes | 34 (39.1) | 12 (17.1) | 43 (19.4) | <0.0001c |
| Fasciculations, yes | 37 (42.5) | 24 (34.3) | 52 (23.1) | 0.0022c |
| Myoclonus, yes | 10 (11.4) | 4 (5.7) | 9 (4.0) | 0.0488c |
| Rigidity, yes | 7 (8.0) | 3 (4.3) | 15 (6.7) | 0.6342 |
| Chorea/dyskinesia, yes | 11 (12.5) | 2 (2.9) | 10 (4.4) | 0.0124c |
| Dystonia, yes | 20 (22.7) | 4 (5.7) | 22 (9.7) | 0.0013c |
| Resting tremor, yes | 11 (12.8) | 5 (7.1) | 12 (5.4) | 0.0806 |
| Sensory symptoms, yes | 50 (61.7) | 49 (72.1) | 135 (61.9) | 0.2881 |
| Urinary dysfunction, yes | 29 (33.3) | 33 (47.1) | 88 (39.1) | 0.2115 |
| Cognitive impairment, yes | 18 (20.7) | 14 (20.0) | 38 (17.0) | 0.6937 |
| Brainstem oculomotor signs, yes | 51 (58.6) | 19 (27.1) | 65 (29.0) | < 0.0001c |
| Dysphagia, yes | 54 (63.5) | 32 (47.8) | 116 (54.2) | 0.1374 |
| Double vision, yes | 44 (50.0) | 18 (25.7) | 71 (31.4) | 0.0018c |
SD, standard deviation; SCA, spinocerebellar ataxia; BMI, body mass index; SARA, Scale for the Assessment and Rating Ataxia; INAS, Inventory of Non‐ataxia Signs.
a
Means with the same letter did not differ significantly from each other according to a Tukey's Honestly Significant Difference multiple comparison test (P > 0.05).
b
The chi‐square test was used to analyze qualitative covariates, and an analysis of variance was used for quantitative covariates.
c
P < 0.05 (statistically significant).
d
Values indicate the length of the expanded allele (repeat units).