View clinical trials related to Neuromuscular Diseases.
Filter by:Neuromuscular Diseases (NMDs) affect > 7 million people worldwide. NMDs are often difficult to accurately diagnose, with over 200 different genetic causes with overlapping clinical presentations. Muscle Magnetic Resonance Imaging (Muscle MRI) allows for non-invasive, comprehensive, and reproducible evaluation of disease-affected and spared muscles. The selective replacement of muscle tissue by fat is the main contributor to pathological patterns determined by T1-weighted Muscle MRI. Although the diagnostic utility of Muscle MRI has been emphasized in the last years, the very low incidence of NMDs (rate .01 to 15 per 100,000 population), and the challenge to attain sufficient sample sizes to study the imaging characteristics of these patients have limited their acceptance as first-line, non-invasive diagnostic procedures. We aim to study the selective pattern of muscle pathology as detected by MRI of different sub-types of NMDs and validate this technique as an important and helpful non-invasive diagnostic screening tool. We will prospectively assemble a well-defined cohort of 1000 patients with NMDs undergoing whole body Muscle MRI from 7 Canadian and 7 international centers. We will develop a high-standard methodological approach for MRI diagnosis in this cohort, based on T1 weighted imaging characteristics, and will validate this method by testing the developed algorithm in a different cohort of patients. Muscle MRI scans will be collected by a well-established network of neuromuscular disease (NMD) centers to ensure comparability between the different centers.
Non-invasive ventilation (NIV) in patients diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is nowadays common practice to provide comfort at the end stage of the disease. As complaints vary there is the need of a non-invasive device to measure respiratory volume to objectify complaints. The ExSpiron© is a device for non-invasive monitoring of respiratory volume. The validation of this monitor in patients with ALS is the aim of this study. The hypothesis is that the ExSpiron© delivers a valid assessment of respiratory volume in patients with ALS
Non-invasive ventilation has become increasingly important in the management of patients with acute respiratory failure. One of its major goals is to prevent the need for invasive ventilation, which is associated with numerous complications. This study compares the usefulness and safety of two noninvasive techniques which are used in Medical practice: Noninvasive positive pressure ventilation using a face mask and extrathoracic biphasic ventilation using a cuirass. Each of these techniques has advantages and disadvantages and both may not suit all patients. It is therefore important to compare the two in terms of effectiveness in preventing invasive ventilation and their side effects profile, so that we can improve our understanding and expertise in the treatment of patients in respiratory failure.