View clinical trials related to Motor Neuron Disease.
Filter by:The primary objectives of the study are to estimate and rank-order the longitudinal standardized mean changes over 6 months and over 12 months, for a set of outcome measures administered to participants with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), in order to identify measures that are more sensitive to disease progression than Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale-Revised (ALSFRS-R). The secondary objectives of this study are: To evaluate the test-retest reproducibility of each outcome measure; To determine correlations between 6 and 12-month changes in all exploratory measures with 18 and 24-month changes in ALSFRS-R and survival; To assess correlations between/among the various measures; To obtain biological samples in order to identify molecular correlates to the clinical measures and to further characterize previously identified and novel molecular biomarkers of disease progression for incorporation into future clinical studies.
The project focuses on C9orf72, the most frequent genetic form of frontotemporal dementias (FTD, or frontotemporal lobar degeneration, FTLD) and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). FTD is the second commonest cause of degenerative dementia in presenium after Alzheimer's disease. Behavioural and cognitive impairments progressively lead to dementia. ALS produces progressive muscle weakness leading to the death in 2 to 4 years. Since 2006, major discoveries have linked FTLD and ALS: 1. TDP-43 aggregates in neurons and 2. C9orf72 mutations is a major genetic cause in both disorders. Two major pathological subtypes are now defined in FTD, FTD-TDP and FTD-TAU. C9orf72 mutations (associated to FTD-TDP) are the most frequent genetic causes of FTD (15%), FTD-ALS (65%) and ALS (40%). FTD is difficult at an early stage; and no clinical, biological or imaging features can predict the underlying pathology in living patients. Therapeutic perspectives emerged against tau aggregation, progranulin deficit and C9orf72 expansion (antisense). Presymptomatic carriers of genetic FTD would benefit, before onset of symptoms, from these therapeutic that would delay or prevent the disease. At this step, it becomes crucial to develop markers to know how many years before symptoms, does the pathological progress begin, to treat the patients at the most early stage of the disease. Markers are also needed to predict the pathology (FTD-TDP/FTD-tau) in patients that will be eligible for trials targeting specific pathological lesion.
The objective is to compare the efficacy and safety of masitinib in combination with riluzole in the treatment of patients suffering from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).
The investigators aim at exploring the differential/topographical in-situ expression of cytokines in the central nervous system (CNS) of patients who died with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), using archived histopathology slides and residual paraffin blocks from autopsied cases. Previous studies from the investigators and other groups showed that inflammatory cytokines are implicated in several neurological affections, particularly neurodegenerative conditions. However, in-situ cytokine expression has never been studied so far in ALS. The investigators wanted to see if these neuro-mediators are involved in the neuromolecular chain/cascade underlying ALS.
Creation of a large repository of induced pluripotent stem cells (iPSC), bio-fluid samples (blood and spinal fluid (optional)), and cell lines for ALS gene identification. This will be combined carefully with collected measures of the pattern of the symptoms people with ALS have and how these change over time. People with other motor neuron diseases and healthy controls will be included as comparisons
The proposed observational trial will collect substantial data concerning dietary intake documented by ALS patients complemented by the analysis of fatty acid distribution in erythrocyte lipids. Both data sets are related to disease status and progress.
This is a multicenter, 18-month study, which aims to identify imaging and biofluid biomarkers in people with ALS to expand the understanding of ALS pathology, treatment targets, disease progression, and anatomical differences between different disease phenotypes. This pilot project is tailored to produce imaging tools that will allow researchers to conduct future ALS clinical trials more efficiently which may in turn impact the pace for ALS drug discovery.
This project assessed muscle oxidative metabolism and fatigue in patients affected by amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) undergoing to three months of individualized cardiovascular and strength training. Muscle oxidative metabolism and strength will be assessed by non-invasive methods, such as near-infrared spectroscopy (NIRS) and mechanomyography (MMG). NIRS is a technique giving indications on the capacity of oxygen extraction of muscles during exercise. MMG allows analyzing the pattern of motor unit recruitment and related fatigue. The investigators will also assess the effects of training on pain tolerance and quality of life (QoL) by the Brief Pain Inventory and the McGill Quality of Life questionnaires, using the validated Italian versions. Patients will be assessed longitudinally before (time T0) and after three months of individualized training (time T1). After one month of de-training (time T2) the investigators will assess the hypothetic persistence of any treatment-related effect. The effect of three months-osteopathic treatment (osteo) on pain and QoL will be assessed as well.
The purpose of this study is to demonstrate that the adaptation to the Non Invasive Ventilation (NIV) at home is not worse when compared with an adaptation performed in inpatient settings.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurological disease. Nonspecific symptoms lead to a delay in the diagnosis, only confirmed by the electrophysiologic study. Objectives. 1. To establish the diagnostic value of ultrasonography in ALS. 2. To evaluate the rate of muscle and nerve degeneration by ultrasonography in patients with ALS. 3. To check the relationship between ultrasound, clinical variables and functional tests in patients with ALS. Methods. A longitudinal observational study in a consecutive sample of patients diagnosed with ALS will be realized. All the patients will be examined 3 times during 6 months and capabilities associated with ALS and muscle strength will be assessed. Bilateral and cross sectional ultrasonography of several muscles and also median and tibial nerves will be performed. All the images will be processed and analyzed for obtaining morphometric variables (muscle thickness and nerve area) and textural ones (echogenic variation, entropy, homogeneity, textural contrast and correlation). Frequency of twitches will be also recorded. After longitudinal study, a survival study will be performed in relation to functional and sonographic variables.