View clinical trials related to Motor Neuron Disease.
Filter by:The purpose of the study is to determine if we are able to find one or more biomarkers of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS) using magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) scans at different levels, 3 tesla (3T) and 7 tesla (7T). A biomarker is a measurable characteristic that can be used as an indicator of a particular disease state. Identifying biomarkers of a disease can lead to a better understanding of the disease as well as improved treatments. This study will enroll patients with ALS, PLS, and healthy controls.
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.
The goal of this study is to establish a genetic registry of patients with early-onset motor neuron and neuromuscular diseases. The investigators will collect samples from patients with a motor neuron or a neuromuscular disorder and their family members. The samples to be collected will be obtained using minimally invasive (whole blood) means. The research team will then extract high quality genomic DNA or RNA from these samples and use it to identify and confirm novel gene mutations and to identify genes which regulate the severity of motor neuron/neuromuscular diseases.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease which involves respiratory muscles and can lead at short term to respiratory failure. The occurrence of respiratory failure is associated with morbidity and an increased mortality. To date, respiratory muscle weakness is predicted from the reduction of vital capacity, maximal inspiratory force, nocturnal symptoms and hypercapnia. Even taken together, the predictive value of these indices is low. The investigators hypothesize that an endurance test of diaphragmatic work would be more sensitive to respiratory muscle involvement than maximal respiratory force. Consequently, the investigators assessed diaphragmatic performance through an isocapnic hyperventilation test (IHT) in patients at the onset of ALS and, then regularly up to the occurrence of respiratory failure. The investigators make the hypothesis that IHT will be altered earlier than maximal inspiratory force
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.
This study assessed the effect of tirasemtiv versus placebo on respiratory function in patients with ALS.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal degenerative disorder that upper motor and lower motor neurons are destroyed in brain stem and spinal cord. Riluzole is the only therapeutic option now. Recently several studies have shown that stem cell transplantation is safe and can be effective in reduction of disease progression and increase of quality of life.
In the double-blind, cross-over part of the study, ODM-109 capsules and placebo capsules for ODM-109 will be administered for 2 weeks separated by a 19-23 days wash-out period. During each treatment period of the double-blind cross-over part, there will be a baseline visit (day 1) and 2 visits (5 ± 2 and 14 ± 2 days) after the start of study treatment. After completing the 3rd treatment period, the subjects will continue in the open-label follow-up part for 6 months. During the open-label follow-up, visits will be at 1, 3 and 6 months. An end-of-study visit will take place 14-25 days after the last study treatment administration for each subject. The study duration will be about 13-14 weeks for the double-blind cross-over part, and about 9-10 months for the entire study including the 6 months open-label follow-up. The number of randomised study subjects is planned to be approximately 54 in cross-over comparison. The maximum number of subjects will not exceed 70. Primary objective is to investigate the efficacy of oral ODM-109 on respiratory function in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).