View clinical trials related to Primary Lateral Sclerosis.
Filter by:Substantial variability exists in the onset, and rate of degeneration across individuals with Motor Neurone Disease (MND) or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). This variability requires biomarkers that accurately classify and reliably track clinical subtypes as the disease progresses. Degeneration occurs in the brain and spinal cord, however, non-invasive diagnosis of spinal cord function remains highly challenging due to its unique alignment in spine. Disruption of complex spinal and cortical circuits that transmit and process neural signals for position sense and movement has not been adequately captured in the neurophysiological profiling of ALS patients. The overarching aim of this study is to reveal and quantify the extent of change in the sensorimotor integration and its potential contribution to network disruption in ALS.
This is a single-session, case-control study that incorporates digital tools for assessing speech and motor function in motor neuron disease. Patients with motor neuron disease (including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), and progressive muscular atrophy (PMA)) and age-matched healthy controls will be enrolled. Subjects will complete a speech and handwriting assessment during the study visit on a tablet computer (BioSensics LLC, Newton, MA). We will explore whether these digital biomarkers are sensitive to functional disease severity as reported by the ALS Functional Rating Scale - Revised (ALFRS-R) [1]. We will also compare assessment data between the patient and control groups.
The goal of this clinical trial is to determine if non-invasive electrical stimulation, using an electric stimulator placed on the skin of the patients back and abdomen for 30 minutes can reduce muscle spasms (spasticity) and improve walking function in patients with primary lateral sclerosis. Participants will attend one in-person clinic visit and participate in one telephone interview 24 hours after the treatment. The clinic visit will include pre-intervention, treatment and post-intervention assessments. The assessments will consist of a complete physical exam by the clinic neurologist followed by assessments and scoring of spasticity, deep tendon reflexes, gait quality, gait speed, gait endurance and balance. Patient's will rate their perceived spasticity pre, immediately post and 24 hours post treatment. The treatment involves one 30-minute electrical stimulation session, which includes application of electrode pads to the patients back and abdomen. The patient will lay supine (on their back) with a pillow placed under their knees for comfort. The pads will then be connected to an FDA approved electrical stimulator. The electrical stimulator will be turned on and current adjusted to the individual patient based on small muscle contractions in their legs. Once the current is set, the patient will lay supine for 30 minutes. After 30 minutes, the device will be turned off and electrode pads removed.
This observational study will use new smartwatch technology to continuously and remotely monitor the health of ALS patients and healthy controls over time. This information will be used to develop digital biomarkers for ALS.
CAPTURE ALS is a long-term data and biorepository platform that will facilitate future ALS research. CAPTURE ALS will provide the standardized systems and tools necessary to collect, store, and analyze vast amounts of multimodal information about ALS. These multimodal datasets and biosamples will be made available for use by researchers or industry across Canada and around the world in accordance with the CAPTURE ALS Data Sharing Policy to advance research on ALS.
The purpose of this study is to learn more about amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other related neurodegenerative diseases, including frontotemporal dementia (FTD), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), hereditary spastic paraplegia (HSP), progressive muscular atrophy (PMA) and multisystem proteinopathy (MSP). More precisely, the investigator wants to identify the links that exist between the disease phenotype (phenotype refers to observable signs and symptoms) and the disease genotype (genotype refers to your genetic information). The investigator also wants to identify biomarkers of ALS and related diseases.
This study, being conducted under the auspice of the CReATe Consortium, will enroll patients with ALS and related disorders as well as healthy controls, with the goal of facilitating clinical validation of leading biological-fluid based biomarker candidates that may aid therapy development for patients with ALS and related disorders.
This study proposes to identify acoustic and perceptual markers related to upper motor neuron (UMN) degeneration and lower motor neuron (LMN) degeneration in the dysarthria of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) which involves the degeneration of both systems. ALS patients will be gathered in clinical groups according to electromyogram (EMG) and clinical signs observed in the bulbar site. UMN signs are defined as jaw clonus, gag reflex and pseudobulbar features (lability). LMN signs are defined as lingual atrophy and fasciculations. The dysarthria will be compared to dysarthria of patients involving an exclusive UMN system degeneration (in primitive lateral sclerosis) and an exclusive LMN system degeneration (Kennedy's disease). Patients will be compared to the controls who permitted to establish the standards of the "MonPaGe" tool. MonPaGe is a computerized tool based on a multidimensional and quantified assessment of voice and speech, by a set of targeted acoustic and perceptual criteria.
The purpose of the Clinical Procedures To Support Research (CAPTURE) study is to utilize information collected in the medical record to learn more about a disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and related disorders.
Herein, the investigators study the safety and efficacy of transplanting purified autologous bone marrow-derived stem cells transplanted via the intrathecal route by interventional radiology and the intravenous route.