1. Intermuscular coherence as an early biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: The protocol for a prospective, multicenter study.
- Author
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Issa, Naoum, Aydin, Serdar, Polley, Eric, Carberry, Nathan, Garret, Mark, Smith, Sean, Habib, Ali, Baumgartner, Nicholas, Soliven, Betty, and Rezania, Kourosh
- Subjects
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ,Humans ,Prospective Studies ,Electromyography ,Biomarkers ,Male ,Female ,Middle Aged ,Muscle ,Skeletal ,Motor Neurons ,Aged ,Adult - Abstract
OBJECTIVE: To describe the protocol of a prospective study to test the validity of intermuscular coherence (IMC) as a diagnostic tool and biomarker of upper motor neuron degeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). METHODS: This is a multicenter, prospective study. IMC of muscle pairs in the upper and lower limbs is gathered in ∼650 subjects across three groups using surface electrodes and conventional electromyography (EMG) machines. The following subjects will be tested: 1) neurotypical controls; 2) patients with symptomatology suggestive for early ALS but not meeting probable or definite ALS by Awaji Criteria; 3) patients with a known ALS mimic. The recruitment period is between 3/31/2021 and 12/31/2025. Written consent will be sought from the subject or the subjects legally authorized representative during enrollment. RESULTS: The endpoints of this study include: 1) whether adding IMC to the Awaji ALS criteria improve its sensitivity in early ALS and can allow for diagnosis earlier; 2) constructing a database of IMC across different ages, genders, and ethnicities. SIGNIFICANCE: This study may validate a new inexpensive, painless, and widely available tool for the diagnosis of ALS.
- Published
- 2024