Electrical Impedance Myography and Ultrasound as Biomarkers of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne Muscular DystrophyResearchers at Children's Hospital Boston Neurology Department invite children to participate in a new research study. Researchers are looking for boys ages 2 - 30 with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and healthy boys ages 2 - 30 (without any nerve or muscle concerns) to serve as controls. The study is evaluating a new technique that will test nerve and muscle function. The testing is all pain free. Children participating in the study will come in for 10 visits over two years. Visits will take place every month at first, then less often for the remaining visits. The tests for the study itself take approximately 2hours. If participants are interested or would like to learn more about the study, please call Lavanya Madabusi at 617-919-3554 or Lavanya.Madabusi@childrens.harvard.edu. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.
Sodium Nitrate to Improve Blood Flow
Becker Muscular DystrophyInvestigators recently showed that tadalafil restores functional sympatholysis in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD). If tadalafil restores functional sympatholysis in BMD via the NO-cyclic guanosine monophosphate pathway, then functional sympatholysis should also be restored by sodium nitrite- which is an indirect nitric oxide donor.
Ramipril Versus Carvedilol in Duchenne and Becker Patients
Duchenne Muscular DystrophyBecker Muscular DystrophyData on preventive therapy in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) and Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD) affected individuals without cardiac involvement are very limited and currently lacking regard both ACE-inhibitors and Beta-Blockers in Becker Muscular Dystrophy and for the latter even in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy patients. Thus, the study aim is to compare the efficacy of carvedilol vs ramipril on myocardial tissue properties and heart function, performing CMR and myocardial Ultrasound Tissue Characterisation analysis.
Reliability and Validity of the Turkish Version of the Upper Limb Short Questionnaire in Duchenne...
Duchenne Muscular DystrophyUpper Extremity ProblemPurpose: This study aimed to evaluate the construct validity and reliability of the Turkish version of the Upper Limb Short Questionnaire (ULSQ) in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Materials and methods: A total of 41 children with DMD have participated in the study. Upper and lower extremities functional levels were assessed with Vignos Scale and Brooke Upper Extremity Functional Rating Scale, respectively. The construct validity of the questionnaire was determined using the correlation between the ULSQ and ABILHAND-Kids. The Cronbach alpha value was calculated to determine internal consistency. To determine test-retest reliability, 17 randomly selected children were evaluated seven days after the first evaluation, and the "Intraclass Correlation Coefficient (ICC)" value was calculated.
Research of Biomarkers in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Patients
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)The purpose of this study is to identify potential biomarkers for the diagnosis, disease progression assessment and response to treatment in patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy.
Evaluation of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy
Becker Muscular DystrophyLimb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy6 moreThe purpose of this study is to understand the biochemistry of different types of Limb-Girdle Muscular Dystrophy (LGMD) and to determine appropriate outcome measures for future clinical treatment trials for LGMD. It is being conducted at two sites in the Cooperative International Neuromuscular Research Group (CINRG). It involves a one day clinical evaluation at a participating institution that will take approximately four to six hours, and will involve strength testing and muscle functional testing by a physical therapist, an evaluation by a physician, pulmonary function testing, a complete cardiac evaluation with electrocardiogram (ECG or EKG) and echocardiogram (Echo), and involve two blood draws, one before the evaluation and one after the evaluation is complete. During the visit, the participant will be asked to fill out a couple of questionnaires asking questions about quality of life and activity limitations, as well as his/her understanding of their diagnosis with regards to etiology (or cause of their muscle disorder), genetics, and inheritance of their muscle disorder.
Biomechanical Analysis of Gait in Individuals With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne Muscular DystrophyThe purpose of this research study is to understand the walking patterns, strength and function changes of boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy on/off corticosteroids to determine the best timing and treatment options to maintain walking for as long as possible.
A Low Interventional Study to Monitor Activity Using Wearable Sensors in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy...
Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD)The purpose of this low interventional study is to collect data on everyday movement in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) using wearable activity sensors. The activity sensors could provide useful information beyond what is currently collected by functional (movement, strength) assessments in clinic. This information can help with the understanding of the impact of DMD, and perhaps with how possible treatments can affect this impact.
Evaluation of Muscle miRNA as Biomarkers in Dystrophinopathies
Muscular DystrophiesBecker Muscular Dystrophy1 moreDuchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) , caused by mutations in the DMD gene, is the most common and most severe progressive dystrophy of the child. Although the development is rapidly progressive , there is variability in the severity of the disease between DMD patients that do not correlate with the type of mutations in the DMD gene. There are no easily measurable biomarkers for monitoring the DMD or moderate form of the disease, Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD ) . MicroRNAs (miRNAs) are involved in most cellular processes , and their expression pattern is a signature of the state of a cell . They represent a potential class of diagnostic and prognostic biomarkers. Some are specific for the skeletal myogenesis , and changes in their pattern of expression are associated with muscle diseases including muscular dystrophy. The levels of muscle- specific miRNAs are indeed greatly increased in the serum of DMD and BMD compared to control patients . The main objective of this is to validate the use of serum muscle-derived microRNAs as biomarkers of DMD patients (compared with healthy subjects). Secondary objectives are i) to investigate the relationship between circulating levels of these miRNAs and the severity of the dystrophinopathy (DMD vs BMD) and also the progression of the disease (longitudinal study), ii) to assess the specificity of these markers for dystrophinopathy (comparison with other patients with muscular dystrophy), iii) to test candidate miRNAs recently identified but not yet analyzed in the serum of patients. Clinical data and samples will be recorded at each regular consultation. miRNA levels will be quantified using Real Time Quantitative RT-PCR.
The Effect of Telerehabilitation of Patients With Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
Duchenne Muscular DystrophyThe aim of this study is to investigate the effect of a telerehabilitation approach to patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy and evaluate patients' motor function, parents' anxiety and depression levels before and after the intervention