Active clinical trials for "Motor Neuron Disease"

This study will examine whether the motor cortex (the part of the brain that controls movement) works properly in patients with primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), a disorder in which voluntary movements are very slow. Healthy volunteers between 40 and 75 years of age and patients with ascending PLS (a subset of PLS) may be eligible for this study. Patients with ascending PLS have a slowing of finger-tapping movements that corresponds to a particular abnormality of certain neuronal (nerve cell) activity. Participants perform a finger-tapping reaction time exercise while brain wave activity (electroencephalography, or EEG) and muscle activity (electroymogram, or EMG) are measured. The subject is seated in front of a computer screen. A signal appears on the screen and the subject taps a key as quickly as possible in response to the signal. For the EEG, brain activity is recorded by placing electrodes (small metal discs) on the scalp with an electrode cap or glue-like substance. A conductive gel is used to fill the space between the electrodes and the scalp to make sure there is good contact between them. The brain waves are recorded while the subject taps his or her fingers very slowly. For the surface EMG, electrodes filled with a conductive gel are taped to the skin. Participants also undergo magnetic resonance imaging (MRI). This test uses a strong magnetic field and radio waves to obtain images of the brain. During the procedure, the subject lies still on a table that can slide in and out of the scanner - a narrow metal cylinder. Scanning time varies from 20 minutes to 3 hours, with most scans lasting between 45 and 90 minutes. Subjects can communicate with the MRI staff at all times during the scan and can ask to be moved out of the machine at any time.

The purpose of this study is to find out if changes in speech can signal changes in the ability to think or remember. ALS patients with and without cognitive dysfunction will be followed for one year. Every three months, patients will undergo a series of cognitive and basic clinical outcomes tests. In addition, participants will take home a study-provided tablet on which they will complete weekly speech recording activities.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive and fatal neurological disease. An exhaustive and frequent clinical evaluation can lead to establish an adequate and early treatment of the consequences of its evolution. Objectives. To evaluate the evolution of diaphragmatic and peripheral neuromuscular degeneration by ultrasound examination in patients with ALS and to establish possible evolution patterns. To verify the relationship between the degenerative peripheral and diaphragmatic neuromuscular changes evaluated by ultrasonography and changes in clinical scales frequently used. To compare the ultrasonographic features of subjects with ALS and a sample of healthy subjects 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, with an interval of at least 3 months between tests. Bilateral and cross sectional ultrasonography of several peripheral muscles and diaphragm will be performed at rest and during muscle contraction. All the images will be processed and analyzed for obtaining morphometric variables (muscle thickness) and textural ones (echogenic variation, entropy, homogeneity, textural contrast and correlation). Frequency of twitches will be also recorded in peripheral muscles.Also clinical features will be noted, every time of the 3 exams, from Revised Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS-r), British Medical Council Research Scale(MRC), and routine pulmonary tests.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is an adult-onset, devastating, neurodegenerative disease characterized by the loss of cortical, brain stem, and spinal motor neurons. Visual evoked potentials studies in patients with ALS suggest visual pathway involvement. Optic coherence tomography (OCT) is a non-invasive cross-sectional imaging modality measuring the optical reflections in biological tissues. The main objective of this observational cohort study is to explore the correlation between changes on OCT retinal parameters and and clinical disability as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale (ALS-FRS-r) in patients with ALS at baseline, 3 and 6 months. A secondary objective is to explore the correlation between changes in retinal OCT parameters and pulmonary function tests (FVC and FEV1) in this cohort of patients with ALS. A parallel cohort of healthy age and sex matched subjects will participate as controls to obtain reference values of their retinal layers' thickness at baseline, 3 and 6 months.

Introduction: About 50-60% of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by hypermetabolism, defined as 10% or more excess resting energy expenditure (REE) compared to theoretical values. Harris and Benedict's (HB) formula is the equation mainly used to predict REE, but others are also applied in current practice. The present study aimed to assess REE in ALS patients compared to control populations and to compare six formulas commonly used to predict REE. Nutritional assessments were performed in ALS patients and in two control populations without hypermetabolism: healthy elderly people (control 1) and patients with non-restrictive-eating disorders (control 2). Weight, height and body composition (by bioimpedance analysis) were assessed. EE was measured (mREE) by indirect calorimetry and calculated (cREE) using HB 1919 and 1984, World Schofield, De Lorenzo, Johnstone and Mifflin formulas. Mann-Whitney and Chi2 tests were used to compare the equations.

The purpose of the study is to measure the negative cognitive consequences of the ventilation under pathological or experimental cortical drive to breath.

The primary objective of the intermediate expanded access protocol is to provide access to the investigational product, CNM-Au8, to up to 300 people living with ALS (pALS). No formal clinical hypotheses are being evaluated with concurrent controls. Secondary objectives include assessment of the safety of CNM-Au8 treatment in pALS. Safety will be assessed through the frequency of serious adverse events (SAEs), treatment-emergent adverse events (TEAEs) assessed as 'severe', discontinuations due to TEAEs, and laboratory abnormalities assessed as clinically significant during routine clinical monitoring (as applicable).

The goal of this study is to examine olfactory function in preclinical subjects or individuals with neurological diseases such as Probable Alzheimer's Disease (PRAD), Frontotemporal Dementias (FTD), Dementia with Lewy Bodies (DLB), Traumatic Brain Injury (TBI), and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS).

Using the original MRI images of 16 ALS patients and 16 normal controls matched by gender, age and education level in the previous study, the differences of brain volume in different parts of ALS patients and normal controls, and the correlation between brain structure and clinical characteristics were compared by precise brain volume quantitative analysis technology.

The primary objective is to provide the investigational product, IC14, at the dose of 8 mg/kg intravenously every 2 weeks for 12 weeks to 6 participants with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). No clinical hypotheses are being tested. An extension for 6 additional doses every 2 weeks will be allowed if the drug is safe and well tolerated.A second extension for 14 doses every 2 weeks will be allowed if the drug is safe and well tolerated.