Active clinical trials for "Muscular Dystrophies"

A large cohort of MRI scans from patients with pathogenic variants in the anoctamin 5 gene will be collected through an international collaboration to better describe muscle involvement.

This study is designed to learn more about the natural history of inherited neurological disorders and the role of heredity in their development. It will examine the genetics, symptoms, disease progression, treatment, and psychological and behavioral impact of diseases in the following categories: hereditary peripheral neuropathies; hereditary myopathies; muscular dystrophies; hereditary motor neuron disorders; mitochondrial myopathies; hereditary neurocognitive disorders; inherited neurological disorders without known diagnosis; and others. Many of these diseases, which affect the brain, spinal cord, muscles, and nerves, are rare and poorly understood. Children and adults of all ages with various inherited neurological disorders may be eligible for this study. Participants will undergo a detailed medical and family history, and a family tree will be drawn. They will also have a physical and neurological examination that may include blood test and urine tests, an EEG (brain wave recordings), psychological tests, and speech and language and rehabilitation evaluations. A blood sample or skin biopsy may be taken for genetic testing. Depending on the individual patient s symptoms, imaging tests such as X-rays, CT or MRI scans and muscle and nerve testing may also be done. Information from this study may provide a better understanding of the genetic underpinnings of these disorders, contributing to improved diagnosis, treatment, and genetic counseling, and perhaps leading to additional studies in these areas. ...

Improved standards of care and the regular early use of glucocorticoid treatment have changed the natural history of Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD), affecting both survival and time of loss of functional milestones. More recently, there has been increasing evidence of an additional benefit from new therapeutic approaches based on mechanisms targeting specific types of mutation, as Atarulen, authorised in the European Union as Translarna since 31 July 2014 to treat DMD boys with non sense mutations. As there is increasing evidence that specific groups of mutations may have different progression of the disease, it has become mandatory to obtain more detailed long-term information about the patterns of progression related to different genotypes. Natural history of DMD boys carrying deletions has been more studied and less is known about boys carrying small mutations that represent 20% of DMD patients. The aim of this project is to better define the natural history of these patients and to better understand the clinical response to mutation-specific therapies aimed at restoring dystrophin protein production.

The objective of this study is to evaluate acute changes of cardiac troponin (and other cardiac biomarkers) and mid-term biovariability in patients with cardiomyopathy associated with chronic skeletal muscle disease. The specific aims of the study are: Firstly, to evaluate the feasibility of the ESC 0/1 hour protocol for rule-in and rule-out of a non-ST-segment elevation acute coronary syndrome (NSTE-ACS). Secondly, a) to determine reference change values (RCV) to characterize physiological biovariability, b) to differentiate acute from chronic high-sensitivity cardiac troponin T (hs-cTnT) elevations.

Although there are studies showing that the effect on motor performance over time in children with DMD is associated with a decrease in the level of physical activity, no publication has been found that directly examines the relationship between cognitive functions and physical activity level. Therefore, the aim of our study is to investigate the relationship between physical activity level and cognitive functions in children with DMD.

Mutations in the LMNA gene, which codes for lamins A and C, proteins of the nuclear lamina, are responsible for a wide spectrum of pathologies, including a group specifically affecting striated skeletal and cardiac muscles, with cardiac involvement being life-threatening. At the skeletal muscle level, a wide phenotypic spectrum has been described, ranging from severe forms of congenital muscular dystrophy to less severe forms of limb-girdle muscular dystrophy. The great clinical variability of striated muscle laminopathies, both inter- and intra-familial, can be observed in the age of onset, severity of signs and progression of muscle and heart involvement. To date, more than 400 LMNA mutations have been associated with striated muscle laminopathies (www.umd.be/LMNA/), highlighting strong clinical and genetic heterogeneity. A few recurrent mutations linked to a difference in severity have been identified. However, these genotype-phenotype relationships and the rare cases of digenism reported do not explain all the clinical variability of laminopathies. Therefore, there are probably other factors of severity than the causative mutation, called "modifier genes". Identification of such modifier genes has been initiated by studying a large family with significant clinical variability in the age of onset of muscle signs. A segregation analysis within this family identified 2 potential modifier loci. High-throughput sequencing restricted to these 2 regions according to phenotypic subgroups did not led to meaningful results so far. In addition, an international retrospective study of the natural history of early muscle laminopathies has allowed the investigators to highlight a strong inter-family clinical variability in patients carrying recurrent mutations. The investigators thus have strong preliminary data that could allow them to identify modifying genetic factors in a cohort of patients carrying a mutation in the LMNA gene. In order to identify these factors that modulate the clinical severity of laminopathies, the investigators wish to collect biological material (muscle and/or skin biopsies) from patients carrying a mutation in the LMNA gene. The study of this biological material using multi OMICs technics will allow the investigators to identify and functionally validate the action of these modifying genes. OMIICs is a set of techniques for characterising biological molecules using high-throughput approaches such as DNA sequencing, RNA sequencing and/or chromatin conformation (ATACseq...), proteins.

This is a 24-month, observational study of 80 participants with Becker muscular dystrophy (BMD)

This study is to recruit and establish baseline measurements for potential subjects that may be eligible for a gene therapy trial. Specifically, this trial is recruiting individuals who are suspected or have been confirmed to have Limb Girdle Muscular Dystrophy type 2E (LGMD2E).

Longitudinal prospective observational study. This is a 24-month study with the possibility of extending the data time points. Initially baseline, then 12 and 24 months follow up studies will be completed.

The purpose of this study is to investigate if a person with weakness or paralysis in one or both arms, can use the NuroSleeve combined powered arm brace (orthosis) and muscle stimulation system to help restore movement in one arm sufficient to perform daily activities. This study could lead to the development of a product that could allow people with arm weakness or arm paralysis to use the NuroSleeve and similar devices to improve arm health and independent function.