Active clinical trials for "Muscular Dystrophies"

Although it is known that the functions of pulmonary and upper limb is affected in late stage of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) negatively, the investigators do not have clear information about its early stage. The aim of this study was to investigate the differences in pulmonary and upper limb functions between children with DMD in early stage and healthy peers.

Foot and body postures of patients with DMD will be evaluated. Foot structure characteristics such as foot length, metatarsal width, calcaneal valgus angle will be calculated for the foot posture. Also, the Foot Posture Index (FPI-6) scale will be used. The body posture will be evaluated with the New York Posture Scale. Many gait characteristics such as step length, cadence, support surface of the patients will be determined with GaitRite instrumented walkway. Patients' balance assessment will be evaluated with Bertec Balance Advantage. The statistical analysis method will determine the relationship between foot and body posture and gait and balance.

The primary aim is to characterize the prevalence, severity and quality of musculoskeletal nociceptive pain in adult patients with neuromuscular disorders (NMD). The secondary objectives are to evaluate whether severity and distribution of muscle pain is associated with muscle function, and to assess whether muscle pain is associated with alterations of muscle elasticity and muscle stiffness. Results of patients with neuromuscular disorders will be compared to age- and gender-matched healthy volunteers. Approx. 70 patients with neuromuscular disorders and 20 healthy volunteers will be enrolled, including patients with the following neuromuscular disorders: histologically confirmed inclusion body myositis (IBM), genetically confirmed late-onset Pompe disease (LOPD), genetically confirmed spinal muscular atrophy type 3 (SMA3), genetically confirmed facio-scapulo-humeral muscle dystrophy (FSHD), genetically confirmed myotonic dystrophy type 1 or type 2 (DM1, DM2). The duration of patient recruitment will be around 12 months.

This protocol proposes to establish gene expression profiles of muscular dystrophies for correct diagnosis and for development of experimental therapies for these diseases.

The objective of this study is to identify and maintain a registry of well-characterized limb-girdle muscular dystrophy (LGMD) patients. Patients seen as part of this study may be candidates for future treatment trials based on their defined genetic classification of LGMD. In the course of this study, the investigators will perform a muscle biopsy and DNA testing in an unlimited number of patients with clinically diagnosed LGMD. The genetic testing will be extended to the family of the study subject in order to better understand true genetic defect.

Purpose This cardiac dysfunction in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy is associated with minor cardiac damage as indicated by elevation of plasma cardiac troponin I (cTnI). The purpose of this study is to investigate whether the administration of Carvedilol can suppress the minor cardiac damage and prevent deterioration of cardiac function.

The purpose of the research study is to evaluate different cardiac measures that are obtained by echocardiographic tests in patients with muscular dystrophy.

OBJECTIVES: I. Examine the interrelationships between muscle wasting (phenotype), the degree of myotonic dystrophy (DM) gene expression (genotype) in patients with DM. II. Characterize the insulin resistance in these patients. III. Assess the glucose uptake in the leg and forearm tissues of these patients. IV. Determine the stability of the DM gene lesion in muscles over a 5-10 year period.

The purpose of this study is to make a standardized and scalable Rasch-built clinical severity scale to help in finding genetic and environmental modifiers of disease in Facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy (FSHD).

The purpose of the study is to explore the biomarker Fast Troponins response to exercise in patients with Becker muscular dystrophy, Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy and McArdle disease