Active clinical trials for "Muscular Dystrophies"

Oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD) is a rare myopathic disease that results in progressive degeneration of the oral and pharyngeal muscular, resulting in severe dysphagia and dysarthria. OPMD is considered a rare disease; therefore, limited research is available on the natural progression of the disease or the utility of biomarkers to identify swallowing impairment. The aim of this study is: To identify accurate, reliable and non-invasive clinical markers of swallowing impairment To determine the discriminate ability of these markers to identify impairments in swallow safety and swallowing efficiency.

A Quality work was conducted to enable the future construction of a Quality of Life Questionnaire Related to Health (HRQoL) in patients with slowly progressive neuromuscular disease (NMD) as myopathies and muscular dystrophies. The discussion group training is an effective method to perform a thorough investigation of aspects of HRQoL potentially altered by NMD. Patients were recruited in France by 4 reference centers MNMs. All verbal interactions between participants focus groups were recorded. A qualitative analysis of the transcript was performed. The transcript provided 2424 CIF categories. The results helped to identify and quantify aspects of life that are altered by NMDs between patients. A pool of 64 items and a validated questionnaire (the WHOQOLBREF) were thern passed by 159 patients enrolled in eight reference centers MNMs. The investigators constructed a questionnaire called QoLNMD which is composed of two general items and 24 items classified into three areas: (1) \ Impact bodily symptoms, "(2) \ Self-perception" and (3) \ Activity participation. "Each area has good psychometric properties (Cronbach's alpha> 0.77, test-retest ICC> 0.81, H Loevinger> 0.41) and met the assumptions of IRT. the comparison with the WHOQOL-BREF was used to assess similarities and differences with a generic questionnaire. The next step was to validate the QoLNMD reassessing its psychometric properties in a new patient sample and calibrate the IRT measurement system. The purpose of these new part of study was to validate the French version of the QoL-NMD on a confirmatory sample of patients and to calibrate its measurement system. A prospective study in 8 NMD referral centers (France) was conducted. Both the QoL-NMD and a validated generic questionnaire (the WHOQOLBREF) were administered to patients. 156 patients were included for the confirmatory psychometric analysis. All three domains showed adequate psychometric properties and met IRT assumptions. The IRT model calibration was then performed successfully on 315 patients. The French version of the QoL-NMD showed adequate psychometric properties and can be used in rehabilitation services. A conversion table enables easy transformation of sum scores into IRT-calibrated measures. Minimum detectable change tables help interpreting score change.

The family of inflammatory/autoimmune systemic diseases (IAD) form a continuum from pure inflammatory diseases to pure autoimmune diseases, encompassing a large panel of inflammatory diseases with some autoimmune components, and vice versa. Cross phenotyping of patients with IAD should be heuristic and help revise the nosography and the understanding of these diseases.

Investigators 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.

Data 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.

Facioscapulohumeral Muscular Dystrophy (FSHD) is one of the most common forms of muscular dystrophy, characterized by pronounced skeletal weakness and with a broad spectrum of diseases. It is a hereditary disease seen in 3-5/100,000 of society, usually starting with weakness in the facial and shoulder muscles and progressing to the trunk, pelvis and leg muscles, giving symptoms in the twenties. In FSHD, which shows slow progression and can lead to loss of ambulation ability in about 20% of patients, patients may have difficulty performing activities above shoulder level with the influence of the periscapular area. The goal of FSHD treatment is to improve muscle strength and/or function. Treatments include medical, conservative and surgical methods. The aim of surgical methods is to improve shoulder function and prevent pain caused by the movements of the scapula. The publications on physiotherapy interventions and aerobic exercise are available as conservative treatment. In patients diagnosed with FSHD, conservative treatment is frequently used to improve muscle strength, regulate function and improve the quality of life of patients. Patients with FSHD use their affected upper extremities asymmetrically, which leads to the development of restrictive compensation mechanisms in the development of symmetrical postural control. Postural control deficits may occur due to limited use of the affected scapula in individuals with FSHD. Accordingly, in cases with FSHD, there is the use of atypical movements for balance and mobility. It is not yet known whether people with FSHD really have poorer dynamic stability during self-initiated whole-body movements such as walking, and at what stage of the disease these difficulties arise. Accordingly, the aim of this study was to examine the effects of rehabilitation approaches applied to the upper limb on upper limb function, balance and walking in patients with FSHD. H1: Within the group of patients with FSHD patients underwent surgery arthrodesis surgery scapulothoracic applied to pre-treatment with the parameters of the rehabilitation program for the evaluation of upper limb functionality after applying the upper extremities, postural control and gait parameters examined, there is statistical difference between the groups.

Purpose: 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.

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.

The purpose of this research study is to demonstrate that individuals with upper limb paralysis due to spinal cord injury, brachial plexus injury, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and brain stem stroke can successfully achieve direct brain control of assistive devices using an electrocorticography (ECoG)-based brain computer interface system.

The 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.