Neuromuscular Ultrasound for the Evaluation of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive loss of motor neurons, which results in weakness, respiratory compromise, and typically death within 5 years of disease onset. The diagnosis is often delayed up to a year from the time of onset because it is a clinical diagnosis and there are few tests available to assist in the diagnostic evaluation. Neuromuscular ultrasound is an emerging tool for the diagnosis of a variety of conditions, but it has not been studied extensively in individuals with ALS. This study was designed to determine if neuromuscular ultrasound could detect changes in peripheral nerves and muscles of individuals with ALS, which could then be used to assist in diagnosis. Several neuromuscular ultrasound parameters were compared between 20 individuals with ALS and 20 age and gender matched controls. The cross-sectional area of the median nerve in the mid-arm was smaller in the ALS group than controls (10.5 mm2 vs. 12.7 mm2, p = 0.0023), and the ALS group also had a thinner biceps/brachialis muscle complex than controls (2.1 cm vs. 2.9 cm, p = 0.0007). These findings show that neuromuscular ultrasound can detect nerve and muscle atrophy in ALS, so it should be further explored prospectively as a diagnostic tool and possible disease biomarker.

Grantor dc:publisher

Wake Forest University

Year dc:date.issued

2012

Author dc:creator

• Cartwright, Michael Stephen

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Language dc:language.iso

en

Handle dc:identifier.uri

http://hdl.handle.net/10339/37240

OAI identifier oai:identifier

oai:wakespace.lib.wfu.edu:10339/37240