MUALS

Motor Neuron Excitability in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Objective

• Are recruitment and firing rates of single motor units in participants with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) different compared with healthy individuals?
• What is the Force/EMG relationship, in case of participants with ALS? Is there a specific relationship between re-innervated motor units (with enlarged Motor Unit Potential Shapes) and Force?
• Can fasciculation potentials be recorded noninvasively from ALS patients?
• Is there any difference between motor unit action potential parameters between participants with ALS and healthy individuals?
• What are the differences in axon excitability between participants with ALS and healthy individuals, and what are the associations between axon excitability, fasciculations, and functional measures (ie., strength)?

IRB Protocol Number

STU00014437

Principal Investigator(s)

Ping Zhou

Clinical Trial Categories

• Musculoskeletal Research
• General Rehabilitation
• Neural Engineering Research

Compensation

• Provided

Sponsor(s)

National Institutes of Health (NIH)

Contact

Emily Case at 312-238-1560
or ecase1@ric.org

How to Participate

• Participants definitively diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Healthy control subjects between the ages of 40-80 with no disorder of the muscles or nerves

Compensation Provided         $40