Muscle degeneration in ALS

STUDY BASICS

Do you have ALS? You may be eligible for a research study at the University of Pittsburgh recruiting healthy volunteers and motor neuron disease volunteers for a study that aims to determine how muscle types impacts degeneration in human Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Muscles of the upper and lower limb will be evaluated and compared.

STUDY PURPOSE

Multiple mechanisms are thought to contribute in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), though clear cause and effect relationships are lacking. With respect to the motor function, studies in animal models suggest that different muscle types are affected differently by the disease. Thus, there is a critical need to determine the role of muscle type and to identify the mechanisms responsible for this vulnerability.

COULD THIS STUDY BE RIGHT FOR YOU?

• 18 years of age or older
• diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

WHAT PARTICIPANTS CAN EXPECT

Each volunteer will be asked to participate for a 3 hour session, including 1 hour for sensor preparation and calibration, followed by 2 hours of data collection. During the visit, volunteers will complete common tasks such as reaching, grasping, and manipulating objects. Sensors will be used to record various motor tasks. These sessions may be repeated up to 18 times to contribute multiple data sets.