title: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: combined nutritional, respiratory and functional assessment.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  To establish correlations between nutritional, functional and respiratory indices of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty patients (13 appendicular-GA and 7 bulbar-GB) were included in the multidisciplinary study at the Neurological Clinic Ambulatory of the University of Campinas Hospital.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Among the GA type significant correlation was observed between maximal inspiratory (MIP) and expiratory (MEP) pressure (r=-0.76), MEP and pulse oxymetry (r=0.58), MIP and percent weight loss (%WL; r=0.59), and between MIP, total and subscale respiratory scores (ALSFRS-R) with %WL. With regard to the GB, correlation was found between MEP and body mass index (BMI) (r=0.97). In both GA and GB correlations were noticed between the BMI and the variables mass (kg), fat (%), arm and wrist circumference (cm), and tricipital, subscapular and supra-iliac skinfolds (mm), as well as the arm muscle circumference (cm) and fatty arm muscular area (mm2).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  It is suggested that the application of simple anthropometric measurements could be useful in routine monitoring of patients with ALS.
authors.affiliation: Food and Nutrition Department, Center for Food Security Studies, School of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil. luciano@unifal-mg.edu.br
authors.forename: Luciano Bruno de Carvalho
authors.initials: LB
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Lucia Figueiredo
authors.initials: LF
authors.lastname: Mourão
authors.forename: Ariovaldo Armando
authors.initials: AA
authors.lastname: Silva
authors.forename: Núbia Maria Freire Vieira
authors.initials: NM
authors.lastname: Lima
authors.forename: Sara Regina
authors.initials: SR
authors.lastname: Almeida
authors.forename: Marcondes C
authors.initials: MC
authors.lastname: Franca
authors.forename: Anamarli
authors.initials: A
authors.lastname: Nucci
authors.forename: Jaime
authors.initials: J
authors.lastname: Amaya-Farfán
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000503:physiopathology*; D015992:Body Mass Index; D003430:Cross-Sectional Studies; D006801:Humans; D008451:Maximal Voluntary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology; D008875:Middle Aged; D015596:Nutrition Assessment; D009752:Nutritional Status / Q000502:physiology*; D012123:Pulmonary Ventilation / Q000502:physiology*; D012132:Respiratory Muscles / Q000503:physiopathology; D012137:Respiratory System / Q000503:physiopathology*; D012720:Severity of Illness Index