Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: combined nutritional, respiratory and functional assessment.
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.
Silva
Luciano Bruno de Carvalho
LB
Food and Nutrition Department, Center for Food Security Studies, School of Food Engineering, University of Campinas, Campinas, SP, Brazil. luciano@unifal-mg.edu.br
Mourão
Lucia Figueiredo
LF
Silva
Ariovaldo Armando
AA
Lima
Núbia Maria Freire Vieira
NM
Almeida
Sara Regina
SR
Franca
Marcondes C
MC
Nucci
Anamarli
A
Amaya-Farfán
Jaime
J
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