title: Peripheral nerve and muscle ultrasound in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: BACKGROUND
  High-resolution ultrasound has been used to evaluate several neuromuscular conditions, but it has only been used on a limited basis in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. It has not been used to assess their peripheral nerves. This study was designed to use neuromuscular ultrasound to investigate nerve cross-sectional area and muscle thickness in ALS.
  
  
  METHODS
  Twenty individuals with ALS and 20 matched controls underwent neuromuscular ultrasound to measure the cross-sectional area of their median and sural nerves and the thickness of their biceps/brachialis muscle complex.
  
  
  RESULTS
  The cross-sectional area of the median nerve in the mid-arm was smaller in the ALS group than in controls (10.5 mm(2) vs. 12.7 mm(2) , P = 0.0023), but no difference was seen in the sural nerve (4.5 mm(2) vs. 5.0 mm(2) , P = 0.1927). The ALS group also had thinner biceps/brachialis than controls (2.1 cm vs. 2.9 cm, P = 0.0007).
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Neuromuscular ultrasound demonstrates nerve and muscle atrophy in ALS and should be further explored as a disease biomarker.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Wake Forest University School of Medicine, Reynolds Tower, Winston-Salem, North Carolina 27157, USA. mcartwri@wfubmc.edu
authors.forename: Michael S
authors.initials: MS
authors.lastname: Cartwright
authors.forename: Francis O
authors.initials: FO
authors.lastname: Walker
authors.forename: Leah P
authors.initials: LP
authors.lastname: Griffin
authors.forename: James B
authors.initials: JB
authors.lastname: Caress
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D016022:Case-Control Studies; D005260:Female; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008475:Median Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D008875:Middle Aged; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D009133:Muscular Atrophy / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging*; D013497:Sural Nerve / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging; D014463:Ultrasonography