title: Complex fasciculation potentials and survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
abstract: OBJECTIVE
  We investigated the relationship between fasciculation potentials (FPs) and survival in patients with ALS.
  
  
  METHODS
  In 85 ALS patients, we prospectively performed needle EMG in five to seven muscles of each patient. The shape of the detected FPs was analyzed by inspection, and FPs with >4 phases were judged as complex FPs. We analyzed the correlation between complex FPs and survival period using the Cox proportional hazard model.
  
  
  RESULTS
  Complex FPs were observed in 47 patients, more frequently in the muscles with normal strength or mild weakness. The presence of complex FPs was associated with shorter survival (hazard ratio 3.055; p=0.004). The greater the number of muscles with complex FPs, the shorter the survival and the faster the progression speed.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Wide distribution of complex FPs is associated with shorter survival in ALS.
  
  
  CONCLUSIONS
  Complex FPs are useful to predict prognosis of ALS patients and should be evaluated in the EMG examination.
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital, Tokyo, Japan. Electronic address: toshio_shimizu@tmhp.jp.
authors.forename: Toshio
authors.initials: T
authors.lastname: Shimizu
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Yumi
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Fujimaki
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Setsu
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Nakatani-Enomoto
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Tokyo Metropolitan Neurological Hospital, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Shiro
authors.initials: S
authors.lastname: Matsubara
authors.affiliation: ALS/Neuropathy Project, Tokyo Metropolitan Institute of Medical Science, Tokyo, Japan.
authors.forename: Kazuhiko
authors.initials: K
authors.lastname: Watabe
authors.affiliation: Institute of Neurology, Catholic University of The Sacred Heart, Rome, Italy.
authors.forename: Paolo Maria
authors.initials: PM
authors.lastname: Rossini
authors.affiliation: Department of Neurology, Fukushima Medical University School of Medicine, Fukushima, Japan.
authors.forename: Yoshikazu
authors.initials: Y
authors.lastname: Ugawa
mesh_terms: D000328:Adult; D017668:Age of Onset; D000368:Aged; D000369:Aged, 80 and over; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000175:diagnosis* / Q000401:mortality* / Q000503:physiopathology; D001369:Axons / Q000502:physiology; D018450:Disease Progression; D055808:Drug Discovery; D004576:Electromyography / Q000295:instrumentation; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D006801:Humans; D008137:Longitudinal Studies; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D015999:Multivariate Analysis; D018482:Muscle, Skeletal / Q000294:innervation / Q000503:physiopathology*; D011379:Prognosis; D016016:Proportional Hazards Models; D015996:Survival Rate
keywords: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Complex fasciculation potential; Electromyography; Survival prognosis