title: Quantifying disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis using peripheral nerve sonography.
abstract: In this study we investigated whether peripheral nerve sonography could be used as a biomarker to monitor disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
  
  
  
  In 37 patients, ulnar and median nerve cross-sectional area (CSA) was determined in at least 2 ultrasound sessions; mean follow-up was 14.5 months. Linear mixed-effects models were conducted to analyze time effects on CSA.
  
  
  
  Ulnar nerve CSA declined significantly at a monthly rate of -0.04 mm(2) (forearm) and -0.05 mm(2) (wrist); the decrease was more pronounced when baseline CSA was greater. To detect a 50% treatment effect on ulnar nerve CSA, 332 patients would need to be entered in a hypothetical randomized, controlled clinical trial. Time had no significant impact on median nerve CSA.
  
  
  
  Distal ulnar nerve ultrasound may be a useful biomarker to monitor disease progression in ALS, especially as hypothetical treatment effects on CSA seem to be detectable in manageable cohort sizes. Muscle Nerve 54: 391-397, 2016.
authors: Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases within the Helmholtz Association, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Stefanie
authors: S
authors: Schreiber
authors: Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases within the Helmholtz Association, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Verena
authors: V
authors: Dannhardt-Stieger
authors: Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Dorothea
authors: D
authors: Henkel
authors: Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Grazyna
authors: G
authors: Debska-Vielhaber
authors: Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases within the Helmholtz Association, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Judith
authors: J
authors: Machts
authors: Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases within the Helmholtz Association, Magdeburg, Germany.|Clinic for Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Abdulla
authors: Institute of Biometry and Medical Informatics, Otto-von-Guericke University, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Siegfried
authors: S
authors: Kropf
authors: Clinic for Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Katja
authors: K
authors: Kollewe
authors: Clinic for Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Susanne
authors: S
authors: Petri
authors: Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases within the Helmholtz Association, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Hans-Jochen
authors: HJ
authors: Heinze
authors: Clinic for Neurology, Hannover Medical School, Hannover, Germany.
authors: Reinhard
authors: R
authors: Dengler
authors: German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases within the Helmholtz Association, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Peter J
authors: PJ
authors: Nestor
authors: Department of Neurology, Otto-von-Guericke University, Leipziger Strasse 44, 39120, Magdeburg, Germany.|German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases within the Helmholtz Association, Magdeburg, Germany.
authors: Stefan
authors: S
authors: Vielhaber
mesh_terms: D000368:Aged; D000690:Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging / Q000473:pathology / Q000503:physiopathology; D018450:Disease Progression; D005260:Female; D005500:Follow-Up Studies; D005542:Forearm / Q000294:innervation; D006801:Humans; D008297:Male; D008875:Middle Aged; D009431:Neural Conduction / Q000502:physiology; D010525:Peripheral Nerves / Q000000981:diagnostic imaging* / Q000503:physiopathology*; D014463:Ultrasonography / Q000379:methods*; D014953:Wrist / Q000294:innervation
keywords: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; biomarker; cross-sectional area; median nerve; ulnar nerve; ultrasound