Visualization of nerves and muscles in the forearm - In patients with multifocal motor neuropathy (MMN), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and healthy volunteers

Recruitment & Eligibility

Status: Completed

Sex: Not specified

Target Recruitment: 30

Inclusion Criteria

Patients with MMN
* Slowly progressive or stepwise progressive limb weakness
* Asymmetrical limb weakness
* Number of affected limb regions < 7. Limb regions are defined as upper arm, lower arm, upper leg, or lower leg on both sides
* Decreased or absent tendon reflexes in affected limbs
* Signs and symptoms are more pronounced in upper limbs than in lower limbs
* Age at onset of disease: 20*65 years;Patients with ALS
Inclusion criteria are based on the guidelines for diagnosis explained by [18]
* Evidence of lower motor neuron degeneration by clinical, electrophysiological or neuropathological examination
* Evidence of upper motor neuron degeneration by clinical examination
* Progressive spread of symptoms or signs within a region or to other regions, as determined by history or examination
* Patient should be between 20-65 years;Healthy controls
* Volunteers are healthy
* Volunteers are 18 year or older
* Volunteers are capable and prepared to sign an informed consent form

Exclusion Criteria

Patients with MMN
* The patients should have no objective sensory abnormalities except for vibration sense
* The patients should have no bulbar signs or symptoms
* The patients should have no upper motor neuron features
* The patients should have no other neuropathies (eg, diabetic, lead, porphyric or vasculitic neuropathy; chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; Lyme neuroborreliosis; postradiation neuropathy; hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies; Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathies; meningeal carcinomatosis)
* The patients should have no myopathy (eg, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, inclusion body myositis);Patients with ALS
* Patients should not have other disease processes that might explain the signs of lower/upper motor neuron degeneration
* The patients should have no other neuropathies (eg, diabetic, lead, porphyric or vasculitic neuropathy; chronic inflammatory demyelinating polyneuropathy; Lyme neuroborreliosis; postradiation neuropathy; hereditary neuropathy with liability to pressure palsies; Charcot-Marie-Tooth neuropathies; meningeal carcinomatosis)
* The patients should have no myopathy (eg, facioscapulohumeral muscular dystrophy, inclusion body myositis);Healthy controls
* Volunteers with contra-indications for MRI (like a pacemaker, claustrophobia).
* Volunteers with known MMN, ALS or other neuropathy related disease

Study & Design

Study Type: Observational invasive

Study Design: Not specified

Primary Outcome Measures

Name	Time	Method
<p>The main study parameters will be on the one hand qualitative in terms of<br /><br>anatomy based on the anatomical MRI images (T1 and T2 sequences and 3D DTI<br /><br>tractography) and ultrasound images, and on the other hand quantitative in<br /><br>terms of diffusion parameters including the fractional anisotropy, mean<br /><br>diffusivity, axial diffusivity and radial diffusivity and ultrasound<br /><br>measurements including the cross sectional nerve and fascicle area, nerve<br /><br>length and echogenicity. These results will be compared to the EMG. With EMG it<br /><br>is possible to obtain information regarding the nerve and muscle conduction.<br /><br>Potential differences in conduction will be compared to ultrasound and MRI<br /><br>parameters.</p><br>

Secondary Outcome Measures