Brain Excitability and Connectivity in Sensory-motor Pathways in ALS

Study Overview
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Brief Summary
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The main objective is to determine the origin of somatosensory alteration in patients with ALS and to evaluate its impact on brain activity by coupling different imaging modalities and indirect electrophysiology. The secondary objective is to evaluate whether the observed functional changes in MEG / EEG and functional MRI correlate with structural lesions revealed with diffusion MRI (anatomo-functional connectivity of the brain).

Detailed Description
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Somatosensory evoked potentials (SEPs) produced by ulnar nerve electrical stimulation will be collected with combined MEG and EGG. Functional MRI will be performed during electrical stimulation of ulnar nerve and during mechanical vibration of ADM tendon. Brain diffusion MRI will be performed. Anatomical MRI will be done for source location. Brain resting state activity will be recorded with MEG/EEG and fMRI.

Official Title
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Evaluation and Characterization of Infraclinical Sensory Deficits in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by Brain Imaging and Electrophysiology

Conditions
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Intervention / Treatment
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* Device: functional MRI
* Device: structural MRI
* Device: EEG/MEG


Participation Criteria
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Eligibility Criteria
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Inclusion Criteria: ALS, MRC score ≥ 4 at least in one hand Controls: no history of neurological disorders, right-handed Exclusion Criteria: contraindication to MRI

Ages Eligible for Study
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Minimum Age: 30 Years
Maximum Age: 80 Years

Sexes Eligible for Study
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All

Accepts Healthy Volunteers
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Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Study Plan
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How is the study designed?
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Design Details

Primary Purpose: Basic Science
Allocation: Non-Randomized
Intervention Model: Parallel Assignment
Interventional Model Description: patients vs. health subjects
Masking: None (Open Label)


Arms and Interventions

| Participant Group/Arm | Intervention/Treatment |
| --- | --- |
| Experimental: functional MRI<br>a group of patients with ALS and a group of gender and age matched healthy subjects will have functional MRI acquisition conditioned by electrical and mechanical stimuli of ADM proprioceptors | Device: functional MRI<br>* conditioning brain activity with peripheral stimulations<br>|
| Experimental: structural MRI<br>a group of patients with ALS and a group of gender and age matched healthy subjects will have diffusion MRI acquisition to evaluate their brain structures | Device: structural MRI<br>* diffusion MRI and tractography for evaluating the brain structures<br>|
| Experimental: EEG/MEG<br>a group of patients with ALS and a group of gender and age matched healthy subjects will have functional MRI acquisition conditioned by electrical stimuli of ADM proprioceptors | Device: EEG/MEG<br>* conditioning brain activity with peripheral stimulations<br>|

What is the study measuring?
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Primary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brain activity | Brain parametric maps | 1 hour | 

Secondary Outcome Measures

| Outcome Measure | Measure Description | Time Frame |
| --- | --- | --- |
| Brain connectivity | diffusion brain MRI (tractography) | 15 min | 

 Terms related to the study
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Keywords Provided by Centre Hospitalier Valida
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Brain excitability, Brain connectivity, Motor cortex, Somatosensory cortex