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Ilg W, Milne S, Schmitz-Hübsch T, Alcock L, Beichert L, Bertini E, Mohamed Ibrahim N, Dawes H, Gomez CM, Hanagasi H, Kinnunen KM, Minnerop M, Németh AH, Newman J, Ng YS, Rentz C, Samanci B, Shah VV, Summa S, Vasco G, McNames J, Horak FB. Quantitative Gait and Balance Outcomes for Ataxia Trials: Consensus Recommendations by the Ataxia Global Initiative Working Group on Digital-Motor Biomarkers. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 23:1566-1592. [PMID: 37955812 PMCID: PMC11269489 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-023-01625-2] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 10/20/2023] [Indexed: 11/14/2023]
Abstract
With disease-modifying drugs on the horizon for degenerative ataxias, ecologically valid, finely granulated, digital health measures are highly warranted to augment clinical and patient-reported outcome measures. Gait and balance disturbances most often present as the first signs of degenerative cerebellar ataxia and are the most reported disabling features in disease progression. Thus, digital gait and balance measures constitute promising and relevant performance outcomes for clinical trials.This narrative review with embedded consensus will describe evidence for the sensitivity of digital gait and balance measures for evaluating ataxia severity and progression, propose a consensus protocol for establishing gait and balance metrics in natural history studies and clinical trials, and discuss relevant issues for their use as performance outcomes.
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Affiliation(s)
- Winfried Ilg
- Section Computational Sensomotorics, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Otfried-Müller-Straße 25, 72076, Tübingen, Germany.
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Sarah Milne
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research, Murdoch Children's Research Institute, Parkville, VIC, Australia
- Department of Paediatrics, Melbourne University, Melbourne, VIC, Australia
- Physiotherapy Department, Monash Health, Clayton, VIC, Australia
- School of Primary and Allied Health Care, Monash University, Frankston, VIC, Australia
| | - Tanja Schmitz-Hübsch
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a cooperation of Max-Delbrueck Center for Molecular Medicine and Charité, Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Clinical Research Center, Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lisa Alcock
- Translational and Clinical Research Institute, Faculty of Medical Sciences, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Lukas Beichert
- Department of Neurodegenerative Diseases and Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Enrico Bertini
- Research Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Bambino Gesu' Children's Research Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | | | - Helen Dawes
- NIHR Exeter BRC, College of Medicine and Health, University of Exeter, Exeter, UK
| | | | - Hasmet Hanagasi
- Behavioral Neurology and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | | | - Martina Minnerop
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1)), Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Center for Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Andrea H Németh
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Jane Newman
- NIHR Newcastle Biomedical Research Centre, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Yi Shiau Ng
- Wellcome Centre for Mitochondrial Research, Newcastle University, Newcastle upon Tyne, UK
| | - Clara Rentz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine (INM-1)), Research Centre Juelich, Juelich, Germany
| | - Bedia Samanci
- Behavioral Neurology and Movement Disorders Unit, Department of Neurology, Istanbul Faculty of Medicine, Istanbul University, Istanbul, Turkey
| | - Vrutangkumar V Shah
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- APDM Precision Motion, Clario, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Susanna Summa
- Movement Analysis and Robotics Laboratory (MARLab), Neurorehabilitation Unit, Neurological Science and Neurorehabilitation Area, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Gessica Vasco
- Movement Analysis and Robotics Laboratory (MARLab), Neurorehabilitation Unit, Neurological Science and Neurorehabilitation Area, Bambino Gesù Children's Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - James McNames
- APDM Precision Motion, Clario, Portland, OR, USA
- Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Portland State University, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Fay B Horak
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- APDM Precision Motion, Clario, Portland, OR, USA
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Ferrer-Mallol E, Matthews C, Aziza R, Mendoza A, Sahota N, Komarzynski S, Lakshminarayana R, Davies EH. Video-based assessments of activities of daily living: generating real-world evidence in pediatric rare diseases. Expert Rev Pharmacoecon Outcomes Res 2024; 24:713-721. [PMID: 38789406 DOI: 10.1080/14737167.2024.2360201] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/11/2024] [Accepted: 05/22/2024] [Indexed: 05/26/2024]
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Preserving function and independence to perform activities of daily living (ADL) is critical for patients and carers to manage the burden of care and improve quality of life. In children living with rare diseases, video recording ADLs offer the opportunity to collect the patients' experience in a real-life setting and accurately reflect treatment effectiveness on outcomes that matter to patients and families. AREAS COVERED We reviewed the measurement of ADL in pediatric rare diseases and the use of video to develop at-home electronic clinical outcome assessments (eCOA) by leveraging smartphone apps and artificial intelligence-based analysis. We broadly searched PubMed using Boolean combinations of the following MeSH terms 'Rare Diseases,' 'Quality of Life,' 'Activities of Daily Living,' 'Child,' 'Video Recording,' 'Outcome Assessment, Healthcare,' 'Intellectual disability,' and 'Genetic Diseases, Inborn.' Non-controlled vocabulary was used to include human pose estimation in movement analysis. EXPERT OPINION Broad uptake of video eCOA in drug development is linked to the generation of technical and clinical validation evidence to confidently assess a patient's functional abilities. Software platforms handling video data must align with quality regulations to ensure data integrity, security, and privacy. Regulatory flexibility and optimized validation processes should facilitate video eCOA to support benefit/risk drug assessment.
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Diao Y, Xie H, Wang Y, Zhao B, Yang A, Hlavnicka J, Zhang J. Acoustic assessment in mandarin-speaking Parkinson's disease patients and disease progression monitoring and brain impairment within the speech subsystem. NPJ Parkinsons Dis 2024; 10:115. [PMID: 38866758 PMCID: PMC11169641 DOI: 10.1038/s41531-024-00720-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/05/2023] [Accepted: 05/10/2024] [Indexed: 06/14/2024] Open
Abstract
Approximately 90% of Parkinson's patients (PD) suffer from dysarthria. However, there is currently a lack of research on acoustic measurements and speech impairment patterns among Mandarin-speaking individuals with PD. This study aims to assess the diagnosis and disease monitoring possibility in Mandarin-speaking PD patients through the recommended speech paradigm for non-tonal languages, and to explore the anatomical and functional substrates. We examined total of 160 native Mandarin-speaking Chinese participants consisting of 80 PD patients, 40 healthy controls (HC), and 40 MRI controls. We screened the optimal acoustic metric combination for PD diagnosis. Finally, we used the objective metrics to predict the patient's motor status using the Naïve Bayes model and analyzed the correlations between cortical thickness, subcortical volumes, functional connectivity, and network properties. Comprehensive acoustic screening based on prosodic, articulation, and phonation abnormalities allows differentiation between HC and PD with an area under the curve of 0.931. Patients with slowed reading exhibited atrophy of the fusiform gyrus (FDR p = 0.010, R = 0.391), reduced functional connectivity between the fusiform gyrus and motor cortex, and increased nodal local efficiency (NLE) and nodal efficiency (NE) in bilateral pallidum. Patients with prolonged pauses demonstrated atrophy in the left hippocampus, along with decreased NLE and NE. The acoustic assessment in Mandarin proves effective in diagnosis and disease monitoring for Mandarin-speaking PD patients, generalizing standardized acoustic guidelines beyond non-tonal languages. The speech impairment in Mandarin-speaking PD patients not only involves motor aspects of speech but also encompasses the cognitive processes underlying language generation.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yu Diao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Hutao Xie
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Yanwen Wang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Baotian Zhao
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
| | - Anchao Yang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neurostimulation, Beijing, China
| | - Jan Hlavnicka
- Centre of Clinical Neuroscience, 1st Faculty of Medicine, Charles University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
- Department of Circuit Theory, Faculty of Electrical Engineering, Czech Technical University in Prague, Prague, Czech Republic.
| | - Jianguo Zhang
- Department of Neurosurgery, Beijing Tiantan Hospital, Capital Medical University, Beijing, China.
- Beijing Key Laboratory of Neurostimulation, Beijing, China.
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Németh AH, Antoniades CA, Dukart J, Minnerop M, Rentz C, Schuman BJ, van de Warrenburg B, Willemse I, Bertini E, Gupta AS, de Mello Monteiro CB, Almoajil H, Quinn L, Perlman SB, Horak F, Ilg W, Traschütz A, Vogel AP, Dawes H. Using Smartphone Sensors for Ataxia Trials: Consensus Guidance by the Ataxia Global Initiative Working Group on Digital-Motor Biomarkers. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 23:912-923. [PMID: 38015365 PMCID: PMC11102363 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-023-01608-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/25/2023] [Indexed: 11/29/2023]
Abstract
Smartphone sensors are used increasingly in the assessment of ataxias. To date, there is no specific consensus guidance regarding a priority set of smartphone sensor measurements, or standard assessment criteria that are appropriate for clinical trials. As part of the Ataxia Global Initiative Digital-Motor Biomarkers Working Group (AGI WG4), aimed at evaluating key ataxia clinical domains (gait/posture, upper limb, speech and oculomotor assessments), we provide consensus guidance for use of internal smartphone sensors to assess key domains. Guidance was developed by means of a literature review and a two stage Delphi study conducted by an Expert panel, which surveyed members of AGI WG4, representing clinical, research, industry and patient-led experts, and consensus meetings by the Expert panel to agree on standard criteria and map current literature to these criteria. Seven publications were identified that investigated ataxias using internal smartphone sensors. The Delphi 1 survey ascertained current practice, and systems in use or under development. Wide variations in smartphones sensor use for assessing ataxia were identified. The Delphi 2 survey identified seven measures that were strongly endorsed as priorities in assessing 3/4 domains, namely gait/posture, upper limb, and speech performance. The Expert panel recommended 15 standard criteria to be fulfilled in studies. Evaluation of current literature revealed that none of the studies met all criteria, with most being early-phase validation studies. Our guidance highlights the importance of consensus, identifies priority measures and standard criteria, and will encourage further research into the use of internal smartphone sensors to measure ataxia digital-motor biomarkers.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrea H Németh
- Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
- Oxford Centre for Genomic Medicine, Oxford University Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust, Oxford, UK
| | - Chrystalina A Antoniades
- Neurometrology Group, Nuffield Department of Clinical Neurosciences, University of Oxford, Oxford, UK
| | - Juergen Dukart
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, Brain & Behaviour (INM-7), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
- Institute of Systems Neuroscience, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
| | - Martina Minnerop
- Institute of Clinical Neuroscience and Medical Psychology, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Center for Movement Disorders and Neuromodulation, Medical Faculty & University Hospital Düsseldorf, Heinrich Heine University Düsseldorf, Düsseldorf, Germany
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | - Clara Rentz
- Institute of Neuroscience and Medicine, (INM-1), Research Centre Jülich, Jülich, Germany
| | | | - Bart van de Warrenburg
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, 6525, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Ilse Willemse
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, Netherlands
| | - Enrico Bertini
- Unit of Neuromuscular and Neurodegenerative Disorders, Dept Neurosciences, Bambino Gesu' Children's Research Hospital, IRCCS, Rome, Italy
| | - Anoopum S Gupta
- Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Carlos Bandeira de Mello Monteiro
- Faculty of Medicine, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
- School of Arts, Science and Humanities, University of São Paulo, São Paulo, SP, Brazil
| | - Hajar Almoajil
- Physical Therapy Department, College of Applied Medical Sciences, Imam Abdulrahman Bin Faisal University, Damman, Saudi Arabia
| | - Lori Quinn
- Department of Biobehavioral Sciences, Teachers College, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | | | - Fay Horak
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, OR, USA
- APDM Precision Motion, Clario, Portland, OR, USA
| | - Winfried Ilg
- Section Computational Sensomotorics, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Tübingen, Germany
- Centre for Integrative Neuroscience (CIN), Tübingen, Germany
| | - Andreas Traschütz
- Research Division "Translational Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases", Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Center of Neurology, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Adam P Vogel
- Centre for Neuroscience of Speech, The University of Melbourne, Melbourne, Australia
- Division of Translational Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Center for Neurology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- Redenlab Inc, Melbourne, Australia
| | - Helen Dawes
- NIHR Exeter Biomedical Research Centre, Medical School, Faculty of Health and Life Sciences, College of Medicine and Health, St Lukes Campus, University of Exeter, Heavitree Road, Exeter, UK.
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Klockgether T, Synofzik M. Consensus Recommendations for Clinical Outcome Assessments and Registry Development in Ataxias: Ataxia Global Initiative (AGI) Working Group Expert Guidance. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 23:924-930. [PMID: 37020147 PMCID: PMC11102398 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-023-01547-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/13/2023] [Indexed: 04/07/2023]
Abstract
To accelerate and facilitate clinical trials, the Ataxia Global Initiative (AGI) was established as a worldwide research platform for trial readiness in ataxias. One of AGI's major goals is the harmonization and standardization of outcome assessments. Clinical outcome assessments (COAs) that describe or reflect how a patient feels or functions are indispensable for clinical trials, but similarly important for observational studies and in routine patient care. The AGI working group on COAs has defined a set of data including a graded catalog of COAs that are recommended as a standard for future assessment and sharing of clinical data and joint clinical studies. Two datasets were defined: a mandatory dataset (minimal dataset) that can ideally be obtained during a routine clinical consultation and a more demanding extended dataset that is useful for research purposes. In the future, the currently most widely used clinician-reported outcome measure (ClinRO) in ataxia, the scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA), should be developed into a generally accepted instrument that can be used in upcoming clinical trials. Furthermore, there is an urgent need (i) to obtain more data on ataxia-specific, patient-reported outcome measures (PROs), (ii) to demonstrate and optimize sensitivity to change of many COAs, and (iii) to establish methods and evidence of anchoring change in COAs in patient meaningfulness, e.g., by determining patient-derived minimally meaningful thresholds of change.
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Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Klockgether
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Venusberg-Campus, 53127, Bonn, Germany.
- Division Translational Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany.
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Venusberg-Campus, 53127, Bonn, Germany
- Division Translational Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Neurology, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany
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Velázquez-Pérez L, Rodríguez-Labrada R, Gonzalez-Garcés Y, Canales-Ochoa N, Medrano-Montero J, Domínguez-Barrios Y, Carrillo-Rodes FJ, Ramírez-Bautista MB, Caballero-Laguna A, Gámez-Rodríguez O, Hernández-Oliver MO, Sosa-Cruz Y, Zayas-Hernández A, Vázquez-Mojena Y, Ziemann U, Auburger G. COVID-19 Impacts the Mental Health and Speech Function in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 2: Evidences from a Follow-Up Study. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2024; 23:1101-1111. [PMID: 37861884 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-023-01612-7] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 09/30/2023] [Indexed: 10/21/2023]
Abstract
Limited evidence suggests that the SARS-CoV-2 infection can accelerate the progression of neurodegenerative diseases, but this has been not verified in the spinocerebellar ataxias (SCA). The objective of this study is to assess the impact of COVID-19 on the mental health and motor features of SCA2. A follow-up study was carried out in 170 Cuban SCA2 subjects and 87 community controls between 2020 and 2021. All subjects underwent a structured questionnaire to assess the risks of exposure to COVID-19, the confirmation of COVID-19 diagnosis, and the Hospital Anxiety and Depression Scale (HADS). Moreover, 36 subjects underwent the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of ataxia (SARA). The risk of exposure to SARS-CoV-2 and the frequency of COVID-19 were similar between the ataxia cohort and the community controls. Within the ataxia group, significantly increased HADS scores existed at the 2nd visit in both groups, but this increase was more evident for the infected group regarding the depression score. Moreover, a significant within-group increase of SARA score was observed in the infected group but not the non-infected group, which was mainly mediated by the significant increase of the speech item score in the infected group. Similar results were observed within the subgroup of preclinical carriers. Our study identified no selective vulnerability nor protection to COVID-19 in SCA2, but once infected, the patients experienced a deterioration of mental health and speech function, even at preclinical disease stage. These findings set rationales for tele-health approaches that minimize the detrimental effect of COVID-19 on SCA2 progression and identify SCA2 individuals as clinical model to elucidate the link between SARS-CoV-2 infection and neurodegeneration.
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Affiliation(s)
- Luis Velázquez-Pérez
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Libertad 26, Holguín, Cuba.
- Cuban Academy of Sciences, Cuba St. 460, between Teniente Rey St., and Compostela St., Habana Vieja, 19100, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Roberto Rodríguez-Labrada
- Cuban Centre for Neuroscience, Playa. 198 St, between 27 and 25th Ave., 16 Cubanacan 19818, Playa, 11300, Havana, Cuba.
| | - Yasmany Gonzalez-Garcés
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Libertad 26, Holguín, Cuba
| | - Nalia Canales-Ochoa
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Libertad 26, Holguín, Cuba
| | | | - Yennis Domínguez-Barrios
- Clinical & Surgical Hospital "Calixto Garcia", Universidad avenue & J st, Vedado, 14 Plaza de la Revolución, 10400, Havana, Cuba
| | - Frank J Carrillo-Rodes
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Libertad 26, Holguín, Cuba
| | | | | | - Osiel Gámez-Rodríguez
- University Hospital "Juan Bruno Zayas", Carretera del Caney Street. Pastorita, Santiago de Cuba, Cuba
| | | | | | | | - Yaimeé Vázquez-Mojena
- Cuban Centre for Neuroscience, Playa. 198 St, between 27 and 25th Ave., 16 Cubanacan 19818, Playa, 11300, Havana, Cuba
| | - Ulf Ziemann
- Department of Neurology and Stroke, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen, Hoppe-Seyler Str.3, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
- Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, Eberhard-Karls University of Tübingen, 22 Hoppe-Seyler Str.3, 72076, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Georg Auburger
- Experimental Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, Goethe University, 24, 60590, Frankfurt, Germany
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Cannizzo S, Quoidbach V, Giunti P, Oertel W, Pastores G, Relja M, Turchetti G. The COVID-19 pandemic impact on continuity of care provision on rare brain diseases and on ataxias, dystonia and PKU. A scoping review. Orphanet J Rare Dis 2024; 19:81. [PMID: 38383420 PMCID: PMC10880288 DOI: 10.1186/s13023-023-03005-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/12/2023] [Accepted: 12/19/2023] [Indexed: 02/23/2024] Open
Abstract
One of the most relevant challenges for healthcare providers during the COVID- 19 pandemic has been assuring the continuity of care to patients with complex health needs such as people living with rare diseases (RDs). The COVID-19 pandemic accelerated the healthcare sector's digital transformation agenda. The delivery of telemedicine services instead of many face-to-face procedures has been expanded and, many healthcare services not directly related to COVID-19 treatments shifted online remotely. Many hospitals, specialist centres, patients and families started to use telemedicine because they were forced to. This trend could directly represent a good practice on how care services could be organized and continuity of care could be ensured for patients. If done properly, it could boast improved patient outcomes and become a post COVID-19 major shift in the care paradigm. There is a fragmented stakeholders spectrum, as many questions arise on: how is e-health interacting with 'traditional' healthcare providers; about the role of the European Reference Networks (ERNs); if remote care can retain a human touch and stay patient centric. The manuscript is one of the results of the European Brain Council (EBC) Value of Treatment research project on rare brain disorders focusing on progressive ataxias, dystonia and phenylketonuria with the support of Academic Partners and in collaboration with European Reference Networks (ERNs) experts, applying empirical evidence from different European countries. The main purpose of this work is to investigate the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on the continuity of care for ataxias, dystonia and phenylketonuria (PKU) in Europe. The analysis carried out makes it possible to highlight the critical points encountered and to learn from the best experiences. Here, we propose a scoping review that investigates this topic, focusing on continuity of care and novel methods (e.g., digital approaches) used to reduce the care disruption. This scoping review was designed according to the Preferred Reporting Items for Systematic Reviews and Meta-Analyses extension for scoping reviews (PRISMA-ScR) standards. This work showed that the implementation of telemedicine services was the main measure that healthcare providers (HCPs) put in place and adopted for mitigating the effects of disruption or discontinuity of the healthcare services of people with rare neurological diseases and with neurometabolic disorders in Europe.
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Affiliation(s)
- Sara Cannizzo
- Institute of Management, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy
| | | | - Paola Giunti
- Ataxia Centre, Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, UK
| | | | - Gregory Pastores
- National Centre for inherited Metabolic Disorders, Mater Misericordiae University Hospital, Dublin, Ireland
| | - Maja Relja
- University of Zagreb Medical School, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Giuseppe Turchetti
- Institute of Management, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Pisa, Italy.
- Fulbright Scholar, Institute of Management, Scuola Superiore Sant'Anna, Piazza Martiri della Libertà, 33, 56127, Pisa, Italy.
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8
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Burger HU, Van de Casteele T, Rantell KR, Corey-Lisle P, Sfikas N, Abt M. Opportunities and challenges with decentralized trials in Neuroscience. Biom J 2023; 65:e2200370. [PMID: 37609878 DOI: 10.1002/bimj.202200370] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/28/2022] [Revised: 06/25/2023] [Accepted: 07/08/2023] [Indexed: 08/24/2023]
Abstract
Decentralized clinical trials (DCTs), that is, studies integrating elements of telemedicine and mobile/local healthcare providers allowing for home-based assessments, are an important concept to make studies more resilient and more patient-centric by taking into consideration participant's views and shifting trial activities to better meet the needs of trial participants. There are however, not only advantages but also challenges associated with DCTs. An area to be addressed by appropriate statistical methodology is the integration of data resulting from a possible mix of home and clinic assessments at different visits for the same variable, especially in adjusting for sources of possible systematic differences. One source of systematic bias may be how a participant perceives their disease and treatment in their home versus in a clinical setting. In this paper, we will discuss these issues with a focus on Neuroscience when participants have the choice between home and clinic assessments to illustrate how to identify systematic biases and describe appropriate approaches to maintain clinical trial scientific rigor. We will describe the benefits and challenges of DCTs in Neuroscience and then describe the relevance of home versus clinic assessments using the estimand framework. We outline several options to enable home assessments in a study. Results of simulations will be presented to help deciding between design and analysis options in a simple scenario where there might be differences in response between clinic and home assessments.
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Affiliation(s)
| | | | | | | | | | - Markus Abt
- Hoffmann-La Roche AG, Basel, Switzerland
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9
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Fanciulli A, Skorić MK, Leys F, Carneiro DR, Campese N, Calandra-Buonaura G, Camaradou J, Chiaro G, Cortelli P, Falup-Pecurariu C, Granata R, Guaraldi P, Helbok R, Hilz MJ, Iodice V, Jordan J, Kaal ECA, Kamondi A, Le Traon AP, Rocha I, Sellner J, Senard JM, Terkelsen A, Wenning GK, Moro E, Berger T, Thijs RD, Struhal W, Habek M. EFAS/EAN survey on the influence of the COVID-19 pandemic on European clinical autonomic education and research. Clin Auton Res 2023; 33:777-790. [PMID: 37792127 PMCID: PMC10751256 DOI: 10.1007/s10286-023-00985-3] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/11/2023] [Indexed: 10/05/2023]
Abstract
PURPOSE To understand the influence of the coronavirus disease 2019 (COVID-19) pandemic on clinical autonomic education and research in Europe. METHODS We invited 84 European autonomic centers to complete an online survey, recorded the pre-pandemic-to-pandemic percentage of junior participants in the annual congresses of the European Federation of Autonomic Societies (EFAS) and European Academy of Neurology (EAN) and the pre-pandemic-to-pandemic number of PubMed publications on neurological disorders. RESULTS Forty-six centers answered the survey (55%). Twenty-nine centers were involved in clinical autonomic education and experienced pandemic-related didactic interruptions for 9 (5; 9) months. Ninety percent (n = 26/29) of autonomic educational centers reported a negative impact of the COVID-19 pandemic on education quality, and 93% (n = 27/29) established e-learning models. Both the 2020 joint EAN-EFAS virtual congress and the 2021 (virtual) and 2022 (hybrid) EFAS and EAN congresses marked higher percentages of junior participants than in 2019. Forty-one respondents (89%) were autonomic researchers, and 29 of them reported pandemic-related trial interruptions for 5 (2; 9) months. Since the pandemic begin, almost half of the respondents had less time for scientific writing. Likewise, the number of PubMed publications on autonomic topics showed the smallest increase compared with other neurological fields in 2020-2021 and the highest drop in 2022. Autonomic research centers that amended their trial protocols for telemedicine (38%, n = 16/41) maintained higher clinical caseloads during the first pandemic year. CONCLUSIONS The COVID-19 pandemic had a substantial negative impact on European clinical autonomic education and research. At the same time, it promoted digitalization, favoring more equitable access to autonomic education and improved trial design.
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Affiliation(s)
- Alessandra Fanciulli
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria.
| | - Magdalena Krbot Skorić
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
- Faculty of Electrical Engineering and Computing, University of Zagreb, Zagreb, Croatia
| | - Fabian Leys
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Diogo Reis Carneiro
- Department of Neurology, Faculty of Medicine, University of Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
- Neurology Department, Centro Hospitalar e Universitário de Coimbra, Coimbra, Portugal
| | - Nicole Campese
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Giovanna Calandra-Buonaura
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Jennifer Camaradou
- Patient Partner of the EAN Scientific Panel for Autonomic Nervous System Disorders, London, UK
- Faculty of Medicine and Health Sciences, University of East Anglia, Norwich, UK
| | - Giacomo Chiaro
- Autonomic Unit, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Pietro Cortelli
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
- Department of Biomedical and Neuromotor Sciences, University of Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | | | - Roberta Granata
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Pietro Guaraldi
- IRCCS Istituto delle Scienze Neurologiche di Bologna, Bologna, Italy
| | - Raimund Helbok
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
- Department of Neurology, Johannes Kepler University, Linz, Austria
| | - Max J Hilz
- Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai, New York, NY, USA
- Department of Neurology, University Erlangen-Nuremberg, Erlangen, Germany
| | - Valeria Iodice
- Autonomic Unit, National Hospital for Neurology and Neurosurgery, Queen Square, London, UK
- UCL Queen Square Institute of Neurology, Faculty of Brain Sciences, University College London, London, UK
| | - Jens Jordan
- German Aerospace Center, Cologne, Germany
- Medical Faculty, University of Cologne, Cologne, Germany
| | - Evert C A Kaal
- Department of Neurology, Maasstad Ziekenhuis, Rotterdam, The Netherlands
| | - Anita Kamondi
- Department of Neurology, National Institute of Mental Health, Neurology and Neurosurgery, Budapest, Hungary
- Department of Neurology, Semmelweis University, Budapest, Hungary
| | - Anne Pavy Le Traon
- Department of Neurology, Centre Hospitalier Universitaire de Toulouse, Toulouse, France
| | - Isabel Rocha
- Cardiovascular Autonomic Function Lab, Faculty of Medicine and CCUL, University of Lisbon, Lisbon, Portugal
| | - Johann Sellner
- Landesklinikum Mistelbach-Gänserndorf, Mistelbach, Austria
- Department of Neurology, Klinikum rechts der Isar, Technische Universität München, Munich, Germany
| | - Jean Michel Senard
- Institut des Maladies Métaboliques et Cardiovasculaires, INSERM U 1297, Toulouse, France
| | - Astrid Terkelsen
- Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital and Danish Pain Research Center, Aarhus University, Aarhus, Denmark
| | - Gregor K Wenning
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Innsbruck, Anichstraße 35, 6020, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Elena Moro
- Division of Neurology, Grenoble Institute of Neuroscience, Grenoble Alpes University, CHU of Grenoble, Grenoble, France
| | - Thomas Berger
- Department of Neurology, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
- Comprehensive Center for Clinical Neurosciences and Mental Health, Medical University of Vienna, Vienna, Austria
| | - Roland D Thijs
- Department of Neurology, Leiden University Medical Centre, Leiden, The Netherlands
- Stichting Epilepsie Instellingen Nederland (SEIN), Heemstede, The Netherlands
| | - Walter Struhal
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Tulln, Karl Landsteiner University of Health Sciences, Tulln, Austria
| | - Mario Habek
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Centre, Zagreb, Croatia
- Department of Neurology, University of Zagreb, School of Medicine, Zagreb, Croatia
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10
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Dorsch EM, Röhling HM, Zocholl D, Hafermann L, Paul F, Schmitz-Hübsch T. Progression events defined by home-based assessment of motor function in multiple sclerosis: protocol of a prospective study. Front Neurol 2023; 14:1258635. [PMID: 37881311 PMCID: PMC10597627 DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2023.1258635] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/14/2023] [Accepted: 09/26/2023] [Indexed: 10/27/2023] Open
Abstract
Background This study relates to emerging concepts of appropriate trial designs to evaluate effects of intervention on the accumulation of irreversible disability in multiple sclerosis (MS). Major starting points of our study are the known limitations of current definitions of disability progression by rater-based clinical assessment and the high relevance of gait and balance dysfunctions in MS. The study aims to explore a novel definition of disease progression using repeated instrumental assessment of relevant motor functions performed by patients in their home setting. Methods The study is a prospective single-center observational cohort study with the primary outcome acquired by participants themselves, a home-based assessment of motor functions based on an RGB-Depth (RGB-D) camera, a camera that provides both depth (D) and color (RGB) data. Participants are instructed to perform and record a set of simple motor tasks twice a day over a one-week period every 6 months. Assessments are complemented by a set of questionnaires. Annual research grade assessments are acquired at dedicated study visits and include clinical ratings as well as structural imaging (MRI and optical coherence tomography). In addition, clinical data from routine visits is provided semiannually by treating neurologists. The observation period is 24 months for the primary endpoint with an additional clinical assessment at 27 month to confirm progression defined by the Expanded Disability Status Scale (EDSS). Secondary analyses aim to explore the time course of changes in motor parameters and performance of the novel definition against different alternative definitions of progression in MS. The study was registered at Deutsches Register für Klinische Studien (DRKS00027042). Discussion The study design presented here investigates disease progression defined by marker-less home-based assessment of motor functions against 3-month confirmed disease progression (3 m-CDP) defined by the EDSS. The technical approach was chosen due to previous experience in lab-based settings. The observation time per participant of 24, respectively, 27 months is commonly conceived as the lower limit needed to study disability progression. Defining a valid digital motor outcome for disease progression in MS may help to reduce observation times in clinical trials and add confidence to the detection of progression events in MS.
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Affiliation(s)
- Eva-Maria Dorsch
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a Cooperation between the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Hanna Marie Röhling
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a Cooperation between the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Motognosis GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | - Dario Zocholl
- Institute of Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Lorena Hafermann
- Institute of Biometry and Clinical Epidemiology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Friedemann Paul
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a Cooperation between the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Department of Neurology, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
| | - Tanja Schmitz-Hübsch
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, a Cooperation between the Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association and the Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Experimental and Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt-Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
- Max-Delbrück-Center for Molecular Medicine in the Helmholtz Association (MDC), Berlin, Germany
- Neuroscience Clinical Research Center, Charité—Universitätsmedizin Berlin, Corporate Member of Freie Universität Berlin and Humboldt Universität zu Berlin, Berlin, Germany
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11
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Selvadurai LP, Perlman SL, Wilmot GR, Subramony SH, Gomez CM, Ashizawa T, Paulson HL, Onyike CU, Rosenthal LS, Sair HI, Kuo SH, Ratai EM, Zesiewicz TA, Bushara KO, Öz G, Dietiker C, Geschwind MD, Nelson AB, Opal P, Yacoubian TA, Nopoulos PC, Shakkottai VG, Figueroa KP, Pulst SM, Morrison PE, Schmahmann JD. The S-Factor, a New Measure of Disease Severity in Spinocerebellar Ataxia: Findings and Implications. CEREBELLUM (LONDON, ENGLAND) 2023; 22:790-809. [PMID: 35962273 PMCID: PMC10363993 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-022-01424-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 3.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 05/25/2022] [Indexed: 06/15/2023]
Abstract
Spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are progressive neurodegenerative disorders, but there is no metric that predicts disease severity over time. We hypothesized that by developing a new metric, the Severity Factor (S-Factor) using immutable disease parameters, it would be possible to capture disease severity independent of clinical rating scales. Extracting data from the CRC-SCA and READISCA natural history studies, we calculated the S-Factor for 438 participants with symptomatic SCA1, SCA2, SCA3, or SCA6, as follows: ((length of CAG repeat expansion - maximum normal repeat length) /maximum normal repeat length) × (current age - age at disease onset) × 10). Within each SCA type, the S-Factor at the first Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) visit (baseline) was correlated against scores on SARA and other motor and cognitive assessments. In 281 participants with longitudinal data, the slope of the S-Factor over time was correlated against slopes of scores on SARA and other motor rating scales. At baseline, the S-Factor showed moderate-to-strong correlations with SARA and other motor rating scales at the group level, but not with cognitive performance. Longitudinally the S-Factor slope showed no consistent association with the slope of performance on motor scales. Approximately 30% of SARA slopes reflected a trend of non-progression in motor symptoms. The S-Factor is an observer-independent metric of disease burden in SCAs. It may be useful at the group level to compare cohorts at baseline in clinical studies. Derivation and examination of the S-factor highlighted challenges in the use of clinical rating scales in this population.
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Affiliation(s)
- Louisa P Selvadurai
- Ataxia Center, Cognitive Behavioral Neurology Unit, Laboratory for Neuroanatomy and Cerebellar Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Susan L Perlman
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, Los Angeles, CA, USA
| | - George R Wilmot
- Department of Neurology, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, USA
| | - Sub H Subramony
- Department of Neurology, University of Florida College of Medicine, McKnight Brain Institute, Gainesville, FL, USA
| | | | - Tetsuo Ashizawa
- Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Research Institute, Houston, TX, USA
| | - Henry L Paulson
- Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI, USA
| | - Chiadi U Onyike
- Department of Psychiatry and Behavioral Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Liana S Rosenthal
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Haris I Sair
- Russell H. Morgan Department of Radiology and Radiological Sciences, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, MD, USA
| | - Sheng-Han Kuo
- Department of Neurology, Columbia University, New York, NY, USA
| | - Eva-Maria Ratai
- Martinos Center for Biomedical Imaging, Department of Radiology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Theresa A Zesiewicz
- Department of Neurology, Ataxia Research Center, University of South Florida, Tampa, FL, USA
| | - Khalaf O Bushara
- Department of Neurology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Gülin Öz
- Center for Magnetic Resonance Research, Department of Radiology, University of Minnesota, Minneapolis, MN, USA
| | - Cameron Dietiker
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | | | - Alexandra B Nelson
- Department of Neurology, University of California, San Francisco, CA, USA
| | - Puneet Opal
- Department of Neurology, Northwestern University Feinberg School of Medicine, Chicago, IL, USA
| | - Talene A Yacoubian
- Department of Neurology, University of Alabama at Birmingham, Birmingham, AL, USA
| | - Peggy C Nopoulos
- Department of Psychiatry, University of Iowa Carver College of Medicine, Iowa City, IA, USA
| | - Vikram G Shakkottai
- Department of Neurology, University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center, Dallas, TX, USA
| | - Karla P Figueroa
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Stefan M Pulst
- Department of Neurology, University of Utah, Salt Lake City, UT, USA
| | - Peter E Morrison
- Department of Neurology, University of Rochester Medical Center, Rochester, NY, USA
| | - Jeremy D Schmahmann
- Ataxia Center, Cognitive Behavioral Neurology Unit, Laboratory for Neuroanatomy and Cerebellar Neurobiology, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, MA, USA.
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12
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Taheri Amin A, Faber J, Önder D, Kimmich O, Synofzik M, Ashizawa T, Klockgether T, Grobe‐Einsler M. Comparison of Live and Remote Video Ratings of the Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia. Mov Disord Clin Pract 2023; 10:1404-1407. [PMID: 37772290 PMCID: PMC10525045 DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.13843] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/22/2023] [Revised: 06/17/2023] [Accepted: 06/26/2023] [Indexed: 09/30/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Video recordings of neurological examinations are often used in clinical trials. The Scale for Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) is a widely used clinical scale for ataxic patients. Despite several advantages of video ratings, correlation between live ratings and remote video-ratings has not been systematically investigated. Objective To compare live and remote video assessment of SARA. Methods Full SARA examinations of 69 patients with cerebellar ataxia were recorded on video. Live rating from site investigators were compared with remote video rating of three experienced ataxia clinicians using Bland-Altman analysis. Results Live and remote video ratings showed a high level of agreement for the complete score (bias = 0.09, with standard deviation = 2.00) and all single SARA items (bias <0.20 for all items). Conclusion Remote video ratings of SARA are a reliable means to assess severity of ataxia.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arian Taheri Amin
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Jennifer Faber
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Demet Önder
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Okka Kimmich
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- Division Translational Genomics of Neurodegenerative DiseasesHertie‐Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Center of Neurology, University of TübingenTübingenGermany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)TübingenGermany
| | - Tetsuo Ashizawa
- Houston Methodist Research Institute and Department of Neurology, Houston Methodist Neurological InstituteHoustonTexasUSA
| | - Thomas Klockgether
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital BonnBonnGermany
| | - Marcus Grobe‐Einsler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE)BonnGermany
- Department of NeurologyUniversity Hospital BonnBonnGermany
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13
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Coarelli G, Coutelier M, Durr A. Autosomal dominant cerebellar ataxias: new genes and progress towards treatments. Lancet Neurol 2023; 22:735-749. [PMID: 37479376 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(23)00068-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 4] [Impact Index Per Article: 4.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 09/21/2022] [Revised: 01/07/2023] [Accepted: 02/22/2023] [Indexed: 07/23/2023]
Abstract
Dominantly inherited spinocerebellar ataxias (SCAs) are associated with phenotypes that range from pure cerebellar to multisystemic. The list of implicated genes has lengthened in the past 5 years with the inclusion of SCA37/DAB1, SCA45/FAT2, SCA46/PLD3, SCA47/PUM1, SCA48/STUB1, SCA50/NPTX1, SCA25/PNPT1, SCA49/SAM9DL, and SCA27B/FGF14. In some patients, co-occurrence of multiple potentially pathogenic variants can explain variable penetrance or more severe phenotypes. Given this extreme clinical and genetic heterogeneity, genome sequencing should become the diagnostic tool of choice but is still not available in many clinical settings. Treatments tested in phase 2 and phase 3 studies, such as riluzole and transcranial direct current stimulation of the cerebellum and spinal cord, have given conflicting results. To enable early intervention, preataxic carriers of pathogenic variants should be assessed with biomarkers, such as neurofilament light chain and brain MRI; these biomarkers could also be used as outcome measures, given that clinical outcomes are not useful in the preataxic phase. The development of bioassays measuring the concentration of the mutant protein (eg, ataxin-3) might facilitate monitoring of target engagement by gene therapies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Giulia Coarelli
- Sorbonne Université, ICM Institut du Cerveau, Pitié-Salpeêtrieère University Hospital, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Marie Coutelier
- Sorbonne Université, ICM Institut du Cerveau, Pitié-Salpeêtrieère University Hospital, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France
| | - Alexandra Durr
- Sorbonne Université, ICM Institut du Cerveau, Pitié-Salpeêtrieère University Hospital, Paris, France; Institut National de la Santé Et de la Recherche Médicale, Paris, France; Centre National de la Recherche Scientifique, Paris, France; Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris, Paris, France.
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14
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Buchholz M, Weber N, Borel S, Sayah S, Xie F, Schulz JB, Reetz K, Boesch S, Klopstock T, Karin I, Schöls L, Grobe-Einsler M, Klockgether T, Davies EH, Schmeder M, Nadke A, Michalowsky B. Patient-reported, health economic and psychosocial outcomes in patients with Friedreich ataxia (PROFA): protocol of an observational study using momentary data assessments via mobile health app. BMJ Open 2023; 13:e075736. [PMID: 37527887 PMCID: PMC10394552 DOI: 10.1136/bmjopen-2023-075736] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Submit a Manuscript] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 08/03/2023] Open
Abstract
INTRODUCTION Friedreich ataxia (FA) is the most common hereditary ataxia in Europe, characterised by progressively worsening movement and speech impairments with a typical onset before the age of 25 years. The symptoms affect the patients' health-related quality of life (HRQoL) and psychosocial health. FA leads to an increasing need for care, associated with an economic burden. Little is known about the impact of FA on daily lives and HRQoL. To fill that gap, we will assess patient-reported, psychosocial and economic outcomes using momentary data assessment via a mobile health application (app). METHODS AND ANALYSIS The PROFA Study is a prospective observational study. Patients with FA (n=200) will be recruited at six European study centres (Germany, France and Austria). We will interview patients at baseline in the study centre and subsequently assess the patients' health at home via mobile health app. Patients will self-report ataxia severity, HRQoL, speech and hearing disabilities, coping strategies and well-being, health services usage, adverse health events and productivity losses due to informal care on a daily to monthly basis on the app for 6 months. Our study aims to (1) validate measurements of HRQoL and psychosocial health, (2) assess the usability of the mobile health app, and (3) use descriptive and multivariate statistics to analyse patient-reported and economic outcomes and the interaction effects between these outcomes. Insights into the app's usability could be used for future studies using momentary data assessments to measure outcomes of patients with FA. ETHICS AND DISSEMINATION Ethical approval has been obtained from the Ethics Committee of the University Medicine of Greifswald, (BB096/22a, 26 October 2022) and from all local ethics committees of the participating study sites. Findings of the study will be published in peer-reviewed journals, presented at relevant international/national congresses and disseminated to German and French Patient Advocacy Organizations. TRIAL REGISTRATION NUMBER ClinicalTrials.gov Registry (NCT05943002); Pre-results.
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Affiliation(s)
- Maresa Buchholz
- Translational Health Care Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Niklas Weber
- Translational Health Care Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
| | - Stephanie Borel
- Paris Brain Institute (ICM - Institut du Cerveau), INSERM, CNRS, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Sabrina Sayah
- Paris Brain Institute (ICM - Institut du Cerveau), INSERM, CNRS, Assistance Publique-Hôpitaux de Paris (AP-HP), Sorbonne University, Paris, France
| | - Feng Xie
- Department of Health Research Methods, Evidence and Impact, McMaster University, Hamilton, Ontario, Canada
| | - Jörg B Schulz
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Reetz
- Department of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, Aachen, Germany
| | - Sylvia Boesch
- Clinical Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- Friedrich-Baur-Institut, Department of Neurology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ivan Karin
- Friedrich-Baur-Institut, Department of Neurology, Ludwig Maximilians University of Munich, Munich, Germany
| | - Ludger Schöls
- Hertie Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Center of Neurology, University Hospital Tübingen, Tubingen, Germany
| | - Marcus Grobe-Einsler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Thomas Klockgether
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Bonn, Germany
- Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | | | | | - Andreas Nadke
- Deutsche Heredo-Ataxie-Gesellschaft, Stuttgart, Germany
| | - Bernhard Michalowsky
- Translational Health Care Research, German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Site Rostock/Greifswald, Greifswald, Germany
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15
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Maas RPPWM. Preparing for Disease-Modification Trials in Degenerative Cerebellar Ataxias: Which Endpoints to Choose? Mov Disord 2023; 38:917-923. [PMID: 37475615 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29388] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/28/2023] [Accepted: 03/06/2023] [Indexed: 07/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Roderick P P W M Maas
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, The Netherlands
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16
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Grobe-Einsler M, Faber J, Taheri A, Kybelka J, Raue J, Volkening J, Helmhold F, Synofzik M, Klockgether T. SARA speech-Feasibility of automated assessment of ataxic speech disturbance. NPJ Digit Med 2023; 6:43. [PMID: 36927996 PMCID: PMC10020430 DOI: 10.1038/s41746-023-00787-x] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/22/2022] [Accepted: 02/24/2023] [Indexed: 03/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Ataxias are a group of movement disorders that are characterized by progressive loss of balance, impaired coordination and speech disturbance, which together lead to markedly reduced quality of life. Speech disturbance is clinically diagnosed, but methods for objective assessment of severity are lacking. Using 71 sets of speech recordings from ataxia patients, we developed an automated classification system. With a tolerance of ±1 point, this classification system correctly predicted experts' ratings of speech disturbance according to item 4 of the Scale for Assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA) in 80% of cases. We thereby demonstrate feasibility of computer-assisted voice analysis for automated assessment of severity of speech disturbance.
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Affiliation(s)
- M Grobe-Einsler
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany. .,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany.
| | - J Faber
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - A Taheri
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | | | - J Raue
- PeakProfiling GmbH, Berlin, Germany
| | | | | | - M Synofzik
- Division of Translational Genomics for Neurodegenerative Diseases, Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research and Center of Neurology, University Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany
| | - T Klockgether
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
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17
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Moulaire P, Poulet PE, Petit E, Klockgether T, Durr A, Ashisawa T, du Montcel ST. Temporal Dynamics of the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia in Spinocerebellar Ataxias. Mov Disord 2023; 38:35-44. [PMID: 36273394 PMCID: PMC9851985 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29255] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 07/18/2022] [Revised: 09/27/2022] [Accepted: 10/03/2022] [Indexed: 01/20/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND The Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) is the reference clinical scale to assess the severity of cerebellar ataxia. In the context of upcoming therapeutic trials, a reliable clinical outcome is needed to assess the efficiency of treatments. OBJECTIVE The aim is to precisely assess and compare temporal dynamics of SARA and a new f-SARA. METHODS We analyzed data from four cohorts (EUROSCA, RISCA, CRC-SCA, and SPATAX) comprising 1210 participants and 4092 visits. The linearity of the progression and the variability were assessed using an ordinal Bayesian mixed-effect model (Leaspy). We performed sample size calculations for therapeutic trials with different scenarios to improve the responsiveness of the scale. RESULTS Seven of the eight different items had a nonlinear progression. The speed of progression was different between most of the items, with an average time for a one-point increase from 3.5 years [3.4; 3.6] (median, 95% credible interval) for the fastest item to 11.4 [10.9; 12.0] years. The total SARA score had a linear progression with an average time for a one-point increase of 0.95 [0.92; 0.98] years. After removing the four last items and rescaling all items from 0 to 4, variability increased and progression was slower and thus would require a larger sample size in a future therapeutic trial. CONCLUSION Despite a heterogeneous temporal dynamics at the item level, the global progression of SARA was linear. Changing the initial scale deteriorates the responsiveness. This new information about the temporal dynamics of the scale should help design the outcome of future clinical trials. © 2022 The Authors. Movement Disorders published by Wiley Periodicals LLC on behalf of International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Paul Moulaire
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute, INSERM,
INRIA, CNRS, APHP, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Pierre Emmanuel Poulet
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute, INSERM,
INRIA, CNRS, APHP, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Emilien Petit
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute, INSERM,
INRIA, CNRS, APHP, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Thomas Klockgether
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127
Bonn, Germany
| | - Alexandra Durr
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute, INSERM,
INRIA, CNRS, APHP, 75013 Paris, France
| | - Tetsuo Ashisawa
- Weill Cornell Medicine at The Houston Methodist Research
Institute, Houston, TX 77030, USA
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18
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Hohenfeld C, Terstiege U, Dogan I, Giunti P, Parkinson MH, Mariotti C, Nanetti L, Fichera M, Durr A, Ewenczyk C, Boesch S, Nachbauer W, Klopstock T, Stendel C, Rodríguez de Rivera Garrido FJ, Schöls L, Hayer SN, Klockgether T, Giordano I, Didszun C, Rai M, Pandolfo M, Rauhut H, Schulz JB, Reetz K. Prediction of the disease course in Friedreich ataxia. Sci Rep 2022; 12:19173. [PMID: 36357508 PMCID: PMC9649725 DOI: 10.1038/s41598-022-23666-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 06/15/2022] [Accepted: 11/03/2022] [Indexed: 11/11/2022] Open
Abstract
We explored whether disease severity of Friedreich ataxia can be predicted using data from clinical examinations. From the database of the European Friedreich Ataxia Consortium for Translational Studies (EFACTS) data from up to five examinations of 602 patients with genetically confirmed FRDA was included. Clinical instruments and important symptoms of FRDA were identified as targets for prediction, while variables such as genetics, age of disease onset and first symptom of the disease were used as predictors. We used modelling techniques including generalised linear models, support-vector-machines and decision trees. The scale for rating and assessment of ataxia (SARA) and the activities of daily living (ADL) could be predicted with predictive errors quantified by root-mean-squared-errors (RMSE) of 6.49 and 5.83, respectively. Also, we were able to achieve reasonable performance for loss of ambulation (ROC-AUC score of 0.83). However, predictions for the SCA functional assessment (SCAFI) and presence of cardiological symptoms were difficult. In conclusion, we demonstrate that some clinical features of FRDA can be predicted with reasonable error; being a first step towards future clinical applications of predictive modelling. In contrast, targets where predictions were difficult raise the question whether there are yet unknown variables driving the clinical phenotype of FRDA.
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Affiliation(s)
- Christian Hohenfeld
- grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XDepartment of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany ,grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XJARA Brain Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Research Centre Jülich and RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Ulrich Terstiege
- grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XChair for Mathematics of Information Processing, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Imis Dogan
- grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XDepartment of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany ,grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XJARA Brain Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Research Centre Jülich and RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Paola Giunti
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Ataxia Centre, UCL-Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Michael H. Parkinson
- grid.83440.3b0000000121901201Department of Clinical and Movement Neurosciences, Ataxia Centre, UCL-Queen Square Institute of Neurology, London, WC1N 3BG UK
| | - Caterina Mariotti
- grid.417894.70000 0001 0707 5492Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Lorenzo Nanetti
- grid.417894.70000 0001 0707 5492Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy
| | - Mario Fichera
- grid.417894.70000 0001 0707 5492Unit of Medical Genetics and Neurogenetics, Fondazione IRCCS Istituto Neurologico Carlo Besta, 20133 Milan, Italy ,grid.7563.70000 0001 2174 1754PhD Program in Neuroscience, School of Medicine and Surgery, University of Milano-Bicocca, 20126 Milan, Italy
| | - Alexandra Durr
- grid.411439.a0000 0001 2150 9058Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (ICM Institut du Cerveau), AP-HP, INSERM, CNRS, University Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75646 Paris, France
| | - Claire Ewenczyk
- grid.411439.a0000 0001 2150 9058Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute (ICM Institut du Cerveau), AP-HP, INSERM, CNRS, University Hospital Pitié-Salpêtrière, 75646 Paris, France
| | - Sylvia Boesch
- grid.5361.10000 0000 8853 2677Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Wolfgang Nachbauer
- grid.5361.10000 0000 8853 2677Department of Neurology, Medical University Innsbruck, 6020 Innsbruck, Austria
| | - Thomas Klopstock
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDepartment of Neurology, Friedrich Baur Institute, University Hospital, LMU, 80336 Munich, Germany ,grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany ,grid.452617.3Munich Cluster for Systems Neurology (SyNergy), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | - Claudia Stendel
- grid.5252.00000 0004 1936 973XDepartment of Neurology, Friedrich Baur Institute, University Hospital, LMU, 80336 Munich, Germany ,grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 81377 Munich, Germany
| | | | - Ludger Schöls
- grid.10392.390000 0001 2190 1447Department of Neurology and Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany ,grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Stefanie N. Hayer
- grid.10392.390000 0001 2190 1447Department of Neurology and Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, 72076 Tübingen, Germany
| | - Thomas Klockgether
- grid.15090.3d0000 0000 8786 803XDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany ,grid.424247.30000 0004 0438 0426German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Ilaria Giordano
- grid.15090.3d0000 0000 8786 803XDepartment of Neurology, University Hospital of Bonn, 53127 Bonn, Germany
| | - Claire Didszun
- grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XDepartment of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany
| | - Myriam Rai
- grid.4989.c0000 0001 2348 0746Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium
| | - Massimo Pandolfo
- grid.4989.c0000 0001 2348 0746Laboratory of Experimental Neurology, Université Libre de Bruxelles, 1070 Brussels, Belgium ,grid.14709.3b0000 0004 1936 8649Department of Neurology and Neurosurgery, McGill University, Montreal, QC H3A 0G4 Canada
| | - Holger Rauhut
- grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XChair for Mathematics of Information Processing, RWTH Aachen University, 52062 Aachen, Germany
| | - Jörg B. Schulz
- grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XDepartment of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany ,grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XJARA Brain Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Research Centre Jülich and RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
| | - Kathrin Reetz
- grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XDepartment of Neurology, RWTH Aachen University, 52074 Aachen, Germany ,grid.1957.a0000 0001 0728 696XJARA Brain Institute Molecular Neuroscience and Neuroimaging, Research Centre Jülich and RWTH Aachen University, 52056 Aachen, Germany
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19
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Peng Y, Peng L, Chen Z, Peng H, Wang P, Zhang Y, Li Y, Wang C, Shi Y, Hou X, Long Z, Yuan H, Wan N, Wan L, Xu K, Lei L, Wang S, He L, Xie Y, Gong Y, Deng Q, Zou G, Tang Z, Shen L, Xia K, Qiu R, Klockgether T, Tang B, Jiang H. The Natural History of Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3 in Mainland China: A 2-Year Cohort Study. Front Aging Neurosci 2022; 14:917126. [PMID: 35865750 PMCID: PMC9294347 DOI: 10.3389/fnagi.2022.917126] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 04/10/2022] [Accepted: 06/13/2022] [Indexed: 11/21/2022] Open
Abstract
Objective The natural history of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) has been reported in several populations and shows heterogeneity in progression rate and affecting factors. However, it remains unexplored in the population of Mainland China. This study aimed to identify the disease progression rate and its potential affecting factors in patients with SCA3 in Mainland China. Participants and Methods We enrolled patients with genetically confirmed SCA3 in Mainland China. Patients were seen at three visits, i.e., baseline, 1 year, and 2 years. The primary outcome was the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA), and the secondary outcomes were the Inventory of Non-Ataxia Signs (INAS) as well as the SCA Functional Index (SCAFI). Results Between 1 October 2015, and 30 September 2016, we enrolled 263 patients with SCA3. We analyzed 247 patients with at least one follow-up visit. The annual progression rate of SARA was 1.49 points per year (SE 0.08, 95% confidence interval [CI] 1.33–1.65, p < 0.0001). The annual progression rates of INAS and SCAFI were 0.56 points per year (SE 0.05, 95% CI 0.47–0.66, p < 0.001) and −0.30 points per year (SE 0.01, 95% CI −0.33∼-0.28, p < 0.001), respectively. Faster progression in SARA was associated with longer length of the expanded allele of ATXN3 (p < 0.0001); faster progression in INAS was associated with lower INAS at baseline (p < 0.0001); faster decline in SCAFI was associated with shorter length of the normal allele of ATXN3 (p = 0.036) and higher SCAFI at baseline (p < 0.0001). Conclusion Our results provide quantitative data on the disease progression of patients with SCA3 in Mainland China and its corresponding affecting factors, which could facilitate the sample size calculation and patient stratification in future clinical trials. Trial Registration This study was registered with Chictr.org on 15 September 2015, number ChiCTR-OOC-15007124.
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Affiliation(s)
- Yun Peng
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Linliu Peng
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhao Chen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Huirong Peng
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Puzhi Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Youming Zhang
- Department of Radiology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yangping Li
- Department of Human Genetics, Emory University School of Medicine, Atlanta, GA, United States
| | - Chunrong Wang
- Department of Pathology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yuting Shi
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Xuan Hou
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhe Long
- Department of Neurology, The Second Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Hongyu Yuan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Na Wan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Linlin Wan
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Keqin Xu
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lijing Lei
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Shang Wang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lang He
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yue Xie
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Yiqing Gong
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Qi Deng
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Guangdong Zou
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Zhichao Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Lu Shen
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic Diseases, Changsha, China
| | - Kun Xia
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
| | - Rong Qiu
- School of Computer Science and Engineering, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Thomas Klockgether
- Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Beisha Tang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic Diseases, Changsha, China
| | - Hong Jiang
- Department of Neurology, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Laboratory of Medical Genetics, Central South University, Changsha, Hunan, China
- National Clinical Research Center for Geriatric Diseases, Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Key Laboratory of Hunan Province in Neurodegenerative Disorders, Central South University, Changsha, China
- Hunan International Scientific and Technological Cooperation Base of Neurodegenerative and Neurogenetic Diseases, Changsha, China
- *Correspondence: Hong Jiang,
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20
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Davies EH, Matthews C, Merlet A, Zimmermann M. Time to See the Difference: Video Capture for Patient-Centered Clinical Trials. THE PATIENT 2022; 15:389-397. [PMID: 34993934 PMCID: PMC8736327 DOI: 10.1007/s40271-021-00569-1] [Citation(s) in RCA: 5] [Impact Index Per Article: 2.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 12/12/2021] [Indexed: 11/25/2022]
Abstract
Developing therapeutics for the treatment of rare diseases usually requires a strong understanding of the natural history of the disease. Often, it also requires the creation of novel assessment tools and clinical trial endpoints. In diseases where mobility is impacted, the use of video to capture the impact of the disease and the assessment of specific parameters, such as gait and stride length, can help design sensitive endpoints. Video as an assessment tool also allows the use of historical videos or videos filmed by non-experts outside of clinical settings. Given the increased use of telemedicine, the use of video may be a useful addition to clinical trial assessments. Two cases are presented: (1) the use of video in the development of asfotase alfa (Strensiq®) in hypophosphatasia is detailed as an example of the utility of this type of assessment in rare diseases; and (2) a home-setting video tool that was developed and validated (SARAhome) from a commonly used clinical scale (Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia [SARA]), allowing patients to record their own severity of ataxia. While there are certain limitations associated with video assessment, advancing technologies such as automated analysis and machine learning provide a tremendous opportunity for automated analysis of video recordings, reducing the bias associated with human assessment.
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Affiliation(s)
- Elin Haf Davies
- Aparito, Wrexham, Wales, UK. .,Chair at Metabolic Support UK, University College London, London, UK.
| | | | - Adeline Merlet
- Global Regulatory Affairs, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, Alexion, Zurich, Switzerland
| | - Martine Zimmermann
- Global Regulatory Affairs, AstraZeneca Rare Disease, Alexion Europe SAS, Paris, France
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21
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Maas RPPWM, Teerenstra S, Toni I, Klockgether T, Schutter DJLG, van de Warrenburg BPC. Cerebellar Transcranial Direct Current Stimulation in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Type 3: a Randomized, Double-Blind, Sham-Controlled Trial. Neurotherapeutics 2022; 19:1259-1272. [PMID: 35501469 PMCID: PMC9059914 DOI: 10.1007/s13311-022-01231-w] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 9.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/26/2022] [Indexed: 12/12/2022] Open
Abstract
Repeated sessions of cerebellar anodal transcranial direct current stimulation (tDCS) have been suggested to modulate cerebellar-motor cortex (M1) connectivity and decrease ataxia severity. However, therapeutic trials involving etiologically homogeneous groups of ataxia patients are lacking. The objective of this study was to investigate if a two-week regimen of daily cerebellar tDCS sessions diminishes ataxia and non-motor symptom severity and alters cerebellar-M1 connectivity in individuals with spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3). We conducted a randomized, double-blind, sham-controlled trial in which twenty mildly to moderately affected SCA3 patients received ten sessions of real or sham cerebellar tDCS (i.e., five days per week for two consecutive weeks). Effects were evaluated after two weeks, three months, six months, and twelve months. Change in Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) score after two weeks was defined as the primary endpoint. Static posturography, SCA Functional Index tests, various patient-reported outcome measures, the cerebellar cognitive affective syndrome scale, and paired-pulse transcranial magnetic stimulation to examine cerebellar brain inhibition (CBI) served as secondary endpoints. Absolute change in SARA score did not differ between both trial arms at any of the time points. We observed significant short-term improvements in several motor, cognitive, and patient-reported outcomes after the last stimulation session in both groups but no treatment effects in favor of real tDCS. Nonetheless, some of the patients in the intervention arm showed a sustained reduction in SARA score lasting six or even twelve months, indicating interindividual variability in treatment response. CBI, which reflects the functional integrity of the cerebellothalamocortical tract, remained unchanged after ten tDCS sessions. Albeit exploratory, there was some indication for between-group differences in SARA speech score after six and twelve months and in the number of extracerebellar signs after three and six months. Taken together, our study does not provide evidence that a two-week treatment with daily cerebellar tDCS sessions reduces ataxia severity or restores cerebellar-M1 connectivity in early-to-middle-stage SCA3 patients at the group level. In order to potentially increase therapeutic efficacy, further research is warranted to identify individual predictors of symptomatic improvement.
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Affiliation(s)
- Roderick P P W M Maas
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands.
| | - Steven Teerenstra
- Department for Health Evidence, Biostatistics Section, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Ivan Toni
- Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
| | - Thomas Klockgether
- Department of Neurology, University of Bonn, Bonn, Germany
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany
| | - Dennis J L G Schutter
- Experimental Psychology, Helmholtz Institute, Utrecht University, Utrecht, the Netherlands
| | - Bart P C van de Warrenburg
- Department of Neurology, Donders Institute for Brain, Cognition, and Behaviour, Radboud University Medical Center, Nijmegen, the Netherlands
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22
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Klockgether T, Ashizawa T, Brais B, Chuang R, Durr A, Fogel B, Greenfield J, Hagen S, Jardim LB, Jiang H, Onodera O, Pedroso JL, Soong BW, Szmulewicz D, Graessner H, Synofzik M. Paving the Way Toward Meaningful Trials in Ataxias: An Ataxia Global Initiative Perspective. Mov Disord 2022; 37:1125-1130. [PMID: 35475582 DOI: 10.1002/mds.29032] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 10.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 03/28/2022] [Accepted: 03/31/2022] [Indexed: 01/22/2023] Open
Affiliation(s)
- Thomas Klockgether
- German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Bonn, Germany.,Department of Neurology, University Hospital Bonn, Bonn, Germany
| | - Tetsuo Ashizawa
- Houston Methodist Research Institute and Weil Cornell Medical College at Houston Methodist, Houston, Texas, USA
| | | | | | - Alexandra Durr
- Sorbonne Université, Paris Brain Institute, Paris Brain Institute - ICM, INSERM, CNRS, APHP, University Hospital de la Pitié-Salpêtrière Paris, Paris, France
| | - Brent Fogel
- Departments of Neurology and Human Genetics, David Geffen School of Medicine, University of California Los Angeles, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | | | - Sue Hagen
- National Ataxia Foundation, Minneapolis, Minnesota, USA
| | - Laura Bannach Jardim
- Hospital de Clinicas de Porto Alegre, Porto Alegre, Brazil.,Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Porto Alegre, Brazil
| | - Hong Jiang
- Xiangya Hospital, Central South University, Changsha, China
| | - Osamu Onodera
- Brain Research Institute, Niigata University, Niigata, Japan
| | - José Luiz Pedroso
- Ataxia Unit, Department of Neurology, Universidade Federal de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil
| | - Bin-Weng Soong
- National Yang-Ming Chiao Tung University, Taipei, Taiwan.,Taipei Neurologic Institute, Taipei Medical University, Taipei, Taiwan
| | | | - Holm Graessner
- Institute of Medical Genetics and Applied Genomics, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,Center for Rare Diseases, University Hospital Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany
| | - Matthis Synofzik
- Division Translational Genomics of Neurodegenerative Diseases, Center for Neurology and Hertie-Institute for Clinical Brain Research, University of Tübingen, Tübingen, Germany.,German Center for Neurodegenerative Diseases (DZNE), Tübingen, Germany
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23
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Hoang TH, Zehni M, Xu H, Heintz G, Zallek C, Do MN. Towards a Comprehensive Solution for a Vision-based Digitized Neurological Examination. IEEE J Biomed Health Inform 2022; 26:4020-4031. [PMID: 35439148 DOI: 10.1109/jbhi.2022.3167927] [Citation(s) in RCA: 0] [Impact Index Per Article: 0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Indexed: 11/07/2022]
Abstract
The ability to use digitally recorded and quantified neurological exam information is important to help healthcare systems deliver better care, in-person and via telehealth, as they compensate for a growing shortage of neurologists. Current neurological digital biomarker pipelines, however, are narrowed down to a specific neurological exam component or applied for assessing specific conditions. In this paper, we propose an accessible vision-based exam and documentation solution called Digitized Neurological Examination (DNE) to expand exam biomarker recording options and clinical applications using a smartphone/tablet. Through our DNE software, healthcare providers in clinical settings and people at home are enabled to video capture an examination while performing instructed neurological tests, including finger tapping, finger to finger, forearm roll, and stand-up and walk. Our modular design of the DNE software supports integrations of additional tests. The DNE extracts from the recorded examinations the 2D/3D human-body pose and quantifies kinematic and spatio-temporal features. The features are clinically relevant and allow clinicians to document and observe the quantified movements and the changes of these metrics over time. A web server and a user interface for recordings viewing and feature visualizations are available. DNE was evaluated on a collected dataset of 21 subjects containing normal and simulated-impaired movements. The overall accuracy of DNE is demonstrated by classifying the recorded movements using various machine learning models. Our tests show an accuracy beyond 90% for upper-limb tests and 80% for the stand-up and walk tests.
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Miglorini EC, de Souza VHI, de Oliveira CM, Bolzan G, Saraiva-Pereira ML, Leotti VB, Jardim LB. Remote Measurement of Functional Status in Pre-symptomatic and Symptomatic Individuals with Machado-Joseph Disease. THE CEREBELLUM 2022; 22:475-477. [PMID: 35352290 PMCID: PMC8964238 DOI: 10.1007/s12311-022-01399-z] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [MESH Headings] [Grants] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Accepted: 03/24/2022] [Indexed: 11/28/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Elaine Cristina Miglorini
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Victor Henrique Ignácio de Souza
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Camila Maria de Oliveira
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Gabriela Bolzan
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Building 43312, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil
| | - Maria Luiza Saraiva-Pereira
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Building 43312, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil
- Departamento de Bioquímica, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2600-Prédio Anexo, 90.035-003, Porto Alegre, Brazil
- Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Vanessa Bielefeldt Leotti
- Departamento de Estatística, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Building 43-111, Porto Alegre, 91501-900, Brazil
- Grupo de Pesquisa e Pós-Graduação, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil
| | - Laura Bannach Jardim
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Ciências Médicas, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil.
- Centros de Pesquisa Clínica e Experimental, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil.
- Faculdade de Medicina, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2400, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil.
- Programa de Pós-Graduação em Genética e Biologia Molecular, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Av. Bento Gonçalves, 9500, Building 43312, Porto Alegre, 91501-970, Brazil.
- Serviço de Genética Médica, Hospital de Clínicas de Porto Alegre, Rua Ramiro Barcelos, 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil.
- Departamento de Medicina Interna, Universidade Federal do Rio Grande do Sul, Rua Ramiro Barcelos 2350, Porto Alegre, 90035-003, Brazil.
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Coarelli G, Heinzmann A, Ewenczyk C, Fischer C, Chupin M, Monin ML, Hurmic H, Calvas F, Calvas P, Goizet C, Thobois S, Anheim M, Nguyen K, Devos D, Verny C, Ricigliano VAG, Mangin JF, Brice A, Tezenas du Montcel S, Durr A. Safety and efficacy of riluzole in spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 in France (ATRIL): a multicentre, randomised, double-blind, placebo-controlled trial. Lancet Neurol 2022; 21:225-233. [DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(21)00457-9] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.5] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 10/13/2021] [Revised: 11/26/2021] [Accepted: 11/30/2021] [Indexed: 01/03/2023]
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26
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Zhou H, Nguyen H, Enriquez A, Morsy L, Curtis M, Piser T, Kenney C, Stephen CD, Gupta AS, Schmahmann JD, Vaziri A. Assessment of gait and balance impairment in people with spinocerebellar ataxia using wearable sensors. Neurol Sci 2021; 43:2589-2599. [PMID: 34664180 DOI: 10.1007/s10072-021-05657-6] [Citation(s) in RCA: 18] [Impact Index Per Article: 6.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/20/2021] [Accepted: 10/05/2021] [Indexed: 11/30/2022]
Abstract
OBJECTIVE To explore the use of wearable sensors for objective measurement of motor impairment in spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) patients during clinical assessments of gait and balance. METHODS In total, 14 patients with genetically confirmed SCA (mean age 61.6 ± 8.6 years) and 4 healthy controls (mean age 49.0 ± 16.4 years) were recruited through the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH) Ataxia Center. Participants donned seven inertial sensors while performing two independent trials of gait and balance assessments from the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) and Brief Ataxia Rating Scale (BARS2). Univariate analysis was used to identify sensor-derived metrics from wearable sensors that discriminate motor function between the SCA and control groups. Multivariate linear regression models were used to estimate the subjective in-person SARA/BARS2 ratings. Spearman correlation coefficients were used to evaluate the performance of the model. RESULTS Stride length variability, stride duration, cadence, stance phase, pelvis sway, and turn duration were different between SCA and controls (p < 0.05). Similarly, sway and sway velocity of the ankle, hip, and center of mass differentiated SCA and controls (p < 0.05). Using these features, linear regression models showed moderate-to-strong correlation with clinical scores from the in-person rater during SARA assessments of gait (r = 0.73, p = 0.003) and stance (r = 0.90, p < 0.001) and the BARS2 gait assessment (r = 0.74, p = 0.003). CONCLUSION This study demonstrates that sensor-derived metrics can potentially be used to estimate the level of motor impairment in patient with SCA quickly and objectively. Thus, digital biomarkers from wearable sensors have the potential to be an integral tool for SCA clinical trials and care.
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Affiliation(s)
- He Zhou
- BioSensics LLC, Newton, MA, USA
| | | | | | | | | | | | | | - Christopher D Stephen
- Ataxia Center, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Anoopum S Gupta
- Ataxia Center, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
| | - Jeremy D Schmahmann
- Ataxia Center, Department of Neurology, Massachusetts General Hospital, Boston, MA, USA
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27
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Billnitzer A, Jankovic J. The Clinical Value of Patient Home Videos in Movement Disorders. Tremor Other Hyperkinet Mov (N Y) 2021; 11:37. [PMID: 34692230 PMCID: PMC8485864 DOI: 10.5334/tohm.651] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [MESH Headings] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 08/04/2021] [Accepted: 09/10/2021] [Indexed: 12/15/2022] Open
Abstract
Background Numerous studies have shown the value of patient home video recordings within the field of epilepsy. Despite the growing influence of mobile technology and telemedicine, there is a paucity of studies examining the role of home videos in the diagnosis of movement disorders. Objective To characterize the clinical value of patient home videos in a movement disorders practice. Methods We performed a retrospective review from our video database over the past 10 years and identified 20 encounters where an in-person, clinic evaluation and studio video were supplemented by a home video. We reviewed these encounters to determine if the home video added additional value to the clinic video. The home videos were screened by 3 movement disorders attendings and 3 movement disorders fellows to assess for quality and to determine whether or not the patient phenomenology could accurately be identified. Results Of the 20 videos identified, 10 (50%) were determined to be of additional clinical value. In 62.4% of evaluations movement disorders attendings and fellows were able to identify phenomenology from the home videos consistent with the final diagnosis. Videos rated as "poor" quality had significantly lower odds of leading to a correct phenomenology (odd ratio: 0.07, 95% confidence interval [0.01-0.72]) than those rated as "excellent" quality. Conclusions Patients should be encouraged to produce good quality home videos, particularly in paroxysmal or fluctuating movement disorders, as they may add value to the eventual diagnosis and management.
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Affiliation(s)
- Andrew Billnitzer
- Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Houston, Texas
| | - Joseph Jankovic
- Parkinson’s Disease Center and Movement Disorders Clinic, Baylor College of Medicine, Department of Neurology, Houston, Texas
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Shah VV, Rodriguez-Labrada R, Horak FB, McNames J, Casey H, Hansson Floyd K, El-Gohary M, Schmahmann JD, Rosenthal LS, Perlman S, Velázquez-Pérez L, Gomez CM. Gait Variability in Spinocerebellar Ataxia Assessed Using Wearable Inertial Sensors. Mov Disord 2021; 36:2922-2931. [PMID: 34424581 DOI: 10.1002/mds.28740] [Citation(s) in RCA: 21] [Impact Index Per Article: 7.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/04/2021] [Revised: 07/13/2021] [Accepted: 07/14/2021] [Indexed: 01/07/2023] Open
Abstract
BACKGROUND Quantitative assessment of severity of ataxia-specific gait impairments from wearable technology could provide sensitive performance outcome measures with high face validity to power clinical trials. OBJECTIVES The aim of this study was to identify a set of gait measures from body-worn inertial sensors that best discriminate between people with prodromal or manifest spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) and age-matched, healthy control subjects (HC) and determine how these measures relate to disease severity. METHODS One hundred and sixty-three people with SCA (subtypes 1, 2, 3, and 6), 42 people with prodromal SCA, and 96 HC wore 6 inertial sensors while performing a natural pace, 2-minute walk. Areas under the receiver operating characteristic curves (AUC) were compared for 25 gait measures, including standard deviations as variability, to discriminate between ataxic and normal gait. Pearson's correlation coefficient assessed the relationships between the gait measures and severity of ataxia. RESULTS Increased gait variability was the most discriminative gait feature of SCA; toe-out angle variability (AUC = 0.936; sensitivity = 0.871; specificity = 0.896) and double-support time variability (AUC = 0.932; sensitivity = 0.834; specificity = 0.865) were the most sensitive and specific measures. These variability measures were also significantly correlated with the scale for the assessment and rating of ataxia (SARA) and disease duration. The same gait measures discriminated gait of people with prodromal SCA from the gait of HC (AUC = 0.610, and 0.670, respectively). CONCLUSIONS Wearable inertial sensors provide sensitive and specific measures of excessive gait variability in both manifest and prodromal SCAs that are reliable and related to the severity of the disease, suggesting they may be useful as clinical trial performance outcome measures. © 2021 International Parkinson and Movement Disorder Society.
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Affiliation(s)
- Vrutangkumar V Shah
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Roberto Rodriguez-Labrada
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Holguín, Cuba.,Cuban Center for Neuroscience, Havana, Cuba
| | - Fay B Horak
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,APDM Wearable Technologies, an ERT company, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - James McNames
- APDM Wearable Technologies, an ERT company, Portland, Oregon, USA.,Department of Electrical and Computer Engineering, Portland State University, Portland, Oregon, USA
| | - Hannah Casey
- The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
| | | | | | - Jeremy D Schmahmann
- Department of Neurology, Ataxia Center, Laboratory for Neuroanatomy and Cerebellar Neurobiology, Massachusetts General Hospital and Harvard Medical School, Boston, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Liana S Rosenthal
- Department of Neurology, Johns Hopkins University School of Medicine, Baltimore, Maryland, USA
| | - Susan Perlman
- Department of Neurology, University of California, Los Angeles, California, USA
| | - Luis Velázquez-Pérez
- Centre for the Research and Rehabilitation of Hereditary Ataxias, Holguín, Cuba.,Cuban Academy of Sciences, La Habana, Cuba
| | - Christopher M Gomez
- Department of Neurology, Oregon Health & Science University, Portland, Oregon, USA.,The University of Chicago, Chicago, Illinois, USA
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Mueller A, Paterson E, McIntosh A, Praestgaard J, Bylo M, Hoefling H, Wells M, Lynch DR, Rummey C, Krishnan ML, Schultz M, Malanga CJ. Digital endpoints for self-administered home-based functional assessment in pediatric Friedreich's ataxia. Ann Clin Transl Neurol 2021; 8:1845-1856. [PMID: 34355532 PMCID: PMC8419399 DOI: 10.1002/acn3.51438] [Citation(s) in RCA: 2] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.7] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Track Full Text] [Download PDF] [Figures] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 05/14/2021] [Revised: 07/16/2021] [Accepted: 07/17/2021] [Indexed: 01/18/2023] Open
Abstract
Background Friedreich’s ataxia is an inherited, progressive, neurodegenerative disease that typically begins in childhood. Disease severity is commonly assessed with rating scales, such as the modified Friedreich’s Ataxia Rating Scale, which are usually administered in the clinic by a neurology specialist. Objective This study evaluated the utility of home‐based, self‐administered digital endpoints in children with Friedreich’s ataxia and unaffected controls and their relationship to standard clinical rating scales. Methods In a cross‐sectional study with 25 participants (13 with Friedreich’s ataxia and 12 unaffected controls, aged 6–15 years), home‐based digital endpoints that reflect activities of daily living were recorded over 1 week. Domains analyzed were hand motor function with a digitized drawing, automated analysis of speech with a recorded oral diadochokinesis test, and gait and balance with wearable sensors. Results Hand‐drawing and speech tests were easy to conduct and generated high‐quality data. The sensor‐based gait and balance tests suffered from technical limitations in this study setup. Several parameters discriminated between groups or correlated strongly with modified Friedreich’s Ataxia Rating Scale total score and activities of daily living total score in the Friedreich’s ataxia group. Hand‐drawing parameters also strongly correlated with standard 9‐hole peg test scores. Interpretation Deploying digital endpoints in home settings is feasible in this population, results in meaningful and robust data collection, and may allow for frequent sampling over longer periods of time to track disease progression. Care must be taken when training participants, and investigators should consider the complexity of the tasks and equipment used.
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Affiliation(s)
- Arne Mueller
- Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Elaine Paterson
- Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | | | | | - Mary Bylo
- Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - Holger Hoefling
- NIBR Informatics, Novartis Institute of Biomedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - McKenzie Wells
- Division of Neurology, Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | - David R Lynch
- Division of Neurology, Departments of Neurology and Pediatrics, Children's Hospital of Philadelphia, University of Pennsylvania School of Medicine, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, USA
| | | | - Michelle L Krishnan
- Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Basel, Switzerland
| | - Meredith Schultz
- Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
| | - C J Malanga
- Translational Medicine, Novartis Institutes for BioMedical Research, Cambridge, Massachusetts, USA
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30
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Tai G, Corben LA, Woodcock IR, Yiu EM, Delatycki MB. Determining the Validity of Conducting Rating Scales in Friedreich Ataxia through Video. Mov Disord Clin Pract 2021; 8:688-693. [PMID: 34307740 DOI: 10.1002/mdc3.13204] [Citation(s) in RCA: 1] [Impact Index Per Article: 0.3] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Abstract] [Key Words] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 12/22/2020] [Revised: 03/11/2021] [Accepted: 03/15/2021] [Indexed: 12/26/2022] Open
Abstract
Background The Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale (FARS) and the Scale for the Assessment and Rating of Ataxia (SARA) are commonly used neurological rating scales in Friedreich ataxia (FRDA). The modified Friedreich Ataxia Rating Scale (mFARS) has been accepted as an appropriate outcome measure for clinical trials in FRDA. Objectives The COVID-19 pandemic has resulted in limited face-to-face interactions with individuals involved in natural history studies and clinical trials. The aim of this study was to determine the validity of conducting the mFARS and SARA through video. Methods Individuals who had the mFARS administered face-to-face in the previous 6 months were invited to participate. Participants were sent instructions and asked to have a carer present to assist. The mFARS and SARA were then administered by video. Differences between face-to-face and video scores and the reliability between scores obtained face-to-face and by video were examined. Results The mFARS and SARA were conducted by video with 19 individuals. Excellent test-retest reliability was seen in the mFARS lower limb coordination (ICC = 0.96, 95% CI 0.90-0.98) and upright stability sections (ICC = 0.97, 95% CI 0.93-0.99), total mFARS (ICC = 0.97, 95% CI 0.92-0.99) and SARA scores (ICC = 0.98, 95% CI 0.95-0.99). Conclusions Excellent test-retest reliability was demonstrated in the majority of the mFARS sections, and in the total mFARS and SARA scores, suggesting that video is a valid method of conducting these scales. This method enables inclusion of participants who are unable to travel to study sites. A larger cohort will be required to further validate the use of video mFARS and SARA for future studies.
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Affiliation(s)
- Geneieve Tai
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research Murdoch Children's Research Institute Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Louise A Corben
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research Murdoch Children's Research Institute Parkville Victoria Australia.,Department of Paediatrics University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia
| | - Ian R Woodcock
- Department of Paediatrics University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia.,Department of Neurology Royal Children's Hospital Parkville Victoria Australia.,Division of Neuroscience Murdoch Children's Research Institute Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Eppie M Yiu
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research Murdoch Children's Research Institute Parkville Victoria Australia.,Department of Paediatrics University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia.,Department of Neurology Royal Children's Hospital Parkville Victoria Australia.,Division of Neuroscience Murdoch Children's Research Institute Parkville Victoria Australia
| | - Martin B Delatycki
- Bruce Lefroy Centre for Genetic Health Research Murdoch Children's Research Institute Parkville Victoria Australia.,Department of Paediatrics University of Melbourne Parkville Victoria Australia.,School of Psychological Sciences Monash University Clayton Victoria Australia.,Victorian Clinical Genetics Service Parkville Victoria Australia
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31
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Savelieff MG, Feldman EL. Lessons for clinical trial design in Friedreich's ataxia. Lancet Neurol 2021; 20:330-332. [PMID: 33770529 DOI: 10.1016/s1474-4422(21)00064-8] [Citation(s) in RCA: 3] [Impact Index Per Article: 1.0] [Reference Citation Analysis] [Track Full Text] [Journal Information] [Subscribe] [Scholar Register] [Received: 02/08/2021] [Accepted: 02/17/2021] [Indexed: 11/16/2022]
Affiliation(s)
- Masha G Savelieff
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA
| | - Eva L Feldman
- NeuroNetwork for Emerging Therapies, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA; Department of Neurology, University of Michigan, Ann Arbor, MI 48109, USA.
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