This article requires a subscription to view the full text. If you have a subscription you may use the login form below to view the article. Access to this article can also be purchased.
In recent years, research into several different therapy approaches for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) has advanced to the point of clinical trials. A critical issue in designing trials is the choice of appropriate endpoints. To date, assessments of muscle function (such as 6-minute walk distance) or strength (hand-held or integrated chair myometry) have been proposed as primary endpoints. However, the results of these tests depend on patient motivation and engagement, and can involve the recruitment of multiple muscle groups that are affected to different degrees by the dystrophy. This reduces the power of these measures to discriminate change over the relatively short time scales required in trials of novel therapeutics. A number of neuromuscular research groups have proposed that MRI and magnetic resonance spectroscopy (MRS) may provide sensitive, objective measurements of muscle involvement.1–4
Footnotes
Go to Neurology.org for full disclosures. Funding information and disclosures deemed relevant by the author, if any, are provided at the end of the editorial.
See page 974
- © 2014 American Academy of Neurology
AAN Members
We have changed the login procedure to improve access between AAN.com and the Neurology journals. If you are experiencing issues, please log out of AAN.com and clear history and cookies. (For instructions by browser, please click the instruction pages below). After clearing, choose preferred Journal and select login for AAN Members. You will be redirected to a login page where you can log in with your AAN ID number and password. When you are returned to the Journal, your name should appear at the top right of the page.
AAN Non-Member Subscribers
Purchase access
Letters: Rapid online correspondence
REQUIREMENTS
You must ensure that your Disclosures have been updated within the previous six months. Please go to our Submission Site to add or update your Disclosure information.
Your co-authors must send a completed Publishing Agreement Form to Neurology Staff (not necessary for the lead/corresponding author as the form below will suffice) before you upload your comment.
If you are responding to a comment that was written about an article you originally authored:
You (and co-authors) do not need to fill out forms or check disclosures as author forms are still valid
and apply to letter.
Submission specifications:
- Submissions must be < 200 words with < 5 references. Reference 1 must be the article on which you are commenting.
- Submissions should not have more than 5 authors. (Exception: original author replies can include all original authors of the article)
- Submit only on articles published within 6 months of issue date.
- Do not be redundant. Read any comments already posted on the article prior to submission.
- Submitted comments are subject to editing and editor review prior to posting.
You May Also be Interested in
Topics Discussed
Alert Me
Recommended articles
Modeling disease trajectory in Duchenne muscular dystrophy
Examination of effects of corticosteroids on skeletal muscles of boys with DMD using MRI and MRS
Selection Approach to Identify the Optimal Biomarker Using Quantitative Muscle MRI and Functional Assessments in Becker Muscular Dystrophy
MR biomarkers predict clinical function in Duchenne muscular dystrophy