Gait Patterns in Dual-task Conditions in Patients With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Launched by IRCCS SAN RAFFAELE · Aug 2, 2024

Keywords

ClinConnect Summary

This clinical trial is focused on understanding how cognitive abilities, like thinking and remembering, affect walking patterns in patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), a condition that impacts muscle control and movement. Researchers want to see how well patients can walk while also doing mental tasks, such as counting backwards. They believe that by studying these "dual-task" conditions, they can learn more about the challenges ALS patients face when it comes to mobility and the risk of falls.

To participate in this study, individuals must be at least 18 years old and have a clinical diagnosis of ALS or another type of motor neuron disease. They should be able to walk without assistance for at least one minute and provide consent to join the study. Healthy individuals who are similar in age and gender to the ALS patients can also participate as a comparison group. Participants will be asked to perform walking tasks while engaging in mental exercises, helping researchers better understand how cognitive function influences movement in ALS patients. This study is still in the planning stages and has not started recruiting participants yet.

Gender

ALL

Eligibility criteria

• Patient inclusion criteria:
• • Age ≥ 18 years;
• • Clinical diagnosis of ALS or other MND phenotype;
• • Able to walk unassisted for at least 1 minute consecutively;
• • Oral and written informed consent to study participation.
• Healthy control inclusion criteria:
• • 1. Age ≥ 18 years;
• • 2. Age and sex distribution similar to patients (age range: mean age of patients years ± 15 years);
• • 3. Able to walk unassisted for at least 1 minute consecutively;
• • 4. Oral and written informed consent to study participation.
• • Exclusion Criteria
• An individual (either patient or healthy control) who meets any of the following criteria will be excluded from participation in this study:
• • 1. Diagnosis of dementia;
• • 2. Medical conditions or substance abuse that could interfere with cognition;
• • 3. Any (other) major systemic, psychiatric, neurological, visual, and musculoskeletal disturbances or other causes of walking inability.