Duchenne Muscular DystrophyQEDNCT01491555
Electrical Impedance Myography and Ultrasound as Biomarkers of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
An observational study of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, run by Boston Children's Hospital at 1 site in United States.
Trial summary
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston Neurology Department invite children to participate in a new research study. Researchers are looking for boys ages 2 - 30 with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and healthy boys ages 2 - 30 (without any nerve or muscle concerns) to serve as controls. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 2 to 30 years, men onlyHealthy volunteers can take part
- Conditions the study is for
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
- How many people
- 73 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited States
- Study dates
- Apr 2012to Sep 2015
- Phase
- Observational
- Are there results?
- None posted in the registry
Key requirements
Who can take part, as listed by the sponsor. Only the study team can confirm whether you are eligible, so take this list to your doctor.
- Ages 2 to 30 years
- Men only
- Healthy volunteers accepted
- Child, Adult
Study population: This study will involve boys with DMD and healthy male controls.
Who may be able to join
- Genetically or histologically established diagnosis of DMD
- Male, age 2 - 30
- 1. Male, age 2 - 30
Who cannot join
- Presence of implanted pacemaker or other electrical device
- Presence of a superimposed neuromuscular or other medical condition that substantially impacts the individual's health
- Presence or past history of a neuromuscular disorder or other disease that substantially impacts health
- Presence of implanted pacemaker or other electrical device.
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United States1 site
Children's Hospital Boston
Boston, Massachusetts, 02115
About this study
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston Neurology Department invite children to participate in a new research study. Researchers are looking for boys ages 2 - 30 with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and healthy boys ages 2 - 30 (without any nerve or muscle concerns) to serve as controls. The study is evaluating a new technique that will test nerve and muscle function. The testing is all pain free.
Children participating in the study will come in for 10 visits over two years. Visits will take place every month at first, then less often for the remaining visits. The tests for the study itself take approximately 2hours. If participants are interested or would like to learn more about the study, please call Lavanya Madabusi at 617-919-3554 or Lavanya.Madabusi@childrens.harvard.edu. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.
Read the detailed description
Characterized by progressive disability leading to death, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) remains one of the most common and devastating neuromuscular disorders of childhood. Although a variety of promising new treatment strategies are in development, outcome measures for clinical trials remain limited for the most part to a set of functional measures, such as the six-minute walk test. While clearly useful, such measures are impacted by unrelated factors, such as mood and effort, and have limited repeatability. To address this and other limitations, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now being investigated as a surrogate measure. However, more easily applied, cost-effective, office-based surrogate measures that provide high repeatability and sensitivity while still correlating strongly to disease status would find wider use in Phase II and possibly in Phase III clinical trials in DMD. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and electrical impedance myography (EIM) are two techniques that could serve in this role. In QUS, muscle pathology (fibrosis and fatty infiltration) in DMD results in an increase in energy reflected back (backscatter) to the ultrasound. The amount of backscatter can be measured directly by analyzing the raw frequency-based acoustic data or indirectly by controlled processing of the gray-scale image. EIM, in contrast, relies upon the application of localized electrical current and measurement of the resulting surface voltages, but is similarly impacted by the fibrotic changes that develop as muscle disease progresses. Here, the investigators propose to evaluate and compare both methodologies simultaneously in a group of DMD patients and normal subjects in order to assess their ability to identify clinically meaningful alterations in muscle health over short intervals of time. As a final exploratory analysis, the investigators will also study the possibility of combining the two modalities. The results of this work will have broad application as they could be applied to a variety of neuromuscular conditions, including other muscular dystrophies. Thus, the hypothesis of this proposal is that both QUS and EIM can serve as convenient, non-invasive, clinically meaningful surrogate markers of disease progression in DMD that surpass the functional measures currently in use.
- Conditions
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
- Keywords
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, DMD, controls, EIM, QUS
- Medical subject headings
- Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne
What participants receive
What participants receive. In a randomised study each person is assigned to one group by chance.
| Study group | Role | What they receive |
|---|---|---|
| DMD patients | 35 boys ages 2 through 30 with DMD | |
| Control Group | 35 healthy boys ages 2 through 30 |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
The rate of decline of DMD patients versus normal subjects as assessed by EIM and quantitative ultrasound
With the successful completion of this aim, the investigators will establish that alterations in both EIM and QUS provide meaningful surrogate measures of disease progression in DMD.
Measured: up to 45 months
Secondary outcomes (1)
The rate of decline of DMD patients versus normal subjects as assessed by handheld dynamometry, 6-minute walk, and other functional tests.
With the successful completion of this aim, the investigators will establish that alterations in functional assessments may provide additional meaningful surrogate measures of disease progression in DMD.
Measured: up to 45 months
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted14 Dec 2011 (estimated)
- Study startApr 2012
- Primary completionSep 2015
- Study completionSep 2015
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for Duchenne Muscular DystrophyStudies of the same condition, open and under way.
- More trials run by Boston Children's HospitalThe sponsor's other registered studies.
- What the trial phases meanHow a treatment moves from first tests in people to approval.
More details
For doctors and researchers: how the study is designed, who runs it, and its registry IDs.
Study design
- Study type
- Observational
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 73 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Boston Children's Hospital
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Responsible party
- Principal investigator, Basil Darras, Boston Children's Hospital
- Investigators
- Basil Darras, MD, Principal investigator, Boston Children's HospitalSeward Rutkove, MD, Principal investigator, Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01491555
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- IRB-P00001218
- Acronym
- QED
- Status last verified
- Mar 2016
- First submitted
- 5 Dec 2011
- Last updated
- 24 Mar 2016
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- Individual data sharing
- Undecided
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 24 Mar 2016. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- Electrical Impedance Myography and Ultrasound as Biomarkers of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT01491555
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- QED / IRB-P00001218
- Conditions
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy
- Keywords
- Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, DMD, controls, EIM, QUS
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 73 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Boston Children's HospitalUniversity, hospital or other
- Collaborators
- Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
- Study start
- Apr 2012
- Primary completion
- Sep 2015 (actual)
- Study completion
- Sep 2015 (actual)
- First posted
- 14 Dec 2011 (estimated)
- Results
- Not posted in the source record
Clinical summary
The research question as the sponsor registered it. This describes what the study plans to test, not what it found.
Researchers at Children's Hospital Boston Neurology Department invite children to participate in a new research study. Researchers are looking for boys ages 2 - 30 with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and healthy boys ages 2 - 30 (without any nerve or muscle concerns) to serve as controls. The study is evaluating a new technique that will test nerve and muscle function. The testing is all pain free.
Children participating in the study will come in for 10 visits over two years. Visits will take place every month at first, then less often for the remaining visits. The tests for the study itself take approximately 2hours. If participants are interested or would like to learn more about the study, please call Lavanya Madabusi at 617-919-3554 or Lavanya.Madabusi@childrens.harvard.edu. All inquiries will be kept strictly confidential.
Detailed description
Characterized by progressive disability leading to death, Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) remains one of the most common and devastating neuromuscular disorders of childhood. Although a variety of promising new treatment strategies are in development, outcome measures for clinical trials remain limited for the most part to a set of functional measures, such as the six-minute walk test. While clearly useful, such measures are impacted by unrelated factors, such as mood and effort, and have limited repeatability. To address this and other limitations, magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) is now being investigated as a surrogate measure. However, more easily applied, cost-effective, office-based surrogate measures that provide high repeatability and sensitivity while still correlating strongly to disease status would find wider use in Phase II and possibly in Phase III clinical trials in DMD. Quantitative ultrasound (QUS) and electrical impedance myography (EIM) are two techniques that could serve in this role. In QUS, muscle pathology (fibrosis and fatty infiltration) in DMD results in an increase in energy reflected back (backscatter) to the ultrasound. The amount of backscatter can be measured directly by analyzing the raw frequency-based acoustic data or indirectly by controlled processing of the gray-scale image. EIM, in contrast, relies upon the application of localized electrical current and measurement of the resulting surface voltages, but is similarly impacted by the fibrotic changes that develop as muscle disease progresses. Here, the investigators propose to evaluate and compare both methodologies simultaneously in a group of DMD patients and normal subjects in order to assess their ability to identify clinically meaningful alterations in muscle health over short intervals of time. As a final exploratory analysis, the investigators will also study the possibility of combining the two modalities. The results of this work will have broad application as they could be applied to a variety of neuromuscular conditions, including other muscular dystrophies. Thus, the hypothesis of this proposal is that both QUS and EIM can serve as convenient, non-invasive, clinically meaningful surrogate markers of disease progression in DMD that surpass the functional measures currently in use.
Study design
- Observational model
- Case-control
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 2
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| DMD patients | – | –35 boys ages 2 through 30 with DMD |
| Control Group | – | –35 healthy boys ages 2 through 30 |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 2 to 30 years
- Sex
- Male only
- Healthy volunteers
- Accepted
- Age groups
- Child, Adult
- Study population
- This study will involve boys with DMD and healthy male controls.
Key inclusion criteria (3 listed)
- Genetically or histologically established diagnosis of DMD
- Male, age 2 - 30
- 1. Male, age 2 - 30
Key exclusion criteria (4 listed)
- Presence of implanted pacemaker or other electrical device
- Presence of a superimposed neuromuscular or other medical condition that substantially impacts the individual's health
- Presence or past history of a neuromuscular disorder or other disease that substantially impacts health
- Presence of implanted pacemaker or other electrical device.
Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening; this overview does not establish that a patient qualifies. Full inclusion and exclusion criteria.
Primary outcome
The rate of decline of DMD patients versus normal subjects as assessed by EIM and quantitative ultrasound
Time frame: up to 45 months
With the successful completion of this aim, the investigators will establish that alterations in both EIM and QUS provide meaningful surrogate measures of disease progression in DMD.
1 secondary outcome
The rate of decline of DMD patients versus normal subjects as assessed by handheld dynamometry, 6-minute walk, and other functional tests.
Time frame: up to 45 months
Results and safety
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
Research links
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govLast updated by the sponsor 24 Mar 2016.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: Undecided
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Referral and contact
AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals. Contact the study team or a site listed below; they decide who can take part. This study is not recruiting at the moment.
Basil Darras, MD principal investigator
Boston Children's Hospital
Seward Rutkove, MD principal investigator
Beth Israel Deaconess Medical Center
1 site in 1 country: see every site and its status.
Questions about this trial
What is this clinical trial studying?
An observational study of Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy, run by Boston Children's Hospital at 1 site in United States.
The full registered description is in the About this study section and the official record.
Who may be eligible to take part?
The sponsor lists 3 inclusion and 4 exclusion criteria. Eligibility is decided by the study team after screening, so read the full criteria and contact a listed site.
Is this clinical trial currently recruiting?
The record says: finished, as of the sponsor's last update on 24 Mar 2016. Status can change between updates, so confirm with the study contact before making plans.
Where is the study taking place?
The record lists 1 site in United States. Whether a site is taking part right now should be confirmed with that site. See every site.
What are the possible benefits and risks?
They depend on the study and the treatment, and no study can promise a benefit. The study team explains the known risks during informed consent, before anyone joins; the record itself does not list them.
Are results available for this study?
The study is completed, but results are not available in the source record. That does not mean the treatment did or did not work.
How can a doctor refer a patient or contact the research team?
The record lists no contact. The official record names the sponsor, who can be asked directly. AzTrials does not enrol participants or take referrals.
What does the primary outcome measure?
The rate of decline of DMD patients versus normal subjects as assessed by EIM and quantitative ultrasound (time frame: up to 45 months). It is what the study was designed to measure, not a finding.
Where can I read the original study information?
Does a listing mean the treatment is approved or proven to work?
No. A listing means the study is registered. It does not show that the treatment is safe, works, or is approved by a regulator.
How often is this information updated?
AzTrials copies changed records from ClinicalTrials.gov every night and reloads the whole registry every week. The sponsor last updated this record on 24 Mar 2016; AzTrials last refreshed its copy on 8 Nov 2026.