ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)ALS-CarENCT03081338
A Programme for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Care in Europe
An observational study of ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and MND (Motor Neurone DIsease), run by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at 1 site in United Kingdom.
Trial summary
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or else known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a rapidly progressive fatal neurological disease that strikes in the prime of life, and for which there is no treatment. The principal aim of management is to maintain quality of life and reduce the symptoms of the disease. Read more about this study
- Who is it for?
- Ages 18 years and older
- Conditions the study is for
- ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis), MND (Motor Neurone DIsease)
- How many people
- 73 participants
- Where
- 1 siteUnited Kingdom
- Study dates
- 7 May 2015to 6 Mar 2018
- 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 18 years and older
- All sexes
- No healthy volunteers
- Adult, Older adult
Study population: A mix of incident and prevalent cases will be included in order to capture patients at different stages of the disease trajectory. The total study population will contain 600 patients (300 newly diagnosed and 300 prevalent).
Who may be able to join
- A diagnosis of definite, probable, laboratory supported or possible ALS according to the El Escorial criteria.
Who cannot join
- Patient cognitive impairment to the extent that they cannot complete an informed consent process
Trial locations and contacts
1 site in 1 country.
United Kingdom1 site
Sheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience
Sheffield, South Yorkshire, S10 2HQ
About this study
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or else known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a rapidly progressive fatal neurological disease that strikes in the prime of life, and for which there is no treatment. The principal aim of management is to maintain quality of life and reduce the symptoms of the disease. This requires a multidisciplinary approach using best practice for symptom alleviation, including innovation approaches towards maximising quality of life. The purpose of this study is to use existing information drawn from partner countries into a system of care that is available to people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at the correct time, in the correct format and in a cost effective manner. This will be achieved by collecting details of patient and carer experiences across all stages of from diagnosis to end of life, including decision making in the terminal stages of the disease. A health economic analysis will help to identify the overall costs of disease management, provide models of increased efficiency that preserve and maximize quality of life, and begin to develop novel health economic measurement tools for terminal neurological illness. The completed project will provide a user-friendly best practice programme for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that can be modified for management of other related degenerative diseases of the nervous system.
Read the detailed description
This is a prospective multi-centre observational research project that will be carried out by 8 European partners in 9 sites: 1 in Ireland (Dublin), 1 in the Netherlands (Utrecht), 2 in the United Kingdom (UK) (Sheffield and London), 2 in Italy (Turin and Milan), 2 in Germany (Berlin and Munich), and 1 in Belgium (Leuven). In terms of data collection, the study consists of 3 substudies and will be organised in 6 interlinked work packages spanning clinical, epidemiological and health services research.
All partners will contribute in participant recruitment and collect comparable data, which will be used for fulfilling the deliverables of each work package. Central co-ordination of research activities in the 2 UK sites will be undertaken in Sheffield. This protocol concerns research activities in relation to the ALS-CarE project involving the 2 UK-based participating sites.
Following ethical and research governance approvals, ALS-CarE officially started on 1st April 2014 and will run for 3 years. Participant recruitment will commence following ethical and research governance approval and will occur for the first 4 months at the Sheffield and King's College MND Care Centres. The follow-up period of each participant will take 12 months depending on the rate of progression of the illness. Finally, a period of 11 months at the end of the project will enable analysis of data, dissemination of findings and report writing.
SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY
Background:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or else known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that strikes in the prime of life. There are currently no effective disease modifying therapies for ALS and death usually occurs within 3 years of symptom onset. Management is palliative and is aimed at maximising quality of life and minimising the burden of disease. The complexity and rapidly progressive nature of ALS requires a responsive multidisciplinary care system that that is built on reliable disease staging and evidence based symptom management.
Aim:
To incorporate detailed clinical information drawn from population based sources into a responsive care programme.
Plan of investigation:
A standardised staging system will be validated, and quality of life and patient experiences will be measured and management optimised across disease stages from diagnosis to end of life. Health economic analysis will identify key differences in resource utilisation and will be useful for pharmaco-economic analyses of new therapeutics.
Potential impact:
The completed project will provide a user-friendly best practice framework for ALS that can be modified for management of other neurodegenerative diseases.
- Keywords
- ALS, MND, Care, Patient journey
- Medical subject headings
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
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 |
|---|---|---|
| Study cohort | A mix of incident and prevalent patient cases will be included in order to capture patients at different stages of the disease trajectory. |
What is being measured
The primary outcome is the main question the study is designed to answer.
Calculation of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) that are used to inform economic evaluations of health care interventions using the EuroQoL validated EQ-5D-5L questionnaire.
Two potential service changes will be identified through examination of the patient journey and through the review of discordance with existing best practice guidelines. Key areas of interest are likely to be focussed around the organisation and delivery of services for gastrostomy, non-invasive ventilation, management of cognitive and behavioural impairment, and the involvement of specialised palliative care teams. The precise methods used will be determined on consideration of the types of intervention and types of data available, but are likely to include case-matching and/or more sophisticated statistical methods such as logistic regression or propensity scoring.
Measured: 4 years
Timeline
From the start of the study to its completion; the mark is today. Estimated dates are the sponsor’s plan.
- First posted16 Mar 2017
- Study start7 May 2015
- Primary completion6 Mar 2018
- Study completion6 Mar 2018
Resources
- Official record on ClinicalTrials.govThe registry entry this page is built from, with its full change history.
- Other trials for ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis)Studies of the same condition, open and under way.
- 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
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Enrolment
- 73 participants (actual)
Sponsor and investigators
- Lead sponsor
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
- Sponsor type
- University, hospital or other
- Responsible party
- Sponsor
IDs, dates and publications
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03081338
- Sponsor's protocol ID
- STH18567
- Acronym
- ALS-CarE
- Status last verified
- Oct 2026
- First submitted
- 16 Nov 2015
- Last updated
- 5 Oct 2026
- Results posted
- No
- Data monitoring committee
- No
- FDA-regulated drug
- No
- FDA-regulated device
- No
- Individual data sharing
- No
Study at a glance
From the registry record, last updated by the sponsor on 5 Oct 2026. Recruitment status is as the sponsor reported it: confirm with the study team.
- Official title
- A Programme for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Care in Europe
- ClinicalTrials.gov ID
- NCT03081338
- Acronym / sponsor ID
- ALS-CarE / STH18567
- Keywords
- ALS, MND, Care, Patient journey
- Study type
- Observational
- Recruitment status
- Completed
- Enrolment
- 73 participants (actual)
- Lead sponsor
- Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation TrustUniversity, hospital or other
- Study start
- 7 May 2015 (actual)
- Primary completion
- 6 Mar 2018 (actual)
- Study completion
- 6 Mar 2018 (actual)
- First posted
- 16 Mar 2017 (actual)
- 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.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or else known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a rapidly progressive fatal neurological disease that strikes in the prime of life, and for which there is no treatment. The principal aim of management is to maintain quality of life and reduce the symptoms of the disease. This requires a multidisciplinary approach using best practice for symptom alleviation, including innovation approaches towards maximising quality of life. The purpose of this study is to use existing information drawn from partner countries into a system of care that is available to people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis at the correct time, in the correct format and in a cost effective manner. This will be achieved by collecting details of patient and carer experiences across all stages of from diagnosis to end of life, including decision making in the terminal stages of the disease. A health economic analysis will help to identify the overall costs of disease management, provide models of increased efficiency that preserve and maximize quality of life, and begin to develop novel health economic measurement tools for terminal neurological illness. The completed project will provide a user-friendly best practice programme for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that can be modified for management of other related degenerative diseases of the nervous system.
Detailed description
This is a prospective multi-centre observational research project that will be carried out by 8 European partners in 9 sites: 1 in Ireland (Dublin), 1 in the Netherlands (Utrecht), 2 in the United Kingdom (UK) (Sheffield and London), 2 in Italy (Turin and Milan), 2 in Germany (Berlin and Munich), and 1 in Belgium (Leuven). In terms of data collection, the study consists of 3 substudies and will be organised in 6 interlinked work packages spanning clinical, epidemiological and health services research.
All partners will contribute in participant recruitment and collect comparable data, which will be used for fulfilling the deliverables of each work package. Central co-ordination of research activities in the 2 UK sites will be undertaken in Sheffield. This protocol concerns research activities in relation to the ALS-CarE project involving the 2 UK-based participating sites.
Following ethical and research governance approvals, ALS-CarE officially started on 1st April 2014 and will run for 3 years. Participant recruitment will commence following ethical and research governance approval and will occur for the first 4 months at the Sheffield and King's College MND Care Centres. The follow-up period of each participant will take 12 months depending on the rate of progression of the illness. Finally, a period of 11 months at the end of the project will enable analysis of data, dissemination of findings and report writing.
SCIENTIFIC SUMMARY
Background:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) or else known as Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that strikes in the prime of life. There are currently no effective disease modifying therapies for ALS and death usually occurs within 3 years of symptom onset. Management is palliative and is aimed at maximising quality of life and minimising the burden of disease. The complexity and rapidly progressive nature of ALS requires a responsive multidisciplinary care system that that is built on reliable disease staging and evidence based symptom management.
Aim:
To incorporate detailed clinical information drawn from population based sources into a responsive care programme.
Plan of investigation:
A standardised staging system will be validated, and quality of life and patient experiences will be measured and management optimised across disease stages from diagnosis to end of life. Health economic analysis will identify key differences in resource utilisation and will be useful for pharmaco-economic analyses of new therapeutics.
Potential impact:
The completed project will provide a user-friendly best practice framework for ALS that can be modified for management of other neurodegenerative diseases.
Study design
- Observational model
- Cohort
- Time perspective
- Prospective
- Number of arms
- 1
| Arm | Type | Receives |
|---|---|---|
| Study cohort | – | –A mix of incident and prevalent patient cases will be included in order to capture patients at different stages of the disease trajectory. |
Who may qualify
- Ages
- 18 years and older
- Sex
- All
- Healthy volunteers
- Not accepted
- Age groups
- Adult, Older adult
- Study population
- A mix of incident and prevalent cases will be included in order to capture patients at different stages of the disease trajectory. The total study population will contain 600 patients (300 newly diagnosed and 300 prevalent).
Key inclusion criteria (1 listed)
- A diagnosis of definite, probable, laboratory supported or possible ALS according to the El Escorial criteria.
Key exclusion criteria (1 listed)
- Patient cognitive impairment to the extent that they cannot complete an informed consent process
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
Calculation of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) that are used to inform economic evaluations of health care interventions using the EuroQoL validated EQ-5D-5L questionnaire.
Time frame: 4 years
Two potential service changes will be identified through examination of the patient journey and through the review of discordance with existing best practice guidelines. Key areas of interest are likely to be focussed around the organisation and delivery of services for gastrostomy, non-invasive ventilation, management of cognitive and behavioural impairment, and the involvement of specialised palliative care teams. The precise methods used will be determined on consideration of the types of intervention and types of data available, but are likely to include case-matching and/or more sophisticated statistical methods such as logistic regression or propensity scoring.
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 5 Oct 2026.
- Individual participant dataSharing planned: No
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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.
The record lists no contact. Use the official record to reach the sponsor.
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 ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) and MND (Motor Neurone DIsease), run by Sheffield Teaching Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust at 1 site in United Kingdom.
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 1 inclusion and 1 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 5 Oct 2026. 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 Kingdom. 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?
Calculation of quality-adjusted life years (QALYs) that are used to inform economic evaluations of health care interventions using the EuroQoL validated EQ-5D-5L questionnaire. (time frame: 4 years). 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 5 Oct 2026.