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Functional magnetic resonance imaging of human motor unit fasciculation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
Author(s) -
Whittaker Roger G.,
Porcari Paola,
Braz Luis,
Williams Timothy L.,
Schofield Ian S.,
Blamire Andrew M.
Publication year - 2019
Publication title -
annals of neurology
Language(s) - English
Resource type - Journals
SCImago Journal Rank - 4.764
H-Index - 296
eISSN - 1531-8249
pISSN - 0364-5134
DOI - 10.1002/ana.25422
Subject(s) - fasciculation , amyotrophic lateral sclerosis , magnetic resonance imaging , motor unit , medicine , neuroscience , diffusion mri , functional magnetic resonance imaging , motor function , pyramidal tracts , physical medicine and rehabilitation , psychology , anatomy , pathology , radiology , disease
A novel diffusion‐weighted magnetic resonance imaging protocol sensitive to contraction of individual skeletal motor units was developed. We applied this technique to the lower limb muscles of 4 patients with confirmed amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and 6 healthy controls. A 3‐minute scan revealed florid fasciculation in ALS patients, involving both superficial and deep muscles, and at a frequency higher than in healthy controls. This novel imaging technique reveals hitherto unobtainable information on human motor unit structure and function, which may allow earlier diagnosis and recruitment to clinical trials. ANN NEUROL 2019;85:455–459.