In vivo human motor unit imaging
Research type
Research Study
Full title
In vivo human motor unit imaging
IRAS ID
226052
Contact name
Roger G Whittaker
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Newcastle Hospitals NHS Foundation Trust
Duration of Study in the UK
0 years, 3 months, 29 days
Research summary
Muscle is arranged into motor units and it is their co-ordinated firing pattern that leads to muscle movement. Critically, neuromuscular diseases produce characteristic changes in the anatomy of these units. For example, disease affecting the motor nerve supplying the muscle (e.g. motor neuron disease) leads to fewer, larger motor units, whereas a disease of the muscle itself (e.g. muscular dystrophy) leads to the same number, but smaller units. The ability to distinguish between these is critical to guide clinical investigations and diagnosis, to instigate early treatment, and is becoming increasingly important as outcome measures in clinical trials. Current clinical practice uses neurophysiological techniques that involve inserting needles into muscles (electromyography, EMG). This is painful, making it particularly difficult to perform in children or the elderly. \nEach motor unit comprises hundreds of muscle fibres which lie in parallel to the axis of the muscle. When the motor unit is activated, the fibres contract along this axis. We have already imaged healthy human muscles using an MRI scanner which has revealed transient signal voids whose dimensions and firing patterns appear to match those of individual motor units. This provides an exciting opportunity to use MRI to detect abnormalities in motor units such as those seen in motor neuron disease. Our plan is now to image the muscles of patients with motor neuron disease to see whether we can detect abnormalities in the size and firing patterns of their motor units. Ultimately, if successful this may offer a pain-free alternative to needle electromyography in this and other diseases.\n
REC name
South West - Central Bristol Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
17/SW/0222
Date of REC Opinion
16 Oct 2017
REC opinion
Further Information Favourable Opinion