MONITOR ALS
Research type
Research Study
Full title
Non-invasive MONITORing of human motoneuron properties in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis progression
IRAS ID
334680
Contact name
Jakob Skarabot
Contact email
Sponsor organisation
Loughborough University
Duration of Study in the UK
2 years, 0 months, 0 days
Research summary
A lot is still unknown about the progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), and widely effective therapies are still lacking. To understand disease and advance therapeutics it is important to develop suitable biomarkers. In ALS, an attractive biomarker candidate is the dysfunction in motoneuron activity. In clinical drug trials, tracking improvements often involves invasive procedures with poorer patient tolerance. Here, we propose to track and study motoneuron dysfunction in ALS without using needles. Specifically, we will record muscle activity with large sensors placed on the skin. These recordings will then be analysed using powerful computer algorithms that detect motoneuron dysfunction. We plan to do these recordings in ALS patients every three months for half a year. This will give us a detailed look into how motoneurons change their activity with ALS. We anticipate that this entirely non-invasive approach will significantly improve our understanding of ALS progression. It will allow us to develop a tool that can be used in clinical trials for cheaper costs so that many more therapeutics may be tested. It also has the potential to be used for earlier detection of ALS – this is critically needed for patients to make treatment more effective.
REC name
London - Hampstead Research Ethics Committee
REC reference
25/PR/0453
Date of REC Opinion
22 Apr 2025
REC opinion
Favourable Opinion