Upper Limb Strength and Function Changes during a One-Year Follow-Up in Non-Ambulant Patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy: An Observational Multicenter Trial

• DOI: 10.1371/journal.pone.0113999
• Publication Date: 2015-02-02T20:14:09Z
• Authors: Andreea Mihaela S...; Amélie Moraux; Mélanie Annoussamy; Aurélie Canal; Valérie Decostre; Oumar Diebate; Anne-Gaëlle Le Moing; Teresa Gidaro; Nicolas Deconinck; Frauke Van Parys; Wendy Vereecke; Sylvia Wittevrongel; Michèle Mayer; Kim Maincent; Isabelle Desguerre; Christine Thémar-...; Jean-Marie Cuisset; Vincent Tiffreau; Severine Denis; Virginie Jousten; Susana Quijano-Roy; Thomas Voit; Jean-Yves Hogrel; Laurent Servais
• Keywords: Male; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Young Adult; [SDV]Life Sciences [q-bio]; Mesh:Muscular Dystrophy; Mesh:Adult; Mesh:Adolescent; 0302 clinical medicine; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Female; Mesh:Duchenne/drug therapy; Muscular Dystrophy; Mesh:Muscle Strength*/drug effects; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Child; Child; Mesh:Duchenne/physiopathology*; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Adult; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Follow-Up Studies; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Muscle Strength*/drug effects; Q; R; Mesh:Recovery of Function*/drug effects; Sciences bio-médicales et agricoles; 3. Good health; [SDV] Life Sciences [q-bio]; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Muscular Dystrophy; Medicine; Female; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Male; Research Article; Mesh:Follow-Up Studies; Mesh:Female; Adult; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Duchenne/drug therapy; Mesh:Child; Adolescent; Science; 610; Mesh:Male; Mesh:Young Adult; Upper Extremity; Young Adult; 03 medical and health sciences; Upper Extremity -- physiopathology; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne -- drug therapy -- physiopathology; 617; Humans; Muscle Strength; Recovery of Function -- drug effects; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Adolescent; Recovery of Function; Muscular Dystrophy, Duchenne; Mesh:Humans; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Duchenne/physiopathology*; Muscle Strength -- drug effects; Mesh:Upper Extremity/physiopathology*; Duchenne -- drug therapy -- physiopathology; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Recovery of Function*/drug effects; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Humans; info:eu-repo/classification/mesh/Upper Extremity/physiopathology*; Follow-Up Studies

Upper limb evaluation of patients with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy is crucially important to evaluations of efficacy of new treatments in non-ambulant patients. In patients who have lost ambulation, there are few validated and informative outcome measures. In addition, longitudinal data demonstrating sensitivity to clinical evolution of outcome measures over short-term periods are lacking.We report here the results of a one-year multicenter study using specifically designed tools to assess grip, pinch strength, and hand function in wheelchair-bound patients. Our study assessed 53 non-ambulant patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy aged 17.1 ± 4.8 years (range: 9 - 28.1 years). The average Brooke functional score of these patients was 4.6 ± 1.1. The average forced vital capacity was 44.5% predicted and 19 patients used non-invasive ventilation. Patients were assessed at baseline, 6 months, and one year using the Motor Function Measure and innovative devices (namely the MyoSet composed of MyoGrip, MyoPinch, and MoviPlate).Our study confirmed preliminary data previously reported regarding feasibility of use and of reliability of the MyoSet and the correlation at baseline between distal strength and clinical outcomes such as FVC, Brooke score, age, and duration since loss of ambulation. A significant correlation was observed between the distal upper limb strength and clinical variables. The sensitive dynamometers (MyoGrip and MyoPinch) and MoviPlate captured a 12-month change in non-ambulant Duchenne muscular dystrophy patients of all ages.ClinicalTrials.gov NCT00993161 NCT00993161.