Study of biomarkers in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

• Grant number: 11/21521-3
• Support Opportunities: Scholarships in Brazil - Doctorate (Direct)
• Start date: June 01, 2012
• End date: April 22, 2014
• Field of knowledge: Health Sciences - Medicine - Medical Clinics
• Principal Investigator: Marcondes Cavalcante Franca Junior
• Grantee: Milena de Albuquerque
• Host Institution: Faculdade de Ciências Médicas (FCM). Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Campinas , SP, Brazil

Abstract

The Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized by progressive loss of strength, which spreads to all regions of the body, accompanied by generalized muscle atrophy, fasciculations and cramps, culminating in death about three years after symptoms initials. From a clinical standpoint, both the diagnosis and estimation of prognosis are difficult to perform an early stage of disease, because there is great phenotypic variability among patients and lack of testing information. Therefore, the identification of markers for diagnosis and prognosis to estimate would be extremely useful in clinical practice. Thus, we propose a prospective study to evaluate the usefulness of magnetic resonance imaging (measures of quantitative analysis of cerebral cortical volume, texture analysis and analysis of T2 relaxometry), clinical neurophysiology (neurophysiological index) and Molecular Biology (quantification serum microRNAs miR-9 and 206 and possibly others) as biomarkers in ALS. Each patient will be assessed at baseline and after 6 and 12 months. Statistical analyzes will be transversal (diagnostic evaluation) and longitudinal (prognostic assessment), and the tests will be chosen according to sample characteristics. (AU)

Scientific publications

(References retrieved automatically from Web of Science and SciELO through information on FAPESP grants and their corresponding numbers as mentioned in the publications by the authors)

DE ALBUQUERQUE, MILENA; BRANCO, LUCAS MELO T.; REZENDE, THIAGO JUNQUEIRA R.; TAVARES DE ANDRADE, HELEN MAIA; NUCCI, ANAMARLI; FRANCA, JR., MARCONDES CAVALCANTE. Longitudinal evaluation of cerebral and spinal cord damage in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. NEUROIMAGE-CLINICAL, v. 14, p. 269-276, 2017. (11/21521-3)

REZENDE, THIAGO J. R.; DE ALBUQUERQUE, MILENA; LAMAS, GUSTAVO M.; MARTINEZ, ALBERTO R. M.; CAMPOS, BRUNNO M.; CASSEB, RAPHAEL F.; SILVA, CYNTHIA B.; BRANCO, LUCAS M. T.; D'ABREU, ANELYSSA; LOPES-CENDES, ISCIA; et al. Multimodal MRI-Based Study in Patients with SPG4 Mutations. PLoS One, v. 10, n. 2, FEB 6 2015. (11/21521-3)

DE ALBUQUERQUE, MILENA; ANJOS, LARA G. V.; TAVARES DE ANDRADE, HELEN MAIA; DE OLIVEIRA, MARCIA S.; CASTELLANO, GABRIELA; RIBEIRO DE REZENDE, THIAGO JUNQUEIRA; NUCCI, ANAMARLI; FRANCA JUNIOR, MARCONDES CAVALCANTE. MRI Texture Analysis Reveals Deep Gray Nuclei Damage in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. JOURNAL OF NEUROIMAGING, v. 26, n. 2, p. 201-206, MAR-APR 2016. (12/24363-2, 13/07559-3, 11/21521-3)

Academic Publications

(References retrieved automatically from State of São Paulo Research Institutions)

ALBUQUERQUE, Milena de. Multimodal neuroimaging study in motor neuron diseases. 2016. Doctoral Thesis - Universidade Estadual de Campinas (UNICAMP). Faculdade de Ciências Médicas Campinas, SP.