Muscle MRI in Becker Muscular Dystrophy and in Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2I

Overview

The purpose of this study is to investigate the paradoxical muscle enlargement in the calves and tongue seen in patients affected by Becker muscular dystrophy and Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I. The enlarged calves' muscle quality will be assessed primarily on the basis of the muscle structure on MRI and based on a calculation of muscle strength per cross-sectional area.The findings will be compared with results from non-affected controls. Additionally we want to describe the tongue muscle appearance on T1-weighted MRI.

Full Title of Study: “Muscle MRI Study of Patients With Becker Muscular Dystrophy and Limb-girdle Muscular Dystrophy Type 2I”

Study Type

  • Study Type: Observational
  • Study Design
    • Time Perspective: Cross-Sectional
  • Study Primary Completion Date: January 2015

Detailed Description

The purpose of this study is to investigate the paradoxical muscle enlargement seen in patients affected by Becker muscular dystrophy and Limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I. Becker and limb-girdle muscular dystrophies are both hereditary muscular disorders. Both diseases appear clinically with shrinkage and muscle weakness of the muscles around the shoulder girdle and pelvis, while muscle hypertrophy of the calves and tongue is seen. The quality of the enlarged calves has to the investigators knowledge not previously been described, and their hypothesis is that the normal correlation between muscle strength and muscle cross-section is absent in the calf muscles. Thus the investigators hypothesis suggests that there is no actual hypertrophy of the calf muscles, but rather a pseudohypertrofy with reduced force per cross-sectional area. With a picture of increased fat infiltration and disorganized muscle fibers. The enlarged calves' muscle quality will be assessed primarily on the basis of the muscle structure on MRI (assessed on both T1 imaging, 3-point Dixon scans, and diffusion tension imaging), and based on a calculation of muscle strength per cross-sectional area. Isokinetic muscle dynamometry (Biodex-4) will be used to measure muscle strength. The findings will be compared with results from non-affected controls. Additionally the investigators want to describe the tongue muscle appearance on T1-weighted MRI.

Arms, Groups and Cohorts

  • Patients
    • Patients verified with either becker muscular dystrophy or limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I
  • Controls
    • Healthy controls matched for age and gender.

Clinical Trial Outcome Measures

Primary Measures

  • Calves muscle quality
    • Time Frame: 1 day
    • the investigators will describe muscle quality by: MRI scans of the calves comprising of a T1-weighted MRI scan, a 3-point Dixon scan to measure the fraction of fat in the muscle, a short TI inversion recovery (STIR) scan, and a diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) scan to see the muscle fiber organization. The MRI scans will further be used to measure the fat free muscle cross-sectional area of the muscle groups responsible for plantar flexion and dorsi flexion respectively. Biodex muscle strength measurements: Isokinetic muscle dynamometry measurements on plantar flexion and dorsal flexion over the ankle. Calculating of muscle strength per muscle cross-sectional area

Secondary Measures

  • MRI T1 scan of the tongue
    • Time Frame: 1 day
    • MRI T1 scan of the tongue to investigate muscle volume

Participating in This Clinical Trial

Inclusion Criteria

  • Danish patients genetically verified with either becker muscular dystrophy or limb-girdle muscular dystrophy type 2I – calves enlargement Exclusion Criteria:

  • Patients who have metal implants in the body, for instance surgical clips, cochlear implants, pacemaker etc. – pregnant or breast-feeding patients – patients who are claustrophobic – atrophic calves

Gender Eligibility: All

Minimum Age: 18 Years

Maximum Age: 80 Years

Are Healthy Volunteers Accepted: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Investigator Details

  • Lead Sponsor
    • Rigshospitalet, Denmark
  • Provider of Information About this Clinical Study
    • Principal Investigator: Nicoline Løkken, Bsc – Rigshospitalet, Denmark
  • Overall Official(s)
    • Nicoline Løkken, Bsc, Principal Investigator, Neuromuscular Research Unit, Rigshospitalet, Copenhagen

Clinical trials entries are delivered from the US National Institutes of Health and are not reviewed separately by this site. Please see the identifier information above for retrieving further details from the government database.

At TrialBulletin.com, we keep tabs on over 200,000 clinical trials in the US and abroad, using medical data supplied directly by the US National Institutes of Health. Please see the About and Contact page for details.