Assessment of Postural Orientation and Equilibrium In Early Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Patients diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Inclusion Criteria:

Inclusion Criteria for subjects with early ALS:

• Probable or definite ALS according to World Federation of Neurology diagnostic criteria4.

• Early stage ALS defined as presence of:

  1. Normal lower extremities muscle strength (≥ 4/5 in manual muscle strength or ≥ 80% in the computerized dynamometer quantitative muscle strength);
  2. ALSFRS score of ≥ than 30;
  3. FVC of ≥75% predicted;
  4. Ambulatory without the use of any assistive device.
• 18 - 75 years of age.
• Able to provide informed consent.

Inclusion Criteria for control subjects:

• Healthy 18 - 75 years of age without significant medical condition as defined by the investigator.
• Able to provide informed consent.
• Not having any of the exclusion criteria listed below.

Exclusion Criteria:

• Age < 18 or > 75 years.
• History of falls (2 or more in the last year), history of fainting, history of cerebrovascular accident (CVA) or myocardial infarction (MI), history of lower limb joint replacement.
• History of neuromuscular dysfunction "except diagnosis of ALS for individuals with ALS".
• Post-traumatic, septic, inflammatory, or neuropathic arthritis.
• Lower extremity injury/surgery that may effect balance.
• Vestibular pathology (i.e., inner ear problems, vertigo, meniere's).
• Peripheral neuropathy.
• Parkinson's Disease.
• Currently taking anti-convulsive medications (e.g., clonazepam, diazepam, lorazepam,phenytoin, zonegran, carbamazepine, depakote, gabapentin, lamotrigine, lamotrigine, oxcarbazepine, tiagabine, topiramate)
• Diabetes Mellitus.
• No history of neurological or medical condition that may interfere with balance as defined by investigators.