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Blood test may slash ALS diagnosis time from months to days

NCT ID NCT07706270

Diagnosis Sponsor: University Hospital, Montpellier Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

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Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting This study
Registered, but not yet taking participants.
By invitation only
Not open to general applications. Only people the study team invites can take part.
Paused
Paused for now. It may or may not start again.
Ongoing
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
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The trial has finished. Results may not be published yet.
Stopped early
Stopped early, before it reached the end. That can be for many reasons, including safety.
Cancelled
Cancelled before anyone took part.

Expanded access (not trials)

Expanded access
Not a trial. This treatment can be requested outside a study, case by case, for people who qualify.
Expanded access (paused)
Not a trial. The treatment can normally be requested outside a study, but is unavailable right now.
Expanded access (ended)
Not a trial. The treatment could once be requested outside a study, but no longer can.
Approved
The treatment has been approved, so it is available normally rather than through this programme.

When the status isn't known

Details not published
The full record has not been published yet, so there is little to show here.
Status unknown
This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.

First seen Jul 15, 2026 · Last updated Jul 21, 2026 · Updated 3 times

Summary

This study investigates whether measuring a protein called neurofilament light chain (NfL) in the blood can help doctors diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) more quickly and accurately. ALS is often hard to distinguish from other neurological diseases, leading to delays of up to 14 months. Researchers will take an extra blood sample from 138 adults with suspected ALS and measure NfL levels using advanced techniques. The goal is to see if NfL levels can reliably tell ALS apart from similar conditions and predict how the disease will progress.

What this could mean

Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only, not medical advice or a prediction.

Active substance
a blood test measuring neurofilament light chain (NfL) levels
What this could lead to
If successful, this blood test could speed up ALS diagnosis, reduce misdiagnosis, and help doctors start treatment earlier.
What could go wrong
This is a diagnostic study, not a treatment trial. The test may not be accurate enough to replace current methods, and results may not apply to all patients.

This is an AI summary of the original study and may miss details. Read our disclaimer.

Study facts

What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.

Participants

About 138 people

The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.

Expected to start

Aug 2026

An estimate. Start dates often move.

Expected to finish

Aug 2028

An estimate. End dates often move.

Lead sponsor

Other sponsor

The registry's catch-all category, for sponsors it does not file as a company, a government agency, or a research network.

Who can take part

This study's own entry requirements. Only the study team can say for certain whether you qualify.

Who is studied

The study population consists of all patients referred to the rare disease reference center for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at CHU Montpellier for suspected ALS, regardless of the final diagnosis. These patients will be included prospectively as part of the diagnostic evaluation. The inclusion will be based on clinical suspicion of ALS, and the final diagnosis will be established according to the revised El Escorial criteria, independent of the NfL serum levels. This population will be monitored and analyzed for diagnostic performance and prognostic value of serum NfL levels.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Not accepted

This study is not open to healthy volunteers. The entry requirements below say who it is open to.

Show the full entry requirements

Copied word for word from the study's registry entry, so the wording is the study team's rather than ours.

Inclusion Criteria: * Be at least 18 years of age * Be able to undergo blood sampling (however, blood sampling is part of the standard examination and will not be performed exclusively for this study). * Patients with suspected ALS Exclusion Criteria: -• Patients with recent stroke * Pregnant or breast-feeding women * Patient deprived of liberty by judicial or administrative decision, or hospitalization under duress * Adult protected by law (guardianship, curatorship) * Patient unable to understand and read information and consent forms in French * Person participating in another research study with an exclusion period still in progress. * Failure to obtain written informed consent after a period of reflection * Not affiliated to a social security scheme or beneficiary of such a scheme * Person unable to give consent

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis disease motor neuron disorder neurodegenerative disease

As listed by the trial registrant

The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis ALS Motor neuron diseases Neurodegenerative disorders

How to take part

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  1. The official record

    ClinicalTrials.gov lists the study team's own contact details, including names and phone numbers. We don't republish those.

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  2. A doctor treating you

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