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New MRI scans could unlock ALS mysteries and speed up drug discovery

NCT ID NCT03362658

Knowledge-focused Sponsor: University of Alberta Source: ClinicalTrials.gov ↗

What the study statuses mean

This study's is highlighted.

Recruitment status, easiest to join first

Recruiting now
This trial is taking on new participants right now.
Not yet recruiting
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 This study
Running, but no longer taking on new participants.
Completed
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 Results may not be published yet.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This status has not been confirmed recently, so it may be out of date.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 Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026

Summary

This study tests whether advanced MRI techniques can measure brain changes in people with ALS (Lou Gehrig's disease). Researchers will scan 119 participants three times over 8 months to see if these scans can track the disease and help diagnose it earlier. The goal is to create better tools for testing new treatments, which could lead to faster discovery of therapies for ALS.

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

119 people

The number who actually took part.

Start date

Oct 2016

Expected to finish

Dec 2026

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

1. Patients with a diagnosis of motor neuron disease (MND). This includes the diagnoses of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), and progressive muscular atrophy (PMA). 2. Patients with frontotemporal dementia (FTD) with or without motor neuron signs.

Ages

18 years and older

Sex

Anyone

Healthy volunteers

Accepted

You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.

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: * Patients with a suspected or confirmed diagnosis as described in Study Populations * For those with a diagnosis of ALS, patients will be considered with an El Escorial classification of suspected, possible, probable, probable lab-supported, and definite ALS. * Patients 18 years of age or older * Healthy controls over the age of 40. * Be able to lie in an MRI machine for approximately 60 minutes Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects with psychiatric/CNS illnesses such as Major Depressive Disorder, Schizophrenia, and Bipolar disorder. * Subjects with significant head injury or other neurological disease (stroke, brain tumour). * Subjects ineligible for MRI investigation due to a pacemaker or other metallic foreign body.

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Conditions

The condition(s) this trial relates to.

amyotrophic lateral sclerosis motor neuron disorder

As listed by the trial registrant

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

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Motor neuron disease

Contacts and locations

Locations

  • Laval University

    Québec, Quebec, G1V 0A6, Canada

  • McGill University / Montreal Neurological Institute and Hospital

    Montreal, Quebec, H3A 2B4, Canada

  • University of Alberta

    Edmonton, Alberta, T6G 2B7, Canada

  • University of Calgary / Heritage Medical Research Clinic

    Calgary, Alberta, T2N 4Z6, Canada

  • University of Miami

    Miami, Florida, United States

  • University of Toronto / Sunnybrook Health Sciences Centre

    Toronto, Ontario, M4N 3M5, Canada

  • University of Utah

    Salt Lake City, Utah, 84108, United States

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