Tears may hold key to ALS diagnosis, small study suggests
NCT ID NCT04953286
First seen Jun 25, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study looked at whether chemicals in tears and eye surface cells can help diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) or predict how the disease will progress. Researchers collected tear samples and performed eye exams on 55 people with ALS and healthy controls. The goal was to see if the tear 'metabolome' and 'lipidome' could distinguish ALS patients from others, potentially leading to a simple, non-invasive diagnostic tool.
What this could mean
Our plain-language read of the trial. This is informational only — not medical advice or a prediction.
- What this could lead to
- If successful, this could lead to a simple, non-invasive diagnostic test for ALS using tears, helping with earlier detection and monitoring.
- What could go wrong
- This is a small, completed observational study with only 55 participants. The findings are exploratory and need much larger trials to confirm if tear biomarkers are reliable for diagnosis or prognosis.
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Conditions
The condition(s) this trial relates to.
As listed by the trial registrant
The condition terms exactly as the trial's registrant entered them.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Centre d'Investigation Clinique_CIC 1415
Tours, France
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Neurology Department, University Hospital of Tours, France
Tours, 37044, France
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Ophthalmology Department, University Hospital of Tours, France
Tours, 37000, France
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