New MRI scans could spot ALS earlier
NCT ID NCT04691011
First seen Jun 26, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026 · Updated 1 time
Summary
This study tested whether advanced MRI scans can find new biomarkers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a fast-progressing nerve disease. Researchers used high-field and very-high-field MRI to look at the brain, spinal cord, and muscles of 22 ALS patients over six months. The goal was to see if these scans could help diagnose ALS earlier and track its progression more accurately.
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 better and earlier diagnosis of ALS, and help measure how the disease progresses over time.
- What could go wrong
- This was a small, early-stage study with only 22 participants, so results may not apply to everyone with ALS. It focused on imaging, not treatment.
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.
- Phase
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Not a phased trial
Phase numbers describe drug development. The registry uses this when they do not apply, as it does for trials of devices, procedures or behaviour changes, and for observational studies.
- Participants
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22 people
The number who actually took part.
- Started
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Jun 2021
- Finished
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Jun 2025
- Lead sponsor
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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.
- Ages
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18 years and older
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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Accepted
You do not need to have the condition being studied to take part.
Show the full entry requirements Hide 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 will be adults with a diagnosis of ALS. * Healthy controls will also be recruited and will be age- and gender-matched to patients. * Patients able to undergo a brain MRI for approximately an hour. Exclusion Criteria: * Subjects with other psychiatric or CNS or PNS diseases. * Subjects ineligible for MRI investigation due to a pacemaker or other metallic foreign body, or significant claustrophobia that could affect the ability to have an MRI scan.
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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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Shahram Attarian
Marseille, 13005, France
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Other studies related to the condition(s) this trial covers.
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