MRI scans could unlock secrets of rare muscle disease
NCT ID NCT04734626
First seen Jun 27, 2026 · Last updated Jun 27, 2026
Summary
This study uses special MRI scans to measure how well muscles produce energy in people with mitochondrial disease. Researchers hope to learn more about the condition and develop a new tool to help diagnose and track it. The study involves 230 participants aged 7 to 75 with suspected or confirmed mitochondrial disease.
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Study facts
What this study's own registry entry says, in plain language.
- Participants
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About 230 people
The number the study aims to enrol. It can still change while the study runs.
- Started
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May 2021
- Expected to finish
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Dec 2028
An estimate. End dates often move.
- 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.
Who is studied
The study population consists of suspected or definite mitochondrial disease patients who are receiving clinical care through the Mitochondrial Medicine Frontier Program
- Ages
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7 to 75 years
- Sex
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Anyone
- Healthy volunteers
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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 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 (Mitochondrial Disease Patients): * Males and females, between the ages of 7 and 75, inclusive * Suspected (based on clinical presentation) or definite genetic mitochondrial disease diagnosis (i.e., genetic mutations in the constituents of the mitochondrial respiratory chain and/or genetic mutations that are likely to affect mitochondrial function) * Clinically eligible for an MRI of the lower leg. We are conducting clinical leg MRI scans of patients with definite mitochondrial disease for indications that include muscle weakness and muscle fatigue. * Able to perform sub-maximal ankle dorsiflexion leg exercise during the MRI study Inclusion Criteria (Healthy Controls): * Males and females, between the ages of 7 and 75 years, inclusive * Able to perform sub-maximal ankle dorsiflexion leg exercise during the MRI study Inclusion Criteria (Evaluable Healthy Controls and Cases for Data Analysis): * To note, we will merge coded datasets from Institutional Review Board (IRB) #15-012445, IRB #16-013364, and IRB #08-006177 with data from this study as part of our data analysis plan. * Complete and evaluable healthy control and cases from IRB #15-012445, IRB #16-013364, and IRB #08-006177 Exclusion Criteria (Mitochondrial Disease Patients and Healthy Controls): * In the investigator's opinion, inability to fully comply with research procedures * Active alcohol and/or substance abuse, including tobacco-use * A pacemaker; any metal-based medical or non-medical devices/implants; any non-removable metal-based object (e.g., body piercings, jewelry, etc.) that cannot be cleared through radiologic evaluation * Any history of intraocular injury or fragment in or around the orbit that cannot be cleared through radiologic evaluation * Any history of bullet, shrapnel, or stabbing wounds that cannot be cleared through radiologic evaluation * Past or current employment involving (or exposure to) a metal grinder (e.g., at a construction worksite) * Claustrophobia or any known medical conditions which can be exacerbated by stress, anxiety, or panic attacks triggered by enclosed spaces * Any potentially interfering clinical MRI contrast agents, as reviewed with the radiology team * At the discretion of the principal investigator (PI), any medical condition that will interfere with or prevent the safe completion of the study * Any female participant with childbearing potential who is knowingly pregnant or suspects that she is pregnant will be removed from the study. (Although there are no known risks of MRI on pregnant females or fetuses, there is a possibility of yet undiscovered pregnancy-related risks. Since there is no direct benefit from participating in this protocol for pregnant females, they will be excluded to ensure their long-term safety and that of their unborn fetus.) * To note, for this protocol, participants are instructed to lie still in the MRI scanner; there is no contrast or sedation. Participants will be asked to perform a brief (\< 2 minute) foot-pedal exercise. Investigators will ensure that total MRI scanning time (i.e., clinically indicated and study-specific scanning) does not exceed 120 minutes within a single day. Participants who do not possess the cognitive and/or physical abilities to perform these procedures will not be included. Exclusion Criteria (Healthy Controls) * Any history or genetic confirmation of mitochondrial disease
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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.
How to take part
Only the study team decides who joins. These are the ways to reach them.
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The places running it
1 site. The list below names each one and where it is.
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The official record
The full official record for this study. This one lists no contact details, but it is the first place any would appear.
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A doctor treating you
A doctor who knows your case can contact a study site on your behalf, and can tell you whether this study is worth pursuing at all.
Contacts and locations
Locations
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Children's Hospital of Philadelphia
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, 19104, United States
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