Oral health and saliva thickness in oculopharyngeal muscular dystrophy (OPMD)
Official title: Saliva Composition in Oculo-Pharyngeal Muscular Dystrophy (OPMD)
Run by Sheba Medical Center · NCT07118280 · Data updated 2026-11-12
This study will see if adults with OPMD have different oral health, thicker saliva, or unique saliva biochemical signs compared with their household members without OPMD.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Enrollment | 100 (estimated) |
| Sponsor | Sheba Medical Center Government |
| Locations | 1 site (Ramat Gan) |
| Status | Recruiting |
| Started | March 1, 2023 |
| Main results expected | March 2027 |
| Study ends | March 2027 |
| Registry record updated | January 27, 2026 |
| Trial ID | NCT07118280 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
Is this trial a fit for you?
✓Likely a good fit
Adult patients (≥18 years) with OPMD who are followed at Sheba Medical Center’s IsrOPMD registry, along with an unaffected spouse or household member willing to serve as a control, are eligible provided they have no other condition affecting saliva.
✕Probably not a fit
People under 18, pregnant individuals, or those with other diseases that alter saliva composition are excluded and would not be expected to benefit from participation in this observational project.
A plain-English reading of the study's rules. Only the study team can confirm whether you qualify.
What this trial studies
This is an observational study enrolling OPMD patients from the IsrOPMD registry at the multidisciplinary OPMD service at Sheba Medical Center and their unaffected spouse or household member as controls. Participants undergo a detailed dental and oral mucosa exam (including DMFT index, mucosal dryness, tongue coating, and atrophic papillae) and saliva collection for rheology (viscosity) testing and biochemical marker analysis. Subjects under 18, pregnant individuals, or anyone with conditions known to affect saliva composition are excluded. The goal is to determine whether anecdotal reports of "thick saliva" in OPMD reflect measurable changes and whether saliva contains disease-related biochemical markers.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this work could identify a previously unrecognized symptom and saliva markers that help clinicians manage oral health and swallowing problems in OPMD.
How similar studies have gone: Links between dysphagia and poor oral health have been shown in other neurodegenerative conditions, but direct studies of saliva viscosity and biochemical markers in OPMD are novel and largely untested.
Who can join: the full rules
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * Patients with OPMD and their spouses or household members Exclusion Criteria: * • Pregnancy or presence of any disease that may affect a composition of saliva
Where it's running
-
Sheba Medical Center
Ramat Gan, Israel Recruiting
Study contacts
- Study coordinator: Naama Study coordinator
- Email: opmd@sheba.health.gov.il
- Phone: +972 55 2929006
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This project will track adults with OPMD or suggestive symptoms in Israel over time to see how swallowing, eyelid droop, muscle strength, breathing, thinking, and oral health change.
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How to take part
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Check the official listing on ClinicalTrials.gov for the latest contact details and recruitment status.
- Contact the study coordinator or principal investigator to ask for pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.