Understanding how ALS patients perceive emotions
Emotion and Interoception Processing in ALS
This study looks at how well people with ALS can recognize emotions in faces compared to those with other muscle diseases and healthy individuals.
Quick facts
| Study type | Observational |
|---|---|
| Enrollment | 180 (estimated) |
| Ages | 18 Years and up |
| Sex | All |
| Sponsor | University of Aarhus Academic / other |
| Locations | 2 sites (Aarhus, Central Jutland and 1 other locations) |
| Trial ID | NCT06566651 on ClinicalTrials.gov |
What this trial studies
This observational study aims to investigate emotional perception in individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) compared to those with other neuromuscular diseases and healthy controls. Participants will engage in an emotion discrimination task to assess their ability to judge happy and angry facial expressions. The study will also explore the correlation between emotional perception and autonomic responses, such as heart rate and respiration frequency. By comparing responses across different groups, the research seeks to provide insights into the neuropsychological changes associated with ALS.
Who should consider this trial
Good fit: Ideal candidates include ALS patients, individuals with peripheral neuromuscular diseases, and healthy controls who can provide informed consent.
Not a fit: Patients with severe medical, neurological, or psychiatric disorders, or those with visual impairments that hinder task performance may not benefit from this study.
Why it matters
Potential benefit: If successful, this study could enhance understanding of emotional processing in ALS patients, potentially improving clinical decision-making and support for affected individuals and their families.
How similar studies have performed: While there is ongoing research into emotional processing in neurological conditions, this specific focus on ALS and its comparison with other neuromuscular diseases is relatively novel.
Eligibility criteria
Show full inclusion / exclusion criteria
Inclusion Criteria: * ALS patients, ambulant and hospitalized * Able to give informed consent * Diagnosed with ALS or probable ALS according to the existing revision of the El Escorial Criteria 21,22. * Patients with a peripheral neuromuscular disease, ambulant and hospitalized * Able to give informed consent * Diagnosed with a peripheral neuromuscular disease, that does not affect CNS, including but not limited to Myasthenia Gravis and polyneuropathy * Healthy controls * Able to give informed consent * Age and gender matched to ALS patients Exclusion Criteria: * All Participants * Other severe medical, neurological, or psychiatric disorders * Visual impairment to an extent that interferes with the ability to perform of the test * Severe motor or cognitive deficits, to the extent that the test-task cannot be performed * Alcohol or drug abuse to an extent the interferes with task performance * Patients with a peripheral neuromuscular disease ● Familial predisposition to ALS * Healthy controls * Familial predisposition to ALS (first degree relatives) * Medical treatment that affects the central nervous system (e.g., antidepressants)
Where this trial is running
Aarhus, Central Jutland and 1 other locations
- Aarhus University Hospital — Aarhus, Central Jutland, Denmark (Recruiting)
- Aalborg University Hospital — Aalborg, Region Nordjulland, Denmark (Not_yet_recruiting)
Study contacts
- Principal investigator: Mia B Heintzelmann, Cand.med — Department of Neurology, Aarhus University Hospital
- Study coordinator: Mia B Heintzelmann, Cand.med
- Email: minielse@rm.dk
- Phone: 78454255
How to participate
- Review the eligibility criteria above with your treating physician.
- Visit the official trial page on ClinicalTrials.gov for the most current contact information and recruitment status.
- Contact the listed study coordinator or principal investigator to request pre-screening. Pre-screening is free and never obligates you to enroll.