Table 1 Summary of clinical features in the 16 patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from the present study.

Patient No	Age (y)/ sex	ALS onset	Disease duration (months)	ALSFRS‐R	Trigg's hand score	MFI	MRC	FVC (%)
1	50, M	UL	24	42	0	40	5	100
2	53, F	UL	12	39	2	93	4	146
3	55, M	UL	41	34	2	58	4	98
4	69, M	UL	6	45	1	81	4	52
5	60, F	UL	8	46	1	NQ	4	100
6	64, M	UL	26	36	2	81	4	57
7	69, M	UL	17	40	2	44	5	67
8	67, F	UL	16	40	2	NQ	4	85
9	44, F	UL	13	46	2	50	4	79
10	71, M	UL	99	42	1	81	4	90
11	46, M	LL	9	42	1	48	5	62
12	69, M	LL	29	36	0	NQ	4	89
13	65, M	Bulbar	14	42	1	27	4	81
14	53, F	Bulbar	50	44	0	29	5	57
15	66, M	Bulbar	10	38	2	64	4	79
16	68, F	Bulbar	21	36	0	NQ	5	80
Mean	60.6		24.7	40.5	1.2	58	4.3	82.6
SEM	2.3		5.8	0.9	0.2	6.4	0.1	5.7

ALS, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; ALSFRS‐R, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis functional rating scale‐revised; FVC, forced vital capacity; LL, lower limb; MFI, multidimensional fatigue inventory; MRC, Medical Research Council; NQ, not quantitated; UL, upper limb

The site of disease onset was classified as either UL, LL or bulbar.

Disease duration refers to the period from symptom onset to date of testing.

The patients were clinically graded using the ALSFRS‐R, with a maximum score of 48 when there is no disability. The ALSFRS‐R is comprised of four subscores; bulbar (maximum score 12), fine motor (maximum score 8), gross motor (maximum score 16) and respiratory (maximum score 12).

Hand function was assessed using the Trigg's hand function score.

In four patients the MFI was not quantitated at the time of excitability testing.

Muscle strength was clinically assessed using the MRC for abductor pollicis brevis, as this muscle was utilised for excitability testing.

FVC was also assessed in each patient as a marker of disease severity.