Table 1. Clinical characteristics of participants.
| Age (y) | sex f:m | Disease duration (month) | Handedness (left: right) | ALSFRS-R | ALSFRS-R subscores | ||||
| bulbar | cervical | lumbar | thoracic | ||||||
| All patients (n = 30) | |||||||||
| Mean | 62.7 | 13∶17 | 23.5 | 02∶28 | 37.1 | 10 | 8 | 7.9 | 11.3 |
| S.D. | ±11.2 | ±18.1 | ±6.1 | ±2.4 | ±3.1 | ±3 | ±1.3 | ||
| Bulbar-onset (n = 13) | |||||||||
| Mean | 62 | 8∶5 | 19.4 | 01∶12 | 38.2 | 8.2 | 9 | 10 | 11 |
| S.D. | ±12.4 | ±18.2 | ±6.7 | ±2.5 | ±2.9 | ±2.2 | ±0.9 | ||
| n | 13 | ||||||||
| Limb-onset (n = 17) | |||||||||
| Mean | 63.2 | 5∶12 | 25.6 | 1∶16 | 36.3 | 11.3 | 7.1 | 6.3 | 11.6 |
| S.D. | ±10.7 | ±16.6 | ±5.7 | ±1 | ±3 | ±2.6 | ±1.5 | ||
| n | 17 | ||||||||
| bulbar vs. limb | |||||||||
| P value (U test) | n.s. | n.s. | n.s. | n.s. | n.s. | 0.001 | 0.1 | 0.001 | 0.01 |
| low disability | |||||||||
| Mean | 57.9 | 8∶8 | 18.3 | 0∶16 | 41.8 | 10.6 | 10 | 9.6 | 11.6 |
| S.D. | ±12.1 | ±17.1 | ±2.8 | ±1.9 | ±1.7 | ±2.3 | ±0.8 | ||
| n | 16 | ||||||||
| high disability | |||||||||
| Mean | 68.2 | 5∶9 | 28.1 | 2∶12 | 31.9 | 9.3 | 5.6 | 6 | 11 |
| S.D. | ±7.1 | ±16.6 | ±4.2 | ±2.7 | ±2.5 | ±2.6 | ±2.7 | ||
| n | 14 | ||||||||
| low vs. high disability | |||||||||
| P value (U test) | 0.01 | n.s. | n.s. | n.s | 0.001 | 0.001 | 0.1 | 0.001 | 0.01 |
| Controls (n = 37) | |||||||||
| Mean | 60.8 | 18∶19 | |||||||
| S.D. | 12.1 | ||||||||