Table 1.
Patients characteristics.
| Patient (sex) |
Age (years) |
Disease duration (months) |
Clinical onset |
+Riluzole | −Riluzole | ||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| N Fibs | MRC right lower limb | CMAP peroneal nerve (mV) | N Fibs | MRC right lower limb | CMAP peroneal nerve (mV) | ||||
| 1 (M) | 55 | 34 | Spinal | 81.3 (88, 80, 76) | 19 | 2.6 | 24.7 (28, 30, 16) | 20 | 2.5 |
| 2 (F) | 53 | 24 | Spinal | 94.7 (100, 90, 94) | 21 | 2.8 | 146.7 (145, 140, 155) | 20 | 2.9 |
| 3 (F) | 53 | 23 | Spinal | 133.3 (148, 140, 112) | 21 | 3.1 | 73.3 (70, 70, 80) | 21 | 3.0 |
| 4 (M) | 71 | 36 | Spinal | 126.6 (115, 127, 138) | 12 | 0.10 | 153.3 (158, 140, 162) | 12 | 0.14 |
| 5 (M) | 56 | 55 | Spinal | 60 (85, 56, 39) | 18 | 1.8 | 48.3 (43, 35, 67) | 18 | 1.7 |
| 6 (F) | 61 | 30 | Spinal | 106.7 (105, 102, 113) | 25 | 3.8 | 124.7 (118, 128, 128) | 25 | 3.9 |
| 7 (F) | 51 | 19 | Spinal | 63.3 (55, 47, 88) | 26 | 4.0 | 48.3 (64, 49, 32) | 26 | 4.2 |
| 8 (M) | 58 | 16 | Bulbar | 27 (30, 25, 26) | 31 | 9.7 | 32.3 (34, 38, 25) | 31 | 9.8 |
| 9 (F) | 75 | 27 | Bulbar | 32.7 (28, 37, 33) | 27 | 9.8 | 36 (38, 32, 38) | 27 | 9.6 |
| 10 (F) | 63 | 10 | Spinal | 82 (78, 88, 80) | 30 | 8.9 | 40 (45, 40, 35) | 30 | 8.7 |
| 11 (M) | 50 | 13 | Spinal | 106.7 (101, 100, 119) | 29 | 7.7 | 33.3 (36, 35, 29) | 29 | 7.6 |
Demographic and clinical characteristics of the 11 patients with ALS evaluated during riluzole treatment (+Riluzole) and after 1-week withdrawal (−Riluzole). N Fibs: average number (number in each insertion) of fibrillation potentials (Fibs); MRC lower limbs: Medical Research Council score for lower limbs; CMAP: amplitude of peroneal compound muscle action potential. Number of Fibs is not significantly affected by riluzole treatment (P = 0.69 by Wilcoxon test).