Table 1.
Demographic and clinical data
| Healthy controls N=28 | Pre-PLS N=13 | Established PLS N=18 | |
|---|---|---|---|
| Age (yrs.) | 52.8 ± 9.1 | 55.2 ± 6.5 | 62.7 ± 9.0a |
| Gender (M:F) | 18:10 | 8:5 | 12:6 |
| Age of symptom onset | - | 50.7 ± 1.6 | 49.2 ± 2.2 |
| Education (yrs) | 16.3 ± 2.8 | 15.6 ± 2.5 | 15.8 ± 2.1 |
| Symptom Duration (yrs.) | - | 3.2 ± 1.3 | 13.3 ± 7.6b |
| Site of symptom onset Bulbar/upper extremity/leg |
- | 1/1/11 | 2/1/15 |
| Dominant hand (R:L) | 27:1 | 12:1 | 18:1 |
| MiniMental State Exam | 29.0 ± 1.2 | 29.3 ± 0.9 | 28.6 ± 1.6 |
| ALSFRS-R score | - | 39.8 ± 4.5 | 38.6 ± 4.0 |
| Bulbar ALSFRS subscore | - | 10.3 ± 2.0 | 9.5 ± 1.8 |
| Fine ALSFRS subscore | - | 10.3 ± 1.8 | 9.9 ± 1.9 |
| Gross ALSFRS subscore | - | 7.2 ± 1.9 | 7.4 ± 1.7 |
| Finger Taps/s Right | 5.9 ± 1.8 | 4.2 ± 1.5a | 3.4 ± 1.2a |
| Finger Taps/s Left | 5.8 ± 1.4 | 3.1 ± 1.5a | 2.9 ± 1.0a |
| 9-Hole peg test Right (s) | 21.1 ± 10.2 | 26.4 ± 8.0a | 42.1 ± 28.7 a,b |
| 9-Hole peg test Left (s) | 22.3 ± 9.2 | 37.2 ± 17.1a | 42.8 ± 18.1a |
| Resting State fMRI (N) | 25 | 11 8 follow-up |
13 |
| Diffusion imaging (N) | 28 | 13 baseline 8 follow-up |
18 |
| Thickness measures (N) | 27 | 13 baseline 8 follow-up |
18 |
N= number of participants in each group; number with technically adequate scans
a
p < 0.05 differ from controls, (ANOVA/Tukey’s for age; Kruskal-Wallis/Dunn other variables)
b
p < 0.05 Pre-PLS differs from PLS (Mann-Whitney test)