Table 1.
Characteristics of the patients at baseline
| Characteristics | Overall (n = 42) |
|---|---|
| Age, mean (SD), (years) | 60 (12) |
| Males, no. (%) | 31 (74) |
| MND subtype, no. (%) | |
| ALS | 39 (93) |
| PMA | 3 (7) |
| PLS | 0 (0) |
| Bulbar onset, no. (%) | 7 (17) |
| Symptom duration (months) | |
| Median | 25 |
| Range | 7–218 |
| Diagnostic delay (months) | |
| Median | 8 |
| Range | 2–130 |
| Riluzole use, no. (%) | 30 (75) |
| Body mass index, mean (SD), (kg/m2) | 25 (3) |
| ALSFRS-R total score, mean (SD) | 36 (8) |
| ΔFRS (points per month) | |
| Median | 0.34 |
| Range | 0.05–1.24 |
| Prognostic subgroup, no. (%) | |
| Very long | 16 (38) |
| Long | 14 (33) |
| Intermediate | 11 (26) |
| Short | 1 (2) |
| Very short | 0 (0) |
MND motor neuron disease, ALS amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, PMA progressive muscular atrophy, ALSFRS-R revised ALS functional rating scale, ΔFRS 48—ALSFRS-R score/disease duration [11]