TABLE 1.

Inclusion and exclusion criteria for patients with post‐polio syndrome

Inclusion criteria

Patients older than 18 years

Prior paralytic poliomyelitis with evidence of motor neuron loss confirmed by history of the acute paralytic illness, signs of residual weakness and atrophy of muscles on neuromuscular examination, and signs of motor neuron loss

A period of partial or complete functional recovery after acute paralytic poliomyelitis, followed by an interval (usually 15 years or more) of stable neuromuscular function

Slowly progressive and persistent new muscle weakness or decreased endurance, with or without generalized fatigue, muscle atrophy, or muscle and joint pain; symptoms that persist for at least a year

Exclusion criteria

Contraindications against magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)

Known or suspected malignancy

Other chronic disease or clinically relevant limitation

Severe disease of the spine or spinal cord including severe spinal cord stenosis, known myelopathy or infarction, history of spinal or spinal cord injury or tumor, or other relevant spinal cord diseases interfering with the clinical/MRI examination