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New Evidence MRI Can Be Used to Monitor Neuromuscular Disease Progression

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The investigators concluded that the comprehensive MRC Centre MRI protocol appears to provide outcome measures that correlate closely with strength, function and disease severity. They went on to suggest that MRI biomarkers may be useful in experimental trials.

An accompanying editorial by Sean C. Forbes, PhD, research assistant professor at the University of Florida in Gainesville, Fla., and colleagues agreed about the potential value of MRI to monitor disease progression in clinical trials. They noted, however, that the method must first be standardized over several sites for MRI biomarkers to be successfully implemented in research.2

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Lara C. Pullen, PhD, is a medical writer based in the Chicago area.

References

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  1. Morrow JM, Sinclair CD, Fischmann A, et al. MRI biomarker assessment of neuromuscular disease progression: A prospective observational cohort study. Lancet Neurol. 2015 Nov 5. pii: S1474-4422(15)00242-2. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(15)00242-2. [Epub ahead of print]
  2. Forbes SC, Willcocks RJ, Rooney WD, et al. MRI quantifies neuromuscular disease progression. Lancet Neurol. 2015 Nov 5. pii: S1474-4422(15)00320-8. doi: 10.1016/S1474-4422(15)00320-8. [Epub ahead of print]

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