Evidence map›Paper›PMID 35034333›Full record

ArticleActa neurologica Belgica2022

The frequency of ALSFRS-R reversals and plateaus in patients with limb-onset amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a cohort study.

Nan Hu, Dongchao Shen, Xunzhe Yang, Liying Cui, Mingsheng Liu

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Article in Acta neurologica Belgica, 2022. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 4 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
4citing papers in PubMed
–field-weighted citation impact
1 · What the graph read from it

What it found

Each row is one number read from the abstract, on the scale the paper reported it, with its interval. Left of the dashed line favours the treatment, right favours the comparator. Under each row is the sentence it came from. New to these charts? A ten-minute tutorial.

The abstract states no effect estimate the extractor could read, or names no intervention and outcome on the map, so this paper lights no cell and moves no belief. It is still indexed, cited and linked below.

2 · The registry

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Neither the registry nor the abstract names a trial number. If this is a trial report, that itself is worth knowing.

3 · Its place in the literature

Who cites it

4 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Fasciculation in limbs serves as the predictor of ALS progression: an ultrasound study.Neurological sciences : official journal of the Italian Neurological Society and of the Italian Society of Clinical Neurophysiology · 2025
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4 · The record

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PubMed lists nothing against this paper. Absence here is not a guarantee, only a check that was made.

5 · Who and what money

Authors and funding

5 authors.

Nan HuDepartment of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China.
Dongchao ShenDepartment of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China.
Xunzhe YangDepartment of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China.
Liying CuiDepartment of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China.
Mingsheng LiuDepartment of Neurology, Peking Union Medical College Hospital, Chinese Academy of Medical Sciences, Beijing, 100730, China. liumingsheng_pumch@163.com.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0003-0257-5345

Funding

National Major Science and Technology Projects of China 2019ZX09734001
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundAlthough amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a relentlessly progressive neurodegenerative disorder, ALS patients might show reversals or plateaus of ALS Functional rating scale-revised (ALSFRS-R) scores during follow-up, which might cast the doubt on the diagnosis. The study aims to determine the frequency of reversals and plateaus of ALSFRS-R score in patients with limb-onset ALS.

methodsOne hundred and fifty four patients with limb-onset ALS were prospectively recruited. ALSFRS-R scores were followed up every 3 months for at least 1 year. The changes between two follow-up points in ALSFRS-R score were compared.

resultsTotally 95 (61.7%) participants showed 85 times plateau and 69 times reversal in ALSFRS score during the 12-month follow-up when compared the ALSFRS-R score between two adjacent follow-up points. Reversal and plateau in ALSFRS-R score were detected in 31.8% patients between initial and 3 months, 18.8% between 3 and 6 months, 22.7% between 6 and 9 months, 22.7% between 9 and 12 months, respectively. When comparing with the ALSFRS-R score in the baseline, reversal and plateau in ALSFRS-R score were detected in 31.8% patients at 3 months, 14.9% at 6 months, 6.5% at 9 months, 5.8% at 12 months, respectively.

conclusionPlateaus and reversals in ALSFRS-R score were common in limb-onset ALS patients during follow-up. A relatively stable or reversal in the ALS-FRS-R score does not exclude the diagnosis of ALS. Limitations of ALSFRS-R score as an outcome parameter in clinical trial should be further evaluated.

Indexed as

Amyotrophic Lateral SclerosisCohort StudiesDisease ProgressionHumansSurveys and QuestionnairesALSFRS-R scoreAmyotrophic lateral sclerosisPlateausReversals

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Read under generation 80e0d062 · epoch 390. Bibliography from PubMed, PubMed Central and OpenAlex; grants from NIH RePORTER; trial links from ClinicalTrials.gov; estimates, votes and beliefs from the OpenQuestion graph.