Evidence map›Paper›PMID 37735861›Full record

ArticleAnnals of clinical and translational neurology2023

Differential impact on motor unit characteristics across severities of adult spinal muscular atrophy.

Kristina Marie Kelly, Jordan Mizell, Ladan Bigdeli, Samuel Paul, Marco Antonio Tellez, Amy Bartlett, Sarah Heintzman, Jerold Everett Reynolds, Gary Brent Sterling, Kiran Francis Rajneesh and 3 more

Open access · goldAbstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Annals of clinical and translational neurology, 2023. 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
1.7field-weighted citation impact, top 14% of its field
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

The trial behind it

Trials whose registry record cites this paper, or whose number appears in the abstract. A trial that started after this paper was published is citing it as background, not reporting it.

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, 6 citations in OpenAlex.

  1. Review
  2. Wearable Bioelectronics for Home-Based Monitoring and Treatment of Muscle Atrophy.Advanced science (Weinheim, Baden-Wurttemberg, Germany) · 2025
    Review
  3. Biomarkers in spinal muscular atrophy.Frontiers in neurology · 2025
    Review
  4. Article
4 · The record

Corrections and comments

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

13 authors at 3 institutions in 1 country.

Kristina Marie KellyDepartment of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.ORCID 0000-0002-2151-0873
Jordan MizellCollege of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Ladan BigdeliCollege of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Samuel PaulCollege of Medicine, The Ohio State University, Columbus, OH, USA.
Marco Antonio TellezDepartment of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Amy BartlettCenter for Clinical and Translational Science, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Sarah HeintzmanDepartment of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Jerold Everett ReynoldsDepartment of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Gary Brent SterlingDepartment of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Kiran Francis RajneeshDepartment of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Stephen James KolbDepartment of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
Bakri ElsheikhDepartment of Neurology, The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center, Columbus, OH, USA.
William David ArnoldDepartment of Physical Medicine & Rehabilitation, University of Missouri, Columbia, MO, USA.ORCID 0000-0001-9889-7036
The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center · USThe Ohio State University · USUniversity of Missouri Health System · US

Funding

Cure SMA
6 · The paper itself

Abstract

objectiveTo test the hypotheses that decomposition electromyography (dEMG) motor unit action potential (MUAP) amplitude and firing rate are altered in SMA; dEMG parameters are associated with strength and function; dEMG parameters are correlated with traditional electrophysiological assessments.

methodsAmbulatory and non-ambulatory adults with SMA on nusinersen and healthy controls were enrolled. MUAPs were decomposed from multielectrode surface recordings during 30-s maximum contraction of the abductor digiti minimi (ADM). Isometric strength, upper limb function, patient-reported function, and standard electrophysiologic measures of the ADM (compound muscle action potential [CMAP], single motor unit potential [SMUP], motor unit number estimation [MUNE]) were collected.

resultsdEMG MUAP amplitudes were higher in ambulatory versus control and non-ambulatory groups and were higher in controls versus non-ambulatory SMA. In contrast, dEMG firing rates were higher in ambulatory versus non-ambulatory and control groups but similar between non-ambulatory and control. dEMG parameters showed moderate to strong positive correlation with strength and function whereas CMAP and MUNE better correlated with function than strength. SMUP did not correlate with strength, function, or dEMG MUAP amplitude. dEMG parameters show overall good test-retest reliability.

interpretationdEMG provided reliable, noninvasive measure of MUAP amplitude size and firing rate and revealed divergent patterns across disease severity in adults with SMA. Firing rate enhancement, as seen in milder SMA, may provide a therapeutic avenue for improving function in more severe SMA, where firing rates appear preserved. MUAP amplitude size and firing rate, quantified with dEMG, may be promising monitoring biomarker candidates for noninvasive assessment of SMA.

Indexed as

Muscular Atrophy, SpinalAction PotentialsAdultElectromyographyHumansMuscle, SkeletalReproducibility of Results

Identifiers

PMID37735861
PMCPMC10723249
OpenAlexW4386944721

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
LicenceCC BY
Read underepoch 390

Registered trials

None linked

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.