Evidence map›Paper›PMID 39815373›Full record

ArticleOrphanet journal of rare diseases2025

Maximal mouth opening in infants and toddlers with spinal muscular atrophy: a prospective controlled study.

Jana Zang, Deike Weiss, Charlotte Dumitrascu, Julia Glinzer, Marie Wegner, Anna Strube, Jonas Denecke, Almut Niessen, Christina Pflug

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Orphanet journal of rare diseases, 2025. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 3 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
3citing 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

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

3 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. Article
  3. Biomarkers in spinal muscular atrophy.Frontiers in neurology · 2025
    Review
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

9 authors.

Jana ZangDepartment of Voice, Speech and Hearing Disorders, University Dysphagia Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany. j.zang@uke.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0000-0002-4979-4716
Deike WeissDepartment of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Charlotte DumitrascuDepartment of Voice, Speech and Hearing Disorders, University Dysphagia Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Julia GlinzerDepartment of Voice, Speech and Hearing Disorders, University Dysphagia Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Marie WegnerInsitute of Product Development and Mechanical Engineering Design, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany.
Anna StrubeInsitute of Product Development and Mechanical Engineering Design, Hamburg University of Technology, Hamburg, Germany.
Jonas DeneckeDepartment of Pediatrics, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Almut Niessen *Department of Voice, Speech and Hearing Disorders, University Dysphagia Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.
Christina Pflug *Department of Voice, Speech and Hearing Disorders, University Dysphagia Center, University Medical Center Hamburg-Eppendorf, Hamburg, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundBulbar function is frequently impaired in patients with spinal muscular atrophy (SMA). Although extremely important for the patient's quality of life, it is difficult to address therapeutically. Due to bulbar dysfunction, maximum mouth opening (MMO) is suspected to be reduced in children with SMA. However, no published MMO values exist for SMA children younger than 24 months. This study presents a novel approach to measuring MMO in infants and toddlers with SMA and compares it with healthy controls.

methodsChildren with SMA (0-24 months) who received disease-modifying therapy at a single neuropediatric center and similarly aged healthy children were prospectively recruited. MMO was measured using a cardboard scale and a custom-designed instrument.

resultsA total of 115 children were included (SMA = 24, healthy controls = 91). Inter-rater reliability between two examiners was excellent (ICC = 0.987, 95% CI 0.959 to 0.995), as was the reliability between the cardboard scale and the custom-designed instrument (ICC = 0.986, 95% CI 0.968 to 0.994). A mixed linear model showed a significant increase of MMO with age, and a significantly wider mouth opening in healthy controls (p < .001).

conclusionFor future research, MMO can provide valuable information about the involvement of cranial nerves, particularly in the context of disease-modifying therapies, even at a very early age.

Indexed as

MouthMuscular Atrophy, SpinalChild, PreschoolFemaleHumansInfantInfant, NewbornMaleProspective StudiesBulbar functionJaw openingSpinal muscular atrophy

Identifiers

PMID39815373
PMCPMC11734460

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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.