Evidence map›Paper›PMID 40953063›Full record

ArticleJournal of neuromuscular diseases2026

Understanding the experiences of adults with spinal muscular atrophy & their transition to an adult program: A mixed methods study.

Joseph Munn, Emily Zaltz, Aaron Izenberg, Craig Dale, Munazzah Ambreen, Nouma Hammash, Zaynab Malik, Amrit Dhindsa, Hernan Gonorazky, Elisa Nigro and 6 more

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Journal of neuromuscular diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 2 papers.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
2citing 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

2 citing papers in PubMed.

  1. Article
  2. 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

16 authors.

Joseph MunnDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Emily ZaltzDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.ORCID 0009-0002-9001-4758
Aaron IzenbergDivision of Neurology, Sunnybrook Health Science Center, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Craig DaleFaculty of Nursing, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Munazzah AmbreenDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Nouma HammashDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Zaynab MalikDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Amrit DhindsaDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Hernan GonorazkyDivision of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Elisa NigroDivision of Neurology, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Jackie ChiangDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Anu TandonDepartment of Respiratory Medicine, Sunnybrook Health Science Centre, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Robert VaradiDivision of Respirology, University Health Network - West Park Healthcare Centre, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Laura McAdamHolland Bloorview Kids Rehabilitation Hospital, Division of Developmental Paediatrics, Department of Pediatrics, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.
Reshma AminDivision of Respiratory Medicine, Department of Pediatrics, The Hospital for Sick Children, The University of Toronto, Toronto, Canada.ORCID 0000-0002-3032-5434
SickKids SMA Group

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

introductionSpinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) is a rare neuromuscular disease. With the discovery of disease-modifying therapies, more infantile onset SMA patients will live to adulthood. The purpose of this study was to explore SMA patients' experience with adult care and their transition from pediatric care.

methodsThis was a convergent parallel mixed-methods design including a quantitative cross-sectional survey and qualitative interviews. A purposive sample of 20 participants was recruited. Quantitative data were collected using the Family Experiences with Care Coordination (FECC) survey. Qualitative data were collected using semi-structured interviews. Participants' experiences before, during, and after their transition to adult care were explored. Themes from interviews were identifiedResults:The mean age of participants was 40.5; 10 were male, 15 had SMA type 2, and 5 had SMA type 3. The FECC found that 7 patients had a care coordinator, 0 had a shared care or emergency plan, and 1 had a written transition plan. Three themes emerged from the semi-structured interviews: 1) a disjointed pediatric to adult care transition period 2) physically inaccessible adult healthcare settings and requirements for constant self-advocacy, and 3) suggestions for improving care including: multidisciplinary care teams and increased preparation of pediatric patients for the transition to adult care. DISCUSSION: The patient experiences captured in this study demonstrate the lack of transition plans and support for SMA patients when graduating to adult care. With more SMA patients anticipated to survive to adulthood, this problem will be exacerbated. Multi-disciplinary SMA pediatric to adult transition programs are necessary.

Indexed as

Muscular Atrophy, SpinalTransition to Adult CareAdultCross-Sectional StudiesFemaleHumansMaleMiddle AgedQualitative ResearchYoung Adultmixed methodspatient experiencespinal muscular atrophytransition to adult care

Identifiers

PMID40953063
PMCPMC13438505

What OpenQuestion holds

Textmetadata
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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.