Evidence map›Paper›PMID 41634720›Full record

ArticleOrphanet journal of rare diseases2026

Patient journey with Charcot-Marie-Tooth Disease - A German patient survey study.

Helena F Pernice, Susann May, Felix Mühlensiepen, Sebastian Spethmann, Ricarda Kneitz, Agata Mossakowski, Katrin Hahn

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in Orphanet journal of rare diseases, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Cited by 1 paper.

0numbers the graph read from it
0cells of the map it votes in
1citing 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

1 citing paper in PubMed.

  1. 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

7 authors.

Helena F PerniceDepartment of Neurology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany. helena.pernice@charite.de.ORCID http://orcid.org/0009-0001-8711-5526
Susann MayDepartment of Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité (DHZC), Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Felix MühlensiepenDepartment of Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité (DHZC), Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Sebastian SpethmannDepartment of Cardiology, Angiology and Intensive Care Medicine, Deutsches Herzzentrum der Charité (DHZC), Campus Charité Mitte, Charitéplatz 1, 10117, Berlin, Germany.
Ricarda KneitzDepartment of Neurology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
Agata MossakowskiDepartment of Neurology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.
Katrin HahnDepartment of Neurology, Charité University Medicine, Berlin, Germany.

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

backgroundCharcot-Marie-Tooth (CMT) and related disorders represent one of the largest groups of inherited neurological disorders. Long considered incurable, the first disease-modifying treatments are currently being evaluated in clinical trials. However, frequent misdiagnosis or delayed recognition are common, hindering timely treatment necessary to prevent permanent disability. In this study, we conducted a survey among patients from our CMT clinic and the German patient advocate group to capture patients’ perspective on the diagnostic journey and to explore solutions for earlier diagnosis and improved access to specialized care.

results270 CMT patients participated in the survey. The average time between symptom onset and first physician contact was 5.2 years with a symptom to diagnosis time of 13.7 years. Patients who were first seen by an orthopedic specialist had a longer diagnostic delay compared to those seen by a neurologist or geneticist. Diagnostic hospitalizations occurred in 46% of cases. More than half of the patients were initially misdiagnosed, which prolonged the diagnostic journey and impaired the patients’ general health.

conclusionsOur study highlights that patients with CMT in Germany regularly face a prolonged diagnostic odyssey before receiving a correct diagnosis. Lengthy diagnostic pathways involving frequent doctor visits and hospital stays, as well as misdiagnosis, lead to inappropriate treatment, and high emotional and economic burden. Late diagnosis may limit the effectiveness of upcoming therapies that rely on early treatment initiation. New strategies need to be defined to decrease the costs for both patients and healthcare systems and prepare for upcoming therapies.

Indexed as

Charcot-Marie-Tooth DiseaseAdolescentAdultAgedChildDelayed DiagnosisFemaleGermanyHumansMaleMiddle AgedSurveys and QuestionnairesTreatment DelayYoung AdultCMTHealthcareHereditary neuropathyPatient journeySurvey

Identifiers

PMID41634720
PMCPMC12958679

What OpenQuestion holds

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LicenceCC BY
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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.