Evidence map›Paper›PMID 42237817›Full record

ArticleJMIR research protocols2026

The Motor Neuron Disease Register for England, Wales, and Northern Ireland: Protocol for a Population Register.

Andrea Biondi, Elizabeth Gray, Modupe Aggreh, Edward Jones, Amber Collingwood, Liam Knox, Andrea Bredin, David Setters, Kevin Talbot, Ammar Al-Chalabi

Abstract read
In one paragraph

Article in JMIR research protocols, 2026. The graph could read no effect estimate from its abstract, so it casts no vote on the map. Not yet cited in PubMed.

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

0 citing papers in PubMed.

No citing paper in PubMed yet.

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

10 authors.

Andrea Biondi *Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, SE5 9RT, United Kingdom, 44 20 7848 0259.ORCID 0000-0003-1072-665X
Elizabeth GrayKavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0002-0788-1424
Modupe AggrehDepartment of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, SE5 9RT, United Kingdom, 44 20 7848 0259.ORCID 0009-0005-6395-4228
Edward JonesDepartment of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, SE5 9RT, United Kingdom, 44 20 7848 0259.ORCID 0009-0000-0991-8561
Amber CollingwoodDepartment of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, SE5 9RT, United Kingdom, 44 20 7848 0259.ORCID 0009-0004-5606-7316
Liam KnoxSheffield Institute for Translational Neuroscience (SITraN), University of Sheffield, Sheffield, England, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0003-2545-1046
Andrea BredinDepartment of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, SE5 9RT, United Kingdom, 44 20 7848 0259.ORCID 0009-0000-1650-9707
David SettersDepartment of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, SE5 9RT, United Kingdom, 44 20 7848 0259.ORCID 0009-0006-8048-0631
Kevin Talbot *Dorothy Crowfoot Hodgkin Building, Kavli Institute for Nanoscience Discovery, University of Oxford, Oxford, England, United Kingdom.ORCID 0000-0001-5490-1697
Ammar Al-Chalabi *Department of Basic and Clinical Neuroscience, Maurice Wohl Clinical Neuroscience Institute, Institute of Psychiatry, Psychology and Neuroscience, King's College London, London, England, SE5 9RT, United Kingdom, 44 20 7848 0259.ORCID 0000-0002-4924-7712

Funding

No grant is acknowledged in the PubMed record.

6 · The paper itself

Abstract

Background: Despite the existence of several regional registries in the United Kingdom, gaps in geographic coverage have limited the ability to produce accurate national estimates of incidence, prevalence, and regional variation for motor neuron disease (MND). To address these challenges, a comprehensive national register encompassing England, Wales, and Northern Ireland was established to support epidemiological studies, health care planning, and clinical research. Objective: The primary objective of the MND Register is to provide a centralized research database aggregating clinical and demographic data to facilitate high-quality research. Secondary objectives include estimating disease incidence and prevalence, identifying regional differences in care and survival, evaluating potential disease clustering, and supporting data linkage and clinical trial recruitment. Methods: Eligible patients are those aged 16 years or older with a confirmed MND diagnosis made by a consultant neurologist. Data are collected prospectively and retrospectively through standardized templates, available via Microsoft Access, Microsoft Excel, or the REDCap (Research Electronic Data Capture; Vanderbilt University) web platform, and include up to 34 demographic and clinical variables. Additional self-reported data can be contributed through the Telehealth in MND-Research platform. All data are securely stored in the King's College London Trusted Research Environment, undergo standardized preprocessing, and may be linked to National Health Service and national datasets for epidemiological analyses. Results: The register includes data on over 11,000 individuals with MND, of whom nearly 7000 are currently alive. Postcode data are available for more than 4300 patients, enabling future geospatial analyses. By October 2025, 60 clinical sites were participating in the register, with around 50 actively submitting data. Conclusions: The MND Register represents one of the largest national registries for MND worldwide, providing a robust foundation for epidemiological modeling, clinical research, and health care planning. Ongoing efforts to expand prospective data collection, improve completeness, and integrate digital tools will further enhance its impact and support national and international MND research collaborations.

Indexed as

Motor Neuron DiseaseRegistriesEnglandFemaleHumansIncidenceNorthern IrelandPrevalenceWalesamyotrophic lateral sclerosismethodologymotor neuron diseasenational registerprotocol

Identifiers

PMID42237817
PMCPMC13234496

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Registered trials

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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.