Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Department of Neurology, Faculdade de Medicina da Universidade de São Paulo, São Paulo, Brazil.
Neuromuscul Disord. 2021 Jun;31(6):498-504. doi: 10.1016/j.nmd.2021.02.019. Epub 2021 Feb 28.
Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a motor neuron disease associated with progressive muscle weakness and motor disability. The motor unit number index (MUNIX) is a biomarker used to assess loss of motor units in later-onset SMA patients. Twenty SMA patients (SMA types 3 and 4), aged between 7 and 41 years, were clinically evaluated through the Hammersmith Motor Functional Scale Expanded and the Spinal Muscular Atrophy-Functional Rating Scale. The patients underwent compound motor action potential (CMAP) and MUNIX studies of the right abductor pollicis brevis, abductor digiti minimi and tibialis anterior (TA) muscles. Age-matched healthy controls (n = 20) were enrolled to obtain normative CMAP and MUNIX values from the same muscles. Compared to healthy controls, SMA patients showed significant reductions in MUNIX values among all muscles studied, whereas CMAP showed reductions only in the weaker muscles (abductor digiti minimi and TA). MUNIX variability was significantly higher in the SMA group than in the control group. MUNIX variability in TA correlated with CMAP variability. Motor functional scores correlated with TA MUNIX. The MUNIX study is feasible in later-onset SMA patients, and TA MUNIX values correlate with disease severity in patients with mild motor impairment.
脊髓性肌萎缩症(SMA)是一种与进行性肌肉无力和运动障碍相关的运动神经元疾病。运动单位数量指数(MUNIX)是一种用于评估迟发性 SMA 患者运动单位丧失的生物标志物。20 名 SMA 患者(SMA 类型 3 和 4),年龄在 7 至 41 岁之间,通过 Hammersmith 运动功能扩展量表和脊髓性肌萎缩症功能评定量表进行临床评估。患者接受右侧拇指外展短肌、小指外展肌和胫骨前肌(TA)的复合运动动作电位(CMAP)和 MUNIX 研究。招募年龄匹配的健康对照者(n=20)以获得来自同一肌肉的正常 CMAP 和 MUNIX 值。与健康对照组相比,SMA 患者在所有研究肌肉中均表现出 MUNIX 值显著降低,而 CMAP 仅在较弱的肌肉(小指外展肌和 TA)中降低。MUNIX 在 SMA 组中的变异性明显高于对照组。TA 的 MUNIX 变异性与 CMAP 变异性相关。运动功能评分与 TA 的 MUNIX 相关。MUNIX 研究在迟发性 SMA 患者中是可行的,并且 TA 的 MUNIX 值与轻度运动障碍患者的疾病严重程度相关。