Small fiber neuropathy for assessment of disease severity in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: corneal confocal microscopy findings.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disorder with progressive motor system impairment, and recent evidence has identified the extra-motor involvement. Small fiber neuropathy reflecting by sensory and autonomic disturbances in ALS has been reported to accompany the motor damage. However, non-invasive assessment of this impairment and its application in disease evaluation of ALS is scarce. We aim to evaluate the use of corneal confocal microscopy (CCM) to non-invasively quantify the corneal small fiber neuropathy in ALS and explore its clinical value in assessing disease severity of ALS.

Methods

Sixty-six patients with ALS and 64 healthy controls were included in this cross-sectional study. Participants underwent detailed clinical assess

SUBMITTER: Fu J 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC8734326 | biostudies-literature | 2022 Jan

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature