Cardiac Involvement in Patients with Duchenne/Becker Muscular Dystrophy

University of Zurich (UZH)

Status

Completed

Conditions

Duchenne / Becker Muscular Dystrophy

Treatments

Other: Observation

Study type

Observational

Funder types

Other

Identifiers

NCT02470962

DMD-Herz

Details and patient eligibility

About

This study evaluates the function of the heart in young patients with muscular dystrophy type Duchenne or Becker. Participants have their hearts examined at regular intervals by ultrasound (echocardiography) and cardiac magnetic resonance imaging.

Full description

Muscular dystrophy leads to progressive loss of function in all muscles during childhood and adolescence, including the heart. The usual method to evaluate the heart is echocardiography, emphasizing few parameters. Cardiac magnetic resonance imaging is not as widely available as echocardiography, but early changes can be detected before they become visible on echocardiography. In this study, the investigators compare the methods of measuring heart function in order to find the best measurements for follow up and to see how fast the degenerative changes occur in the hearts of patients with muscular dystrophy.

Enrollment

59 patients

Sex

Male

Ages

8 to 18 years old

Volunteers

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

Boys aged 8 to 18 years with DMD/BMD confirmed genetically or by muscle biopsy
Informed consent

Exclusion criteria

Other clinically significant concomitant disease states (e.g., renal failure)
Inability to follow the procedures of the study, e.g. due to language problems, psychological disorders, dementia, etc. of the participant or his/her parents or legal caregivers,
Inability to lie still for the duration of the imaging procedures (approximately 45 minutes each for echocardiography and CMR)
MR-incompatible implanted or accidentally incorporated metal device or claustrophobia that prohibits use of magnetic resonance imaging