Study of different modalities of steroids use in children with Duchenne muscular dystrophy: an exploratory prospective study

P.133 Daily regimens of prednisone, deflazacort and vamorolone improve motor function similarly in patients with Duchenne muscular dystrophy

75th European Neuromuscular Centre International Workshop: 2nd workshop on the treatment of muscular dystrophy 10-12 December, 1999, Naarden, The Netherlands.

What Can We Learn From Clinical Trials of Exon Skipping for DMD?

Towards harmonisation of outcome measures for DMD and SMA within TREAT-NMD; Report of three expert workshops: TREAT-NMD/ENMC Workshop on outcome measures, 12th–13th May 2007, Naarden, The Netherlands; TREAT-NMD Workshop on outcome measures in experimental trials for DMD, 30th June–1st July 2007, Naarden, The Netherlands; Conjoint Institute of Myology TREAT-NMD Meeting on physical activity monitoring in neuromuscular disorders, 11th July 2007,

Background and Aim Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) is the most common muscular dystrophy of childhood and affects 1 per 3600 male births. Electromyography and muscle biopsy were a commonly ordered invasive diagnostic procedure, used to evaluate children with weakness suspected to be caused by muscle disease. Recently, neuromuscular imaging is used as non-invasive diagnostic tool for various muscle diseases. Muscle ultrasonography is increasingly used for the diagnosis and follow up of children with DMD. Aim of the Work The aim of this study was to describe the pattern of ultrasonographic thigh muscles involvement, and to correlate the US findings with motor functional status. Patients and Methods Functional motor assessment was the functional performance protocol (GSGC score) Gait (G), Climbing stairs (S), Gower's maneuver (G), and Arising from a chair (C). Sonographic assessment of quadriceps rectus femoris muscles. Results Twenty-four genetically confirmed ambulatory DMD children were enrolled in this cross- sectional study. Their mean age of 7.46 ± 1.82 (4.5–11 years). The Rt and Lt Quadriceps muscles positively correlated with the age. The Rt. and Lt. Quadriceps muscle assessment significantly related to the scores for gait, stairs, chair arising, GSGC total score, time to walk 10 m, Time to rise from the floor. Conclusion Ultrasonography could be used as a non-invasive method to assess progressive muscle hypertrophy in boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy. Furthermore, Quadriceps muscle US correlates with the motor functions in ambulant DMD boys below the age of 12 years.

Prednisone (PDN) impairs cognitive functioning and brain structures in humans and animals. Deflazacort (DFZ) is a synthetic glucocorticoid claimed to have lesser side effects than prednisone. The objective of this study was to assess whether chronic administration (90 days) of DFZ produces less neuronal degeneration and glial reactivity than PDN. Male Swiss-Wistar rats were studied. Controls received 0.1 ml distilled water orally. The PDN group received prednisone 5 mg per kg per day orally, and the DFZ group received deflazacort 6 mg per kg per day orally. This model had to be assembled in three different occasions due to excess mortality in the DFZ group. A fourth model was assembled using only the DFZ group and slides of water and PDN-exposed rats from a previous study were used as comparators. The index of degenerated neurons and the number and cytoplasmic transformation of astrocytes and microglia cells were evaluated in the prefrontal cortex, CA1, and CA3 hippocampus. The results show that the overall mortality was 49% in the DFZ group, 4.5% in the PDN group, and none of the controls died. Routine necropsy showed infection in multiple organs. The PDN group had two times higher neuronal degeneration in the prefrontal cortex, almost 11 times in CA1, and four times in CA3 hippocampus when compared with controls and DFZ group. Astrocytes reactivity was increased in the PDN- and DFZ-exposed rats compared with controls. The DFZ group showed an average of four times less microgial cells in the three studied regions when compared with controls and the PDN group. In conclusion, it seems that DFZ at the equivalent licensed dose produced a stronger immunosuppressive effect--systemic and in brain tissue--than PDN, but induced less neuronal damage. The immunosuppressant magnitude of DFZ should be further studied in clinical settings.

Behavior patterns in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: Report on the Parent Project Muscular Dystrophy behavior workshop 8–9 of December 2006, Philadelphia, USA

Deflazacort vs. prednisone in Duchenne muscular dystrophy: trends of an ongoing study

Report of a Muscular Dystrophy Campaign funded workshop Birmingham, UK, January 16th 2004. Osteoporosis in Duchenne muscular dystrophy; its prevalence, treatment and prevention

T.P.50 Outcomes associated with an Interdisciplinary Comprehensive Care program for DMD patients treated with long term glucocorticoids

Efficacy of Multi-exon Skipping Treatment in Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy Dog Model Neonates

EP.75Deflazacort or prednisone treatment for Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD): real-world outcomes at Cincinnati Children's Hospital Medical Center (CCHMC)

Our aim was to establish correlations between GSGC (Gait, Stairs, Gower, Chair) scores and ultrasonographic (US) findings of rectus femoris muscle (RF) and to study correlation between pulmonary function tests (PFT) and diaphragmatic muscles thickness in ambulatory boys with Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD). Twenty-four ambulatory boys with DMD were included. Their motor functions were assessed using GSGC scale. All the participants underwent PFT. US was used to assess RF quantitatively (gray scale analysis) and semiquantitatively (modified Heckmatt score) besides assessment of diaphragmatic muscle thickness. Patients with grade IV modified Heckmatt scale had the worst functional performance compared with grade III and II evidenced by having the highest total GSGC score (p < 0.01), worst gait, stairs climbing, chair rising scores, and the longest time for rising from floor (p < 0.05). A significant positive correlation was detected between forced expiratory volume in 1s/ forced vital capacity and right diaphragmatic muscle thickness. GSGC score positively correlated with RF US findings (quantitative gray scale analysis). GSGC score is a successful tool that could be used for clinical evaluation of patients with DMD. Diaphragmatic US introduces an option for screening and monitoring of restrictive respiratory pattern in patients with DMD after determining the reference values of diaphragmatic muscle thickness in different ages.

To describe fatigue in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) from patients' and parents' perspectives and to explore risk factors for fatigue in children and adolescents with DMD. A multicentre, cross-sectional study design was used. Seventy-one patients (all males; median age 12y, age range 5-17y) identified via the Canadian Neuromuscular Disease Registry, and their parents completed questionnaires. Subjective fatigue was assessed using the Pediatric Quality of Life Inventory Multidimensional Fatigue Scale by child self-report and parent proxy-report. Patients with DMD across ages and disease stages experienced greater fatigue compared to typically developing controls from published data. Sleep disturbance symptoms were associated with greater fatigue by child self-report (ρ=-0.42; p=0.003) and parent proxy-report (ρ=-0.51; p<0.001). Depressive symptoms were associated with greater fatigue by child self-report (ρ=-0.46; p<0.001) and parent proxy-report (ρ=-0.45; p<0.001). Lower functional ability was associated with greater fatigue by parent proxy-report (ρ=0.26; p=0.03). Physical activity level, and musculoskeletal, respiratory, and cardiac function were not associated with fatigue. In paediatric DMD, sleep disturbance symptoms and depressive symptoms are potentially modifiable factors associated with fatigue, warranting additional investigation to facilitate the development of therapeutic strategies to reduce fatigue. Fatigue is a major issue in paediatric Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD) across ages and disease stages. Sleep disturbance and depressive symptoms are significantly associated with fatigue in paediatric DMD.

Objective:To assess safety and efficacy of deflazacort (DFZ) and prednisone (PRED) vs placebo in Duchenne muscular dystrophy (DMD).Methods:This phase III, double-blind, randomized, placebo-controlled, multicenter study evaluated muscle strength among 196 boys aged 5–15 years with DMD during a 52-week period. In phase 1, participants were randomly assigned to receive treatment with DFZ 0.9 mg/kg/d, DFZ 1.2 mg/kg/d, PRED 0.75 mg/kg/d, or placebo for 12 weeks. In phase 2, placebo participants were randomly assigned to 1 of the 3 active treatment groups. Participants originally assigned to an active treatment continued that treatment for an additional 40 weeks. The primary efficacy endpoint was average change in muscle strength from baseline to week 12 compared with placebo. The study was completed in 1995.Results:All treatment groups (DFZ 0.9 mg/kg/d, DFZ 1.2 mg/kg/d, and PRED 0.75 mg/kg/d) demonstrated significant improvement in muscle strength compared with placebo at 12 weeks. Participants taking PRED had significantly more weight gain than placebo or both doses of DFZ at 12 weeks; at 52 weeks, participants taking PRED had significantly more weight gain than both DFZ doses. The most frequent adverse events in all 3 active treatment arms were Cushingoid appearance, erythema, hirsutism, increased weight, headache, and nasopharyngitis.Conclusions:After 12 weeks of treatment, PRED and both doses of DFZ improved muscle strength compared with placebo. Deflazacort was associated with less weight gain than PRED.Classification of evidence:This study provides Class I evidence that for boys with DMD, daily use of either DFZ and PRED is effective in preserving muscle strength over a 12-week period.