Clinical Staging of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Chinese Patients

• Published in: Frontiers in neurology 2018-06, Vol.9, p.442-442
• Main Authors: Chen, Xueping, Wei, Qian-Qian, Chen, Yongping, Cao, Bei, Ou, RuWei, Hou, Yanbing, Yuan, Xiaoqin, Zhang, Lingyu, Liu, Hui, Shang, Huifang
• Format: Article
• Language: English
• Subjects: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; Neurology; riluzole; staging system; survival; treatment
• ISSN: 1664-2295; 1664-2295
• DOI: 10.3389/fneur.2018.00442

It is important to explore the utility of clinical staging systems in the management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Our aim was to assess the validity of King's College in a Chinese ALS cohort, by evaluating the duration and informativeness of each stage and examining the association between stage and prognosis. From May 2008 to December 2016, patients with a likely diagnosis of ALS were registered. We prospectively assessed the progression of the patients through the stages and calculated the duration of each stage. The median duration in Stage 1 was 12.00 months, Stage 2 7.50 months, Stage 3 6.50 months, and Stage 4 4.10 months. Subset analysis revealed that the spinal-onset and early-onset patients had a longer median time in Stage 1 compared to bulbar-onset and late-onset patients, respectively. Riluzole treatment extended the durations of Stages 1 and 2, and the effect was maintained in patients with long-term use of riluzole (>6 months). Patients who initiated long-term riluzole therapy early, in Stage 1 or 2, had a longer Stage 2. Patients who received percutaneous gastrostomy endoscopy (PEG) or non-invasive positive-pressure ventilation (NIPPV) showed longer durations of Stage 4. The differences in survival time measured from each stage to death or censor date were significant. We validated the King's College staging system in a Chinese population, and showed this system to be useful in clinical practice. Patients with bulbar-onset or an age of onset>45 years tended to have rapidly progressing ALS. Riluzole may be more effective when initiated in an early disease stage and continued long-term. PEG and NIPPV treatments can extend disease duration of Stage 4.