Imaging Assessment of Swallowing and Speech Muscles in Inclusion Body Myositis

September 11, 2026 updated by: Johns Hopkins University

Advancing Bulbar Assessment in Inclusion Body Myositis Through a Multimodal Imaging Approach

This study will evaluate whether neuromuscular ultrasound and MRI can be used as imaging markers of bulbar involvement and swallowing dysfunction in individuals with inclusion body myositis (IBM). Researchers will compare imaging and clinical findings in participants with IBM with those in participants with other myopathies, ALS, PLS, and healthy volunteers.

The study is a one-time visit. Study procedures may include neurological assessments, swallowing questionnaires, tongue strength testing, neuromuscular ultrasound, and MRI. The goal is to identify more sensitive and objective ways to assess bulbar dysfunction biomarkers.

Study Overview

Status

Status

Indicates the current recruitment status or the expanded access status.
Recruiting

Conditions

Conditions

The disease, disorder, syndrome, illness, or injury that is being studied. On ClinicalTrials.gov, conditions may also include other health-related issues, such as lifespan, quality of life, and health risks.

Detailed Description

Researchers will evaluate ultrasound and Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) as imaging markers to diagnose bulbar involvement and dysphagia in patients with IBM.

Objectives

Primary Objectives:

  • Evaluate neuromuscular ultrasound as an imaging marker for assessing the presence and evaluate the severity of dysphagia and bulbar involvement in IBM
  • Evaluate MRI of the bulbar region as an imaging marker for assessing the presence and evaluate the severity of dysphagia and bulbar involvement in IBM

Secondary Objectives:

  • Evaluate ultrasound elastography (USE) as an imaging tool for assessing muscle stiffness in patients with IBM and compare the findings to motor neuron disease and healthy control cohorts
  • Evaluate which imaging modality could be used as an early indicator of dysphagia and bulbar involvement

Study Type

Study Type

Describes the nature of a clinical study. Study types include interventional studies (also called clinical trials), observational studies (including patient registries), and expanded access.
Observational

Enrollment (Estimated)

Enrollment

The number of participants in a clinical study. The "anticipated" enrollment is the target number of participants that the researchers need for the study.
30

Contacts and Locations

This section provides the contact details for those conducting the study, and information on where this study is being conducted.

Study Contact

Study Contact

The name and contact information for the person who can answer enrollment questions for a clinical study. Each location where the study is being conducted may also have a specific contact, who may be better able to answer those questions.
  • Name: Joseph D Niang, B.A.
  • Phone Number: 410-570-3949
  • Email: jniang1@jh.edu

Study Contact Backup

  • Name: Pamela Arrazola, M.S.
  • Phone Number: 410-955-0749
  • Email: parrazo1@jh.edu

Study Locations

  • United States
    • Maryland
      • Baltimore, Maryland, United States, 21287
        • Recruiting
        • The Johns Hopkins Hospital
        • Contact:
          • Abdullah AlQahtani, MD MPH
          • Phone Number: 443-819-9480
          • Email: aalqaht3@jh.edu

Participation Criteria

Researchers look for people who fit a certain description, called eligibility criteria. Some examples of these criteria are a person's general health condition or prior treatments.

Eligibility Criteria

Eligibility Criteria

The key requirements that people who want to participate in a clinical study must meet or the characteristics they must have. Eligibility criteria consist of both inclusion criteria (which are required for a person to participate in the study) and exclusion criteria (which prevent a person from participating). Types of eligibility criteria include whether a study accepts healthy volunteers, has age or age group requirements, or is limited by sex.

Ages Eligible for Study

  • Adult
  • Older Adult

Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Yes

Sampling Method

Non-Probability Sample

Study Population

The study population will include approximately 30 participants with inclusion body myositis (IBM), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or primary lateral sclerosis (PLS); non-IBM inflammatory or genetic myopathies; and healthy controls. The planned enrollment includes 10 participants with IBM and swallowing difficulties, 5 participants with IBM without swallowing difficulties, 5 participants with non-IBM inflammatory or genetic myopathies, 5 participants with bulbar ALS, and 5 healthy controls. The investigators will recruit patients primarily through the clinical practices of the principal investigator and co-investigators and through referrals. Healthy controls may be recruited from Johns Hopkins University/Johns Hopkins Hospital staff, Johns Hopkins affiliates, and family members of patients and staff. The participants will be screened to exclude pre-existing neuromuscular disorders. Healthy controls will be age-matched to the IBM cohort.

Description

Inclusion Criteria:

  • Participants must have a confirmed diagnosis of inclusion body myositis (IBM), amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), primary lateral sclerosis (PLS), or myopathy in accordance with the respective diagnostic criteria.
  • Participants with disease must have clinically relevant laboratory testing for disease biomarkers (e.g., Creatine Kinase (CK), Comprehensive Metabolic Panel (CMP), Complete Blood Count (CBC)) within the last 12 months.
  • Participants must be able to remain supine for 30 minutes or longer and cannot have significant breathing difficulties.
  • Healthy controls must not have any neuromuscular disease.

Exclusion Criteria:

  • Unable or unwilling to provide written informed consent.
  • Medical history or clinically significant physical examination or laboratory results that, in the opinion of the investigator, would render the participant unsuitable for the study.
  • Participants who are unlikely to comply with the study protocol or, in the opinion of the investigator, would not be a suitable candidate for participation in the study.
  • Patients with IBM, ALS, or myopathy who have another known neuromuscular condition with known bulbar involvement.
  • Any patient who has undergone a procedure for dysphagia, including myotomy, dilatation, or Botox.

Study Plan

This section provides details of the study plan, including how the study is designed and what the study is measuring.

How is the study designed?

Design Details

Cohorts and Interventions

Group / Cohort

Group / Cohort

A group or subgroup of participants in an observational study that is assessed for biomedical or health outcomes.
Healthy controls
Inclusion Body Myositis
Participants with diagnosis of IBM
Inflammatory or Genetic Myopathies
other types of myopathy that is not IBM
Motor neuron disease(ALS/PLS)
Participants must have spastic dysarthria

What is the study measuring?

Primary Outcome Measures

Primary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, the planned outcome measure that is the most important for evaluating the effect of an intervention/treatment. Most clinical studies have one primary outcome measure, but some have more than one.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Bulbar Muscle Thickness Assessed by Neuromuscular Ultrasound
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar muscle thickness will be measured using B-mode neuromuscular ultrasound in short- and long-axis views.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar Muscle Cross-Sectional Area Assessed by Neuromuscular Ultrasound
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Cross-sectional area of the assessed bulbar muscles will be measured using neuromuscular ultrasound.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar Muscle Echogenicity Assessed by Quantitative Grayscale Ultrasound
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar muscle echogenicity will be evaluated using quantitative grayscale analysis of neuromuscular ultrasound images.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar Muscle Echogenicity Assessed by the Heckmatt Grading Scale
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar muscle echogenicity will be assessed using the Heckmatt grading scale on neuromuscular ultrasound images. Scale 1-4, lower score better.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar Muscle Volume Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar muscle volume will be measured from magnetic resonance imaging and reported in cubic centimeters (cm³).
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar Muscle Cross-Sectional Area Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar muscle cross-sectional area will be measured from magnetic resonance imaging and reported in square centimeters (cm²).
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar Muscle Fat Content Assessed by Magnetic Resonance Imaging
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar muscle fat content will be measured using magnetic resonance imaging and reported as a percentage (%).
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Tongue Muscle Stiffness Assessed by Ultrasound Elastography
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Tongue muscle stiffness will be quantitatively assessed using shear-wave ultrasound elastography.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)

Secondary Outcome Measures

Secondary Outcome Measures

In a clinical study's protocol, a planned outcome measure that is not as important as the primary outcome measure for evaluating the effect of an intervention but is still of interest. Most clinical studies have more than one secondary outcome measure.
Outcome Measure
Measure Description
Time Frame
Center for Neurologic Study Bulbar Function Scale Score
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Bulbar function will be assessed using the Center for Neurologic Study Bulbar Function Scale (CNS-BFS), a 21-item patient-reported questionnaire evaluating speech, swallowing, and salivation. Score ranging from 21 to 112, where a score of 21 indicates no symptoms of bulbar dysfunction.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Neuromuscular Disease Swallowing Status Scale Score
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Swallowing function will be assessed using the Neuromuscular Disease Swallowing Status Scale (NdSSS), an 8-stage clinician-rated scale ranging from normal oral intake to complete dependence on non-oral feeding. Stage 8 represents normal function, while Stage 1 represents the most severe impairment.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Eating Assessment Tool-10 Score
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Dysphagia symptoms and the symptoms impact on quality of life will be assessed using the 10-item Eating Assessment Tool (EAT-10). Total score ranges from 0 to 40, with a score of 3 or higher indicating a potential swallowing problem.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Sydney Swallow Questionnaire Score
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Severity of oropharyngeal dysphagia symptoms will be assessed using the 17-item Sydney Swallow Questionnaire (SSQ). Score range 0 to 1,700, with higher scores indicating more severe swallowing problem.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Maximum Tongue Strength Assessed by the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Maximum tongue strength will be measured using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI). Three trials will be performed, and the highest pressure will be recorded in kilopascals (kPa).
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Tongue Endurance Assessed by the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Tongue endurance will be measured using the Iowa Oral Performance Instrument (IOPI) as the amount of time, in seconds, the participant can maintain 50% of their maximum tongue pressure.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Inclusion Body Myositis Functional Rating Scale Score
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Functional status in participants with inclusion body myositis will be assessed using the Inclusion Body Myositis Functional Rating Scale (IBMFRS), including swallowing-related function. Score ranges from 0 to 40, higher score better.
Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale Score
Time Frame: Day 1 (one-time study visit)
Functional disability and disease severity in participants with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis will be assessed using the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Functional Rating Scale (ALSFRS). Score ranges from 0 (maximum disability/worst performance) to 48 (normal function).
Day 1 (one-time study visit)

Collaborators and Investigators

This is where you will find people and organizations involved with this study.

Sponsor

Sponsor

The organization or person who initiates the study and who has authority and control over the study.
Johns Hopkins University

Investigators

Investigators

A researcher involved in a clinical study. Related terms include site principal investigator, site sub-investigator, study chair, study director, and study principal investigator.
  • Principal Investigator: Abdullah Z AlQahtani, MD MPH, the Johns Hopkins School of Medicine

Publications and helpful links

The person responsible for entering information about the study voluntarily provides these publications. These may be about anything related to the study.

General Publications

Study record dates

These dates track the progress of study record and summary results submissions to ClinicalTrials.gov. Study records and reported results are reviewed by the National Library of Medicine (NLM) to make sure they meet specific quality control standards before being posted on the public website.

Study Major Dates

Study Start (Estimated)

Study Start

The actual date on which the first participant was enrolled in a clinical study. The "anticipated" study start date is the date that the researchers think will be the study start date.
October 1, 2026

Primary Completion (Estimated)

Primary Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention to collect final data for the primary outcome measure. Whether the clinical study ended according to the protocol or was terminated does not affect this date. For clinical studies with more than one primary outcome measure with different completion dates, this term refers to the date on which data collection is completed for all the primary outcome measures. The "anticipated" primary completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the primary completion date for the study.
December 31, 2027

Study Completion (Estimated)

Study Completion

The date on which the last participant in a clinical study was examined or received an intervention/treatment to collect final data for the primary outcome measures, secondary outcome measures, and adverse events (that is, the last participant's last visit). The "anticipated" study completion date is the date that the researchers think will be the study completion date.
December 31, 2027

Study Registration Dates

First Submitted

First Submitted

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submitted a study record to ClinicalTrials.gov. There is typically a delay of a few days between the first submitted date and the record's availability on ClinicalTrials.gov (the first posted date).
September 11, 2026

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

First Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The date on which the study sponsor or investigator first submits a study record that is consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. The sponsor or investigator may need to revise and submit a study record one or more times before NLM's QC review criteria are met. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 11, 2026

First Posted (Actual)

First Posted

The date on which the study record was first available on ClinicalTrials.gov after National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review has concluded. There is typically a delay of a few days between the date the study sponsor or investigator submitted the study record and the first posted date.
September 16, 2026

Study Record Updates

Last Update Posted (Actual)

Last Update Posted

The most recent date on which changes to a study record were made available on ClinicalTrials.gov. There may be a delay between when the changes were submitted to ClinicalTrials.gov by the study's sponsor or investigator (the last update submitted date) and the last update posted date.
September 16, 2026

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

Last Update Submitted That Met QC Criteria

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator submitted changes to a study record that are consistent with National Library of Medicine (NLM) quality control (QC) review criteria. It is the responsibility of the sponsor or investigator to ensure that the study record is consistent with the NLM QC review criteria.
September 11, 2026

Last Verified

Last Verified

The most recent date on which the study sponsor or investigator confirmed the information about a clinical study on ClinicalTrials.gov as accurate and current. If a study with a recruitment status of recruiting; not yet recruiting; or active, not recruiting has not been confirmed within the past 2 years, the study's recruitment status is shown as unknown.
September 1, 2026

More Information

Terms related to this study

Keywords

Additional Relevant MeSH Terms

Other Study ID Numbers

Other Study ID Numbers

Identifiers or ID numbers other than the NCT number that are assigned to a clinical study by the study's sponsor, funders, or others. These numbers may include unique identifiers from other trial registries and National Institutes of Health grant numbers.
  • IRB00553575

Plan for Individual participant data (IPD)

Plan to Share Individual Participant Data (IPD)?

NO

Drug and device information, study documents

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated drug product

No

Studies a U.S. FDA-regulated device product

No

This information was retrieved directly from the website clinicaltrials.gov without any changes. If you have any requests to change, remove or update your study details, please contact register@clinicaltrials.gov. As soon as a change is implemented on clinicaltrials.gov, this will be updated automatically on our website as well.

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