Neuromuscular Diseases in Children

The goal of this study is to learn if adding a game to the 6-minute walk test for children with neuromuscular disorders will increase enjoyment and motivation to complete the test.

The purpose of this research repository is to collect, store, and share with other researchers any tissues that subjects with all types of neuromuscular disease are willing to donate. These samples will be stored at Virginia Commonwealth University (VCU) and will be used for future research with this population.

The clinical trial titled "Investigation of Respiratory Functions, Thoracoabdominal Movements, and Exercise Capacity in Neuromuscular Diseases" aims to evaluate the respiratory functions, thoracoabdominal movements, and exercise capacity in children with Duchenne Muscular Dystrophy (DMD) and Spinal Muscular Atrophy (SMA) compared to healthy controls. The study will use spirometry, structured light plethysmography (SLP), the six-minute walk test, and the six-minute pegboard ring test to assess these functions. This trial will be conducted at the Lokman Hekim University Muscle and Nerve Diseases Application and Research Center from May 2024 to Dec 2025.