A group of people with ALS taking part in MIROCALS have generously agreed to also participate in an additional study at Brighton and Sussex Medical School.

The ANNALS-QuICT (Analysing Neuroinflammation in Neurodegeneration in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) study uses Magnetic Resonance Imaging (MRI) scanning to look for changes occurring in the brain over time. Up to 50 participants are being scanned on two separate occasions: a ‘baseline’ scan before being randomised to the treatment or placebo; and a ‘follow-up’ scan 4-6 months later. An additional 25 volunteers who do not have ALS are being recruited as controls.

“We are using a range of novel MRI approaches which will provide information on the architecture of the neurons, their density, the surrounding insulating material and the amount of communication that occur between brain regions.” explains Dr Andrew Barritt, the Clinical Research Fellow running the study.

“Taking part in this additional research has required the participants to devote more of their time and sometimes travel significant distances. We’re immensely grateful for their dedication and support. We hope that these studies will help us to further our understanding of the changes that occur over the course of this terrible disease, aiding the development and testing of future treatments.”