Critical illness myopathy and timely electrical muscle stimulation

ISRCTN ISRCTN19392591
DOI https://doi.org/10.1186/ISRCTN19392591
Secondary identifying numbers No. 192/2, WE 4386/1-1
Submission date
10/06/2010
Registration date
17/02/2011
Last edited
04/08/2022
Recruitment status
No longer recruiting
Overall study status
Completed
Condition category
Musculoskeletal Diseases
Prospectively registered
Protocol
Statistical analysis plan
Results
Individual participant data

Plain English Summary

Not provided at time of registration

Contact information

Dr Steffen Weber-Carstens
Scientific

CC7
Augustenburger Platz 1
Berlin
13353
Germany

Study information

Study designRandomised controlled observer blind clinical trial
Primary study designInterventional
Secondary study designRandomised controlled trial
Study setting(s)Hospital
Study typeTreatment
Participant information sheet Not available in web format, please use the contact details below to request a patient information sheet
Scientific titleCritical illness myopathy and timely electrical muscle stimulation: an observer-blinded randomised controlled clinical trial
Study hypothesisAIM 1 - Hypothesis: Electrical muscle stimulation (EMS) of both lower and upper extremities is associated with increased muscle strength upon emergence from sedation and a lower degree of functional impairment at discharge from intensive care unit (ICU).
Test: We will investigate and compare muscle strength (MRC score), functional impairment (functional independence measure) and secondary clinical outcome parameters in both study groups at the end of sedation and at ICU discharge.

AIM 2 - Hypothesis: EMS prevents thick filament loss.
Test: The extent of thick filament loss will be visualised by histopathological staining and electron microscopy and will be compared between both study groups. Regulation of atrophy gene expression (MURF-I and Atrogin) will be investigated.

AIM 3 - Hypothesis: EMS improves systemic insulin sensitivity as well as oxidative metabolism of skeletal muscles in the intervention group.
Test: We will investigate key molecules of insulin signalling, MAP-kinase and AMP-kinase in muscle biopsies by Real Time PCR and Western blotting. We will perform RT-PCR studies on the expression pattern of key mitochondrial genes as well as western blots of voltage-dependent anion channels of the outer mitochondrial membrane (VDAC) indicating mitochondrial muscle mass and will compare these parameters between the intervention and control group.

AIM 4 - Hypothesis: EMS promotes activation of specific metabolic pathways. Thus, the metabolic adaptations may be critical for the development of CIM in critically ill patients and the metabolic profile may thus serve as a reliable biomarker for disease prediction.
Test: Metabolite profiling will be performed on a Pegasus 3 time-of-flight mass spectrometer (Leco) equipped with a Direct Thermal Desorption injector (ATAS GL International) coupled to an HP 5890 gas chromatograph and a dual-arm autosampler with automatic de-vitalisation and liner exchange. Chromatograms will be processed using Leco ChromaTOF software (version 3.25) and peaks with signal to noise ratios >10 and will be exported before using an in-house developed algorithm. Mass spectra will be compared to the in-house mass spectral library according to mass spectral similarity and retention. Principal component analysis (PCA) will be performed on the obtained data to illustrate disparities between intervention and control group on metabolite levels.
Ethics approval(s)Charite - Berlin Medical University (Charite - Universitätsmedizin Berlin) Ethics Committee approved in May 2010 (ref: EA2/041/10)
ConditionIntensive Care Unit-acquired weakness (ICUAW)/Critical illness myopathy (CIM)
InterventionCurrent intervention as of 15/10/2021:
Patients allocated to the intervention group will receive EMS treatment of M. quadriceps femoris (M. vastus lateralis and M. rectus femoris), M. tibialis anterior, M. biceps brachii, M. triceps brachii, M. brachioradialis and ventral auxiliary muscles (Th9 - Th11) twice per day.

Patients allocated to the control group will receive sham stimulation of respective muscles twice per day by electrode placement without application of electrical current.

Within the intervention group, the applied electrical current depends on visible or palpable contracation or patient discomfort (maximum current applied: 70mA, maximum duration of intervention: 28 days).

Gender-specific sub-analysis will be performed to investigate potential differences and account for gender bias.
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Previous intervention:
Patients allocated to the intervention group will receive EMS treatment of M. quadriceps femoris (M. vastus lateralis and M. rectus femoris), M. tibialis anterior, M. biceps brachii, M. triceps brachii, M. brachioradialis and ventral auxiliary muscles (Th9 - Th11) twice per day.

Patients allocated to the control group will receive sham stimulation of respective muscles twice per day by electrode placement without application of electrical current.

Within the intervention group, the applied electrical current depends on visible or palpable contracation or patient discomfort (maximum current applied: 70mA, maximum duration of intervention: 28 days).
Intervention typeOther
Primary outcome measure1. Clinical: muscle strength assessd by MRC score after the end of sedation and functional impairment at ICU discharge as indicated by FIM
2. Molecular: incidence of histologically proven CIM, measured during the study enrolment period
Secondary outcome measures1. Clinical (assessed during the study enrolment period):
1.1. Ventilator-free days
1.2. ICU stay
1.3. EMG/ENG
1.4. Weaning failure
2. Molecular (analysed once patient enrolment has ended):
2.1. Signalling pathways (insulin/IGF-1, AMP-Kinase, MAP-Kinase)
2.2. Tissue metabolism
2.3. Atrophy gene regulation
2.4. Mitochondrial function
2.5. Caveolae dynamics
Overall study start date01/10/2010
Overall study end date30/09/2013

Eligibility

Participant type(s)Patient
Age groupAdult
Lower age limit18 Years
SexBoth
Target number of participants80
Total final enrolment50
Participant inclusion criteria1. Adults with a Sequential Organ Failure Assessment (SOFA) score greater than or equal to 9
2. Mechanical ventilation
3. Written informed consent of legal proxy
4. Aged greater than 18 years, either sex
Participant exclusion criteria1. Patients with mechanical ventilation and SOFA less than or equal to 9 for more than 72 hours prior study screening
2. Age less than 18 years
3. No written informed consent by legal proxy
4. Pre-existing neuromuscular disorder
5. Coagulation disorder refractory to therapy
6. Pregnancy
7. Poor prognosis with expected death within the next hours or days
Recruitment start date01/10/2010
Recruitment end date30/09/2013

Locations

Countries of recruitment

  • Germany

Study participating centre

CC7
Berlin
13353
Germany

Sponsor information

Charité - University Medicine Berlin (Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin) (Germany)
Research organisation

c/o Prof Friedrich Luft
European Clinical Research Center
Charite Campus Buch
Max-Delbrück-Centrum für Molekulare Medizin (MDC)
Berlin-Buch
Robert-Rössle-Str. 10
Berlin
13092
Germany

Website http://www.charite.de
ROR logo "ROR" https://ror.org/001w7jn25

Funders

Funder type

Research organisation

Charité - University Medicine Berlin (Charité - Universitätsmedizin Berlin) (Germany)

No information available

German Research Council (Deutsche Forschungsgemeinschaft [DFG]) (Germany) (ref: No.192/2, WE 4386/1-1)

No information available

Results and Publications

Intention to publish date
Individual participant data (IPD) Intention to shareNo
IPD sharing plan summaryNot provided at time of registration
Publication and dissemination planNot provided at time of registration
IPD sharing planNot provided at time of registration

Study outputs

Output type Details Date created Date added Peer reviewed? Patient-facing?
Results article results 01/08/2019 12/09/2019 Yes No
Results article results 10/09/2019 12/09/2019 Yes No
Results article Retrospective analysis 03/08/2022 04/08/2022 Yes No

Editorial Notes

04/08/2022: Publication reference added.
15/10/2021: The intervention has been updated.
12/09/2019: Publication reference and total final enrolment added.