Banca de DEFESA: LARIZA MARIA DA COSTA

Uma banca de DEFESA de MESTRADO foi cadastrada pelo programa.
STUDENT : LARIZA MARIA DA COSTA
DATE: 25/09/2026
TIME: 14:00
LOCAL: Sala 5 - Depto de Fisioterapia
TITLE:

Clinical, functional, and respiratory factors associated with survival in
individuals with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis: A cohort study in Rio Grande
do Norte, Brazil.

KEY WORDS:

ALS; Noninvasive Ventilation; Survival; Lung Function; Rate of Progression.

PAGES: 46
BIG AREA: Ciências da Saúde
AREA: Fisioterapia e Terapia Ocupacional
SUMMARY:

Introduction: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rare,
progressive neuromuscular disease that simultaneously affects both
upper and lower motor neurons. Respiratory decline and respiratory
failure are the leading causes of death in this disease. The average
survival time for this disease is approximately three to five years after
diagnosis. Certain clinical, respiratory, and demographic factors can
influence this survival time. Understanding the influence of these
predictors of survival may contribute to the monitoring and clinical
management of ALS. Objective: The objective of this study was to
analyze how clinical, functional, and respiratory factors may affect the survival chances of individuals with ALS followed at a referral center in
the state of Rio Grande do Norte (RN). Methods: This is a
retrospective, observational cohort study based on the analysis of
medical records and electronic records of patients followed at the
PneumoCardioVascular Laboratory and the Neurology Outpatient Clinic
of the Onofre Lopes University Hospital (HUOL-UFRN) from May
2016 to December 2025. Demographic, clinical, functional, and
respiratory variables were collected, including pulmonary function tests,
peak respiratory pressures, rapid nasal inspiratory pressure (SNIP), data
on the use of noninvasive ventilation (NIV), clinical subtype of the
disease, functional progression rate as measured by the ALSFRS-R, and
survival-related outcomes. Results: The sample consisted of a total of
113 individuals with ALS. Most were male (65.5% of the sample), and
62.9% were from rural areas of the state. The mean age at onset was
54.52 years (± 12.57), and the mean age at death was 60.70 years (±
11.83). Patients from rural areas had a significantly longer delay in
diagnosis than those from the state capital (p = 0.001). Seventy-seven
(68.1%) individuals died during the follow-up period, with an overall
median of 54.2 months. Patients with rapid disease progression had
shorter survival compared to those with slow progression (p < 0.001)
and were at higher risk of death (HR = 2.10; 95% CI 1.29–3.43; p =
0.002). The use of NIV was associated with a 58% reduction in the risk
of death (HR = 0.42; 95% CI 0.22–0.80; p = 0.008). Conclusion: It is
concluded that clinical, functional, and respiratory factors have
significant prognostic value in ALS, particularly the rate of disease
progression and the use of NIV, reinforcing the importance of periodic
respiratory monitoring and early intervention in the clinical
management of this population.

COMMITTEE MEMBERS:
Externa à Instituição - ANA CRISTINA DE MEDEIROS GARCIA MACIEL
Presidente - 1545315 - GUILHERME AUGUSTO DE FREITAS FREGONEZI
Interna - 2211046 - LUCIEN PERONI GUALDI