patients
Information for patients, families and volunteers who would like to take part in our research or hear about it.
Our research depends on people who give their time to take part.
Whether you are living with a neuromuscular condition such as motor neuron disease (MND/ALS), care for someone who is, or would like to volunteer as a healthy participant, we would love to hear from you.
Why we need volunteers
We study the nerve cells and circuits in the spinal cord that control our muscles. In conditions like MND, the body can compensate for a long time before weakness becomes obvious. By measuring how these circuits work in people, using sensors placed on the skin, we hope to develop tests that can detect changes earlier, follow how a condition progresses, and show whether new treatments are working.
To do this we need to compare recordings from people living with neuromuscular conditions and from people without them, so both patients and healthy volunteers make a real difference.
What taking part involves
Our human studies use high-density surface electromyography (HDsEMG). This is non-invasive: no needles are used.
- A conversation first. We explain the study, answer your questions and check whether it is suitable for you. There is no obligation to take part.
- Sensors on the skin. Small, flexible electrode grids are placed on the skin over a muscle, for example in the hand or leg. They record the electrical activity of the muscle.
- Simple muscle contractions. You are asked to gently contract the muscle, following a target on a screen.
- Gentle stimulation (in some studies). A brief, weak electrical pulse may be applied to a nerve through the skin. Most people describe it as a tingling or tapping sensation.
All of our studies are reviewed and approved by a research ethics committee before they start. Each study has its own information sheet explaining exactly what is involved, how long it takes and how your data are protected. You can stop at any time without giving a reason, and this will not affect your medical care.
Interested in taking part?
Send us an email at f.nascimento@ucl.ac.uk with:
- your name and the best way to contact you
- whether you are living with a neuromuscular condition, or would like to take part as a healthy volunteer
- roughly where you live (our studies take place at UCL in central London)
Please do not send detailed medical information by email. We will get back to you with information about current studies.
Help shape our research
We believe research is better when patients and the public help shape it. You can get involved without taking part in experiments:
Patient and public involvement
Help us design studies, review information sheets and decide which questions matter most to people living with neuromuscular conditions.
Updates and summaries
Ask to join our mailing list for news about new studies, results and plain-language summaries of our work.
Questions about our research
If you have a question about what we do, we are happy to explain. Get in touch by email.
Useful links
- MND Association: information and support for people living with MND, their families and carers.
- Be Part of Research (NIHR): search for health research studies across the UK.
- Muscular Dystrophy UK: support and information on muscle-wasting and neuromuscular conditions.