A new device based on a smartphone can be used to monitor the results of treatment of muscular dystrophy.

The novelty was told by the staff of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory at the annual meeting of the Acoustical Society of America.

Muscular dystrophy is a group of progressive diseases that lead to the weakening of all the muscles of the body.

Duchenne muscular dystrophy is the most common type of myodystrophy. Approximately 1 in 3 500 boys are born with this disease caused by an inherited genetic mutation. Girls can also develop Duchenne's myodystrophy, but very rarely.

From muscular dystrophy, there is no cure, but steroid drugs help slow down the degeneration of muscle tissue. However, steroids cause serious side effects, including weight gain and increased blood pressure, especially if taken in high doses.

Therefore, American doctors prescribe to their patients steroids in strictly limited doses. The authors of the latest study, led by Michael Hughes of the Pacific Northwest National Laboratory in Richland, Washington, say that in such patients it is extremely difficult to monitor the effectiveness of treatment.

In the course of his research, Haggs and his colleagues developed a technique based on ultrasound that can work with an ordinary smartphone. It allows patients with muscular dystrophy to control the response to treatment.

Researchers explain that healthy muscles consist of ordered cells, but not in the case of muscular dystrophy. In patients with myodystrophy, muscle tissue is gradually replaced by fat and fibrous tissue, as a result of which it weakens.

Using ultrasound, scientists can recognize these differences in muscle tissue. In previous studies, scientists have tried to treat mice with myodystrophy with steroids, controlling the effectiveness of therapy with ultrasound. During this time they have accumulated a colossal experience that helped set up a new device.

A lot of effort was required to turn a laboratory scanner into a miniature device capable of working in conjunction with an ordinary smartphone. The radiator itself has the size of a small microphone.

Minimum of steroids for maximum effect.

In the course of their work, scientists applied a mathematical function called a spline. This helped them analyze the previously collected data on the effectiveness of treatment of steroids with muscular dystrophy. Analyzing just 1/16 of the total amount of data, they were able to find differences between muscle tissue that are associated with the use of steroids.

The team notes that before using it in public, the available data should be supplemented, and for this purpose it will be necessary to organize another study.

"As a result, we will get a low-cost device for monitoring. We would very much like to use miniature low power tools such as a microphone-sized ultrasound device that can be connected to a smartphone. If we optimize this technology and increase its sensitivity, patients with muscular dystrophy will be able to receive minimal doses of steroids with the maximum effect from treatment, "write the inventors.

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