Fasciculation intensity and disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

•Fasciculation intensity in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) was measured using neuromuscular ultrasound.•Fasciculation frequency appears linked to disease progression.•Assessment of fasciculations is a noninvasive approach that may provide insight into ALS disease pathophysiology. To investigate the association between the frequency and intensity of fasciculations with clinical measures of disease progression in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Twenty-four consecutive patients with ALS underwent clinical review and neuromuscular ultrasound assessment to detect intensity of fasciculations. Results were correlated with clinical markers of disease severity, as measured by the ALS Functional Rating Scale-revised (ALSFRS-R) and rate of disease progression (ΔFS), in addition to assessment of cortical motor function. Disease duration negatively correlated (R = −0.530, p