Brain Involvement in Dystrophinopathies (BIND) Project

The BIND project is the first large-scale effort to better understand brain involvement in Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy (DMD and BMD). Funded by the EU, it brings together 19 partners from Europe and Japan. While muscle weakness has been the primary focus in recent decades, brain involvement has received less attention.

BIND aims to clarify dystrophin's role in the brain, guiding future clinical trials and improving care and outcomes for those with DMD and BMD. Data was gathered any analysed from January 2020 to June 2024.

At the Annual Conference of Duchenne Parent Project Spain (May 2024), representatives from the BIND consortium participated in a session titled “Cognitive Part in DMD/BMD: Project BIND.” They presented the general lines of clinical research aimed at identifying cognitive, behavioural, and neuropsychiatric comorbidities in DMD/BMD patients. A written summary of this presentation was provided by Dr. Rubén Miranda and Dr. Jos Hendriksen (on behalf of the BIND clinical teams) and can be viewed here Summary of BIND presentation at Duchenne Parent Project Spain 2024 Conference • Brain Involvement in Dystrophinopathies (BIND) (bindproject.eu)

On September 18 the BIND project announced that it has received extra funding to extend its research into the detailed study of brain involvement in Duchenne and Becker Muscular Dystrophy (DMD/BMD). During the BIND project (January 2020 to June 2024), researchers studied how genetic changes are linked to brain function and imaging results. This new project will dig deeper into how the brain functions by looking at the connection between psychological assessments and brain scans. They will also take a deeper look at the psychological test results to gain more insights. The goal of this one year project is to find new information that could lead to better treatments and improve patient outcomes.