In this study, the groups did not differ significantly

in terms of gender or access to PEG or riluzole treatment. Patient numbers were low, however, resulting in a lack of power to detect significant differences between groups. It was therefore not possible to evaluate the possible effect of these factors on survival. Further studies in larger patient populations are needed to determine which factors affect clinical outcomes in ALS. Conclusion The results of this retrospective cohort study suggest that the effect of NIV on survival in ALS patients is age-dependent. Use of NIV was associated with improved survival outcomes in ALS patients older than 65 years. Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical However, further studies using a prospective design are needed to confirm the present Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical results. Abbreviations ALS: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis; NIV: Non-invasive ventilation; FVC: Forced vital capacity; PCF: Peak cough flow; MIP: Maximum inspiratory mouth pressure; MEP: Maximum expiratory mouth pressure; SNP: Sniff nasal pressure; PEG: Percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy.

Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical Competing interests The authors declare that they have no competing interests. Authors’ contributions WS, TS, AV, KO and RA designed the study. WS, TS and AV collected the data. WS, AV and TS were responsible for the interpretation of the data. WS, AV and TS prepared the manuscript. All authors participated in critical revision of the content of the article, and approved the final version. Pre-publication history The pre-publication history for Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical this paper can be accessed here: http://www.biomedcentral.com/1472-684X/12/23/prepub

Acknowledgements We wish to thank Teija Stormi and Tommi Kauko for their invaluable help in the data analysis. We also wish to thank the head nurse of the Ventilatory Support Unit, Kristiina Ylitalo-Liukkonen, and all of the personnel at the Department of Pulmonary Diseases at Turku University Hospital, for the devoted care they provide to our patients.
The study reported here builds on seminal research undertaken by members of our group on the importance of high quality and age-appropriate Inhibitors,research,lifescience,medical children’s health Wortmannin information to support child-centred decision-making and choice in children’s healthcare [1-6]. Our previous research has reviewed current practice and provided evidence to inform future development of children’s health information in the National Health Service (NHS) in the United Kingdom, with relevance Linifanib (ABT-869) to global contexts [3-5]. Findings from these major studies [4,5] make a significant and new contribution to understanding the types and formats of health information likely to inspire children and young people to make decisions and exercise choice. Virtually no age-appropriate and child-centred information explaining different types of service options and pathways to accessing services (for example hospital versus home care), or explaining different treatment or care options was identified.