Table 1 Applied tests/questionnaires and their range and meaning

Self designed questionnaire:

• Collected information about presence of weight loss, dysphagia, supplement intake, fasciculations, respiratory effort, high calorie supplement intake, PEG

• patients had to choose “yes” or “no”

• Included the questions:

• patients had to choose one of the answers

- How did the PEG insertion/high calorie supplement intake affect your weight?

- “Further weight loss”, “weight stabilization”, “weight gain”

- How did the PEG insertion influence your quality of life?

- “strong improvement”, “moderate improvement”, “decline”, “no influence”

• Collected data about age, duration of disease, region of onset, sort of supplement.

• free text

ALSFRS_R total

0 (maximum disability) to 48 (normal)

ALSFRS_R bulbar

0 (maximum bulbar involvement) to 12 (no bulbar involvement)

BDI

0 (no depression) to 63 (severe depression)

SF36

0 (poorest health) to 100 (best health)