Common viral infections may lead to faster ALS progression, study suggests

The amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) community is mourning Brooke Eby, an ALS advocate who documented her life with the disease on social media and helped build an online community for people living with ALS. Eby died Thursday, Oct. 1, at age 37. Eby was diagnosed with ALS in…

For many people living with rare neuromuscular diseases, the most meaningful part of a recent Chicago gathering was not just the medical updates — it was finding a community that understood their daily struggles. The realization that they were not alone set the tone for MDA Engage: Chicago, a…

While a bond of mutual affection can define friendship, the truest of friends share more than that. These types of friends are irreplaceable and more embedded in our lives and hearts than others. Deep friendship requires each friend to call upon the other for help and support, even in the…

Medicinova has completed the last patient visit in the placebo-controlled portion of the COMBAT-ALS clinical trial, which is evaluating its investigational oral therapy MN-166 (ibudilast) in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The Phase 2b/3 trial (NCT04057898) is testing MN-166’s safety and efficacy at slowing disease…

Advocates are cheering as legislation that would renew the Accelerating Access to Critical Therapies (ACT) for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has made its way to President Donald Trump’s desk as the law reaches its Oct. 1 expiration date. ACT for ALS, signed into law in 2021 by President…

On a walk in the field near my home, I passed by fruit trees that my dad had planted for me in 2014, two years before his death. He dug holes with his backhoe, planted two cherry and three apple trees, and then fenced them in so deer wouldn’t ruin…

Early rehabilitation, a care team that works together, and adequate bracing equipment can help people with neuromuscular diseases stay active and safe, two rehab specialists said. “Every patient has a different journey,” said Sol Abreu-Sosa, MD, a physiatrist at Rush University Medical Center in Chicago. The exercise plan, equipment, or…

An artificial intelligence-powered communication app helps people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and other conditions that affect speech keep communicating using a voice that sounds like their own. Called Voice Back, the augmentative and alternative communication (AAC) app can create a personalized voice from a short audio recording.

A progressive decline in lung function is unavoidable for many people with neuromuscular conditions such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but there are steps that patients can take to ease breathing issues and improve quality of life. “We can’t really change the progression,” said James Rowley, MD, a pulmonologist at…