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Rates of invasive assisted ventilation are 3.2 times higher in African Americans with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) compared to Caucasian patients, which may explain why African American patients live longer, according to a recent study. The study, “Racial differences in intervention rates in individuals with ALS: A case-control study,”…

Increasing blood flow in the spinal cord by injecting a long-acting vasodilator can help prevent the progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in mice, a study shows. The study, “Single injection of sustained-release prostacyclin analog ONO-1301-MS ameliorates hypoxic toxicity in the…

For more than four decades, comedian Jerry Lewis hosted the MDA Labor Day Telethon on behalf of the Muscular Dystrophy Association. That annual event helped the MDA become the nation’s largest non-government source of funding for neuromuscular disease research, with more than $1.4 billion disbursed since its establishment 68…

Differences in blood parameters, such as total protein levels, are associated with different stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), meaning they could become valuable biomarkers to track disease progression in clinical practice, a study suggests. The study, “Clinical disease stage related changes of serological factors in amyotrophic lateral…

Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America (MTPA), in collaboration with the Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), is conducting a study to identify biomarkers related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which may be helpful to measure patient response to Radicava (edaravone). The study will be sponsored by MTPA, Radicava’s seller in…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) prevalence in a large group of patients with Medicare coverage was found to be higher than that previously reported in the U.S., according to a study. Findings also revealed that having ALS was associated with shorter survival than other motor neuron diseases (MND). The study,…

Widely used to study several human diseases, zebrafish can now be a useful preclinical model to study amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) linked to angiogenin mutations, according to researchers at the University of Bath. The model was described in a study, “…

Long-term mercury exposure over a period of years may increase the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis later (ALS) in life, a case report suggests. The study, “Heavy metal intoxication and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: causal or casual relationship?” was published in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may help detect muscle damage in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, in particular muscles that are difficult to access using standard techniques, a small study finds. The research was published in an article, titled “A pilot study assessing T1-weighted muscle MRI in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,”…

A model of motor neuron disease based on patient-derived stem cells won the 2018 International 3Rs Prize for its potential to lessen or replace the use of animals as models in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. The prize, given by the National Center for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) and sponsored by …