As an ALS Caregiver, Activities and Downtime Require a Mental Shift

Looking back over the course of more than a decade of my husband, Todd, having ALS, I’m struck with how hard we worked to maintain some sense of normalcy, even after he was paralyzed. We joined a Bible study with a small group of people from our church, and we…

Four years after its discovery via an artificial intelligence (AI) platform, Verge Genomics will test its amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) treatment candidate VRG50635 — a PIKfyve inhibitor — in a first-in-human trial. The Phase 1 clinical trial (ISRCTN14792372), which is now enrolling participants, is being conducted at the…

CuATSM, a potential amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) therapy that’s now in clinical trials, may work by altering how certain cells in the brain generate energy, a new study suggests. Researchers say these findings may help to identify patients most likely to respond to the experimental treatment. “Screening patient derived…

I must confess, whenever I’m in a crowded public place, I wear a face mask. Why? Because I’m a person living with ALS and doing everything I can to keep my immune system in tiptop shape. Plus, being the only person wearing a mask doesn’t bother me. In fact,…

Proposed updates to the National ALS Registry’s case-identification algorithm and classifications may help provide a better estimate of the prevalence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in the U.S., a study reported. Under the revision, individuals previously classified as “possible ALS” cases and excluded from the registry would now…

Higher long-term exposure to certain forms of air pollution — specifically coarse particulate matter, such as that from traffic pollutants — significantly increases the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in postmenopausal women, a study showed. “Although the effects noted within the current study are limited by sample size…

High total protein levels in the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) — the liquid that surrounds the brain and spinal cord — are linked to shorter survival among amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients with limb-onset disease, a study showed. The researchers noted a similar association was found for high CSF…

When my late husband, Jeff, was diagnosed with ALS in October 2018, I remember the early, seemingly insurmountable feelings of fear and bewilderment. I remember understanding that we were out of our depth in a completely foreign world of symptoms, appointments, and terminology, layered with the unbelievable knowledge…

We had another close call last week. I was out mowing the fields while a nursing assistant was caring for my husband, Todd. She was one of his first caregivers after he lost his ability to walk and bathe himself due to ALS. At the time, Todd still…

Deep machine-learning models using neural networks — computer algorithms inspired in the biological networks of the human brain —may help to predict the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a new study reports. The models also consistently showed that a longer delay between disease onset and diagnosis is a…