Head trauma may be an early sign, not a cause of ALS: Study

People with a history of traumatic brain injury (TBI) have a nearly three times higher risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) than those who have not experienced a head injury, a new study found. However, the risk is highest in the two years following a TBI and decreases…

Using seven clinical measures that are fairly easy to assess, researchers have developed a machine learning model to help predict mortality in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study. The model, which was trained on data from more than 1,900 patients, may aid clinicians and families…

“What do you think about having one thimbleberry design on one side of a mug and a different one on the other?” I asked my husband, Todd. We’d been brainstorming ideas for some print-on-demand items that I might try selling. Todd has had a fixed income ever since he was…

A pivotal Phase 3 clinical trial testing the oral therapy pridopidine in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is expected to start in January, following promising results seen in the HEALEY ALS platform trial. Pending regulatory clearance, enrollment will begin at ALS treatment centers in the U.S., Canada,…

The Canadian amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) community is calling for the country’s government to invest CA$50 million (about $36 million) over the next five years to support the Canadian Collaboration to Cure ALS. Advocates, including people with ALS, caregivers, clinicians, and researchers, gathered at Parliament Hill on Oct. 2…

In a new study by a team of U.S. scientists, a group of inflammatory immune cells was found to mistakenly target the C9ORF72 protein in nerve cells in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — demonstrating that ALS may be an autoimmune disease. The findings, by researchers at the…

For years, researchers have been chasing a so-called silver bullet compound that could effectively treat anyone with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Hande Ozdinler, an associate professor of neurology at Northwestern University, thinks that this approach should be reassessed and a different, more nuanced view of ALS treatment should…

FGF21, a hormone that helps cells regulate energy use and respond to stress, may protect muscles and nerve cells from damage related to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), slowing disease progression. A study found ALS patients had significantly higher levels of FGF21 in their blood and muscles than healthy controls,…

Researchers identified three forms, or biotypes, of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), each with distinct mechanisms that could suggest pathways for biologically specific treatment. A machine learning model was able to classify people with ALS into these three groups using demographic and disease-related information. “The machine learning model we developed,…

My frustration brought me to tears today, and I had to take a step back and remember to care for myself in addition to caring for my husband, Todd, who has ALS. Todd’s new wheelchair was delivered today, and like the one he’s been in for the past 11…