BCI technology may give voice to Mandarin speakers with paralysis

Scientists have developed a brain-computer interface (BCI) capable of instantly translating a person’s thoughts into written Mandarin Chinese. The technology expands the reach of BCIs, devices that capture brain signals to help people communicate, beyond its traditional focus on English speakers. It opens up the potential for millions more people…

Combining two blood biomarkers may make the diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) more accurate and help predict how fast the disease will progress, according to a new German study. The two markers are soluble neurofilament light chain, called sNfL — a known marker of nerve damage — and…

I’m always on the lookout for strategies that will help me make my life with ALS go a little bit smoother, and I’ve recently found a new one. It’s easy to do and, most importantly, it adds a layer of calm to my days. It might surprise you when…

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ACI-19626, an experimental compound designed to be used as a PET tracer, can selectively bind to abnormal clumps of the protein TDP-43, a hallmark of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), but not to normal TDP-43 protein, preclinical research showed. Based on the promising early findings, ACI-19626’s developer, AC Immune,…

SPG302, an experimental oral therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), was well tolerated in an early clinical trial, and initial findings suggest it may help slow disease progression. The new data come from a Phase 1/2a study (NCT05882695) conducted in Australia. The first parts of the study tested…

After my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with ALS, I was shattered and desperate to connect with others who might understand the pain I was feeling. I searched online for a local grief group and found one that met at a nearby church. But when I called to ask about…

Target ALS has released a short documentary that follows the deeply personal journey of Dan Doctoroff, the organization’s founder and a person living with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), as he works to change the future of ALS research. The 17-minute film, “Everyone Lives: Turning Vision Into Reality,”…

I was never a foodie. Never one to order the lobster gnocchi, a bone marrow rice bowl, or smoked mackerel wrapped in bacon. My preferences were always more pedestrian. Chicken nuggets and tater tots. Fast food hamburgers with a pile of stringy fries. Giant mall cinnamon buns as thick as…

The Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins and ALS United will fund a preclinical study investigating how TDP-43 abnormalities contribute to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The project, “Alternative Polyadenylation-Driven Subcellular RNA Mislocalization in TDP-43 Proteinopathies,” will explore the molecular mechanisms by which TDP-43 clumps,…