How to support people affected by ALS

I was recently asked, “What can I do to support someone diagnosed with ALS?” I thought back to the days after my husband, Todd, was diagnosed with the disease. We knew little about it, except that it resulted in paralysis and usually death within two to five years.

Researchers at Yale School of Medicine said they’ve solved a longstanding mystery of how mutations in the C9ORF72 gene, a common genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), may lead to toxic proteins. The findings suggest a new approach that could lead to the development of targeted therapies, the researchers…

Long-term exposure to sulfur dioxide (SO2), a gaseous air pollutant generated by the burning of fossil fuels, significantly increases the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to a study in Canada. Exposure to other forms of air pollution, including nitrogen dioxide (NO2), ground-level ozone (O3), and PM2.5…

A wearable robot that detects small arm motions and helps support the shoulder can make it easier for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients to pick up and carry things, a study showed. ALS is a neurological disorder that causes progressive muscle weakness and eventual paralysis. Weak limbs make many…

Measuring the electrical activity of muscles in the neck can help clinicians to identify dysfunction in certain motor neurons — the nerve cells that control voluntary movement — in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study from researchers in China demonstrates. Similar testing is now often done using…

Immune cells in the brain exhibit distinct profiles in the brain and spinal cord of people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study finds. A better understanding of the cells, called microglia, which are long believed to contribute to inflammation and damage in ALS, could help scientists come up…

For a rare type of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), inhibiting a cellular stress response can normalize processes and function in specialized nerve cells called motor neurons, suggesting this response is a possible therapeutic target, a study reports. These results are specific to ALS related to the P56S  mutation in…

When I checked my email last Wednesday morning, I was delighted to see a message in my inbox titled “Birthday Memories.” It was from my husband, Todd, who was still in bed sleeping; he must’ve scheduled the email to surprise me on my 48th birthday. I sat down with my…

Anita Newton is a retired science teacher who lives near Bristol, England. She taught chemistry for 30 years before retiring when her husband, Craig, was diagnosed with ALS. Her interests range from pickleball, badminton, and table tennis to reading, writing, painting, and crafting. She also enjoys traveling and is…

Being exposed to rhodamine B (RhB), a toxic fluorescent dye, causes neurodegeneration and symptoms that resemble amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in zebrafish, a study reports. The exposed zebrafish exhibited behaviors, and cellular and molecular changes similar to those in neurological disorders like ALS. Their muscles and motor abilities also…