Tongue exercise may help nerve cells compensate for damage linked to ALS

Tongue exercise may help surviving nerve cells compensate for damage associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a new study in rats suggests. Nicole Nichols, PhD, the study’s senior author at the University of Missouri, said the findings may lead to treatments that help preserve tongue function in people with…

I’ve been living with my husband Todd’s ALS for a long time, and while the disease is always there in the back of my mind, I’ve learned to compartmentalize it. I don’t want to talk about ALS all the time, and I like having conversations beyond the topics of…

In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) associated with mutations in the SOD1 gene, a protein called S100A6 may contribute to the buildup of toxic protein clumps by interfering with their removal, a study in mouse and cell models suggests. Researchers found increased expression of the S100a6 gene in mouse models…

Blood tests measuring levels of neurofilament light chain (NfL), a biomarker of nerve damage, may help identify people who eventually develop amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) more than a decade in advance, according to a new study. Elevated levels of NfL — a protein that provides structural support…

It takes real courage to face our fears, especially when those fears are tied to the daily challenges of living with ALS. Simply telling someone about what scares us — and knowing they have our back — goes a long way toward building confidence. That is why this month’s…

Clene Nanomedicine has submitted an application to the U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) seeking accelerated approval of its experimental oral therapy CNM-Au8 for people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The new drug application (NDA), submitted earlier this month, is supported mainly by clinical data suggesting that CNM-Au8…

The ALS Association has launched a nationwide campaign to help people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) fight insurance denials that delay or prevent access to prescribed treatments, medical equipment, and care. The initiative also aims to push for lasting changes in insurance policies. Called We Are Undeniable,…

This week I visited Oklahoma City for the first time. Ever since I met my late husband, Jeff, who died from ALS in 2020, I had wanted to go. It was a meaningful place to him; in 1995, he served as part of the Bureau of Alcohol, Tobacco, Firearms…

A wearable robotic device called the Hybrid Assistive Limb (HAL) can improve walking ability in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and it may also help to preserve quality of life for patients, a new study from Japan shows. Notably, however, findings suggest that walking improvements with the…

It may be possible to diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in part by measuring the amounts of proteins in the tears of a person thought to have the progressive neurological disease. That’s according to a new study from Germany that found that quantifying levels of chitinases, a family of…