A student bioengineering team at Washington State University (WSU) has designed a mattress to help amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients and others with sleep or mobility issues rest better. The students — seniors Katie Lober, Jackson Rieb, and Sarah Schroeder — hope to patent their invention and also…
Did you know that rollators were invented nearly 40 years ago? A Swedish woman with polio added four wheels to her walker, and the idea was an instant success. Most of us who use a rollator don’t really care about its history. We’re just happy they exist to help…
ALS Awareness Month has been observed each May since 1992. But this year, the COVID-19 pandemic has forced supporters to rethink ways to raise funds and awareness for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In previous years, May has been full of fundraising and educational activities such as outdoor bake…
Grant awards totaling $5 million will support six academic-industry projects into potential biomarkers and treatments for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal degeneration (FTD), Target ALS and the Association for Frontotemporal Degeneration (AFTD) announced. The two groups joined to support this collaborative work as ALS and…
Agriculture and other areas that expose people to pesticides, paint solvents, electromagnetic fields, and heavy metals may increase their odds of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a population-based study from Italy shows. But larger studies are needed to confirm these findings, its researchers wrote, as only some risk factors…
For a couple years after my husband Todd’s ALS diagnosis, I sought companionship in books written by people with ALS or their spouses. I read half a dozen stories, trying to wrap my mind around how we would navigate the rocky, unfamiliar landscape of the life…
Computer scientists at Stony Brook University have been awarded $200,000 by the ALS Association to continue the development of a mobile app that helps people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), and others whose mobility has been impaired, to regain some of their independence. According to a…
“I think it’s time we stop, children, what’s that sound? Everybody look what’s going down.” That call for awareness comes from the song “For What It’s Worth” by Buffalo Springfield. The song’s writer, Stephen Stills…
Identifying blood biomarkers that reflect the metabolic changes occurring in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be among the most promising approaches to diagnosing patients in the early stages of disease, sometimes years before motor symptoms appear, a review study suggests. The study, “Importance of the…
Release the balloons and cue the marching band! May is ALS Awareness Month! Wait, what? The balloons are back-ordered? And the marching band is still sheltering in place? Well, ALS doesn’t stop, and neither should we. ALS Awareness Month is here — so let’s make it a success! My…
