Long-term Exposure to Mercury Linked to ALS in Older Patients, Case Report Suggests

Long-term mercury exposure over a period of years may increase the risk of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis later (ALS) in life, a case report suggests. The study, “Heavy metal intoxication and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: causal or casual relationship?” was published in the journal Aging Clinical and Experimental Research.

Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI) may help detect muscle damage in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, in particular muscles that are difficult to access using standard techniques, a small study finds. The research was published in an article, titled “A pilot study assessing T1-weighted muscle MRI in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,”…

A model of motor neuron disease based on patient-derived stem cells won the 2018 International 3Rs Prize for its potential to lessen or replace the use of animals as models in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. The prize, given by the National Center for the 3Rs (NC3Rs) and sponsored by …

Amylyx has completed patient recruitment for the Phase 2 clinical trial CENTAUR, which addresses the safety and effectiveness of AMX0035 as an oral treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). In 2017, Amylyx launched…

“I think, therefore I am.” I have long been fascinated by that argument of philosopher Rene Descartes. Similarly, over a millennium earlier, St. Augustine wrote, “I make mistakes, therefore I am.” Both suggest that cognition — self-awareness in Descartes’ case, knowing right from wrong per St. Augustine —…

Several species of bacteria and fungi were found living in the central nervous system (CNS) of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) that could potentially be related to the development of the disease, a study reports. However, according to the researchers, more studies are still needed to confirm if…

Growing up in Iowa, I knew that silos were beneficial for farmers who used them to store grain and corn. When I entered the workforce, silos were a negative thing. It was a term used to describe how some departments or managers don’t share information with other departments…

A specific type of supporting cells called Schwann cells protect against nerve degeneration induced by the blood-clotting protein thrombin, according to new research in mice. Researchers say the findings could have implications for treatment development in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), multiple sclerosis, and Alzheimer’s. The study, “…

Biochemist Dorothee Dormann, PhD, at the Ludwig Maximilians University, in Munich, was awarded the 2019 Paul Ehrlich and Ludwig Darmstaedter Prize for Young Researchers for her groundbreaking work showing that amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD) share common underlying processes that drive disease development.

Higher levels of apathy — particularly its behavioral symptoms — in people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are associated with a degree of greater burden for caregivers, according to a new study. The research, “The burden of apathy for caregivers of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis,”…