High-tech Devices Improve Quality of Life, Should Be Standard Care in ALS, Review Says

High-tech communication devices, such as eye-tracking computer systems (ETCS), improve quality of life and enable caregiver-independent interaction of severely disabled patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). However, technical aspects and patients’ cognitive impairment are among the factors still limiting their use. The review study titled “Communication…

Cells that normally help to repair injured muscle tissue — called fibro-adipogenic progenitors — become key players in the muscle wasting and scarring processes in neurodegenerative diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a study has found. Conducted by researchers at Sanford Burnham Prebys Medical Discovery Institute (SBP), in…

A diminished ability to regulate body temperature may be a manifestation of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), results of a mice study suggest. Such a diminishment could be related to problems in controlling the naturally occurring circadian clocks that regulate tissues and organs. The circadian rhythm is an important mechanism that…

“Be intent upon the perfection of the present day.” –William Law Today I experienced an uninterrupted utopia, recognizing that utopia may be a subjective, non-absolute concept, best expressed in the eye of the beholder. Allow me to describe what l beheld. It began with an unwanted, mildly disturbing occurrence. In…

MediciNova has completed enrollment for its Phase 1/2 clinical trial testing the investigational therapy MN-166 (ibudilast) in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients. The trial (NCT02714036) has enrolled 35 ALS patients who will be treated with 100 mg daily doses (50 mg twice a day) of MN-166. The…

Events leading to the loss of nerve cell fibers called axons appear to take place independent of Sarm1, a molecule known to promote the death of axons in damaged nerve cells, researchers working in mouse model of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) report. Rather, the team concluded, other pro-degenerative factors — possibly…

Patients from India with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) are younger at disease onset and show longer duration of symptoms compared to patients from western countries, according to researchers. Their study, “The profile of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in natives of Western Himalayas: Hospital-based cohort study,” appeared…

Strong feelings of being sleepy during daytime hours are much more common in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients than the general public, and appear to be associated with poorer cognitive skills and greater behavioral problems, a study from China reports. Its researchers suggested that their findings, if confirmed in larger studies,…

BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics’ latest financial results guarantee enough capital to complete the ongoing Phase 3 trial of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) therapy candidate NurOwn, according to an update from the company. In addition, the company recently announced it has received patents in Japan and Europe for NurOwn.

That is the question. Vitamin B, that is. And any other nutritional supplement. Shortly after ALS crashed my party, I was introduced to the book “Eric Is Winning,” by Eric Edney. Edney was a long-term ALS survivor (over 20 years) who attributed his longevity to a regimen that included,…