7 Things to Keep in Mind If a Loved One Has ALS

7 Things to Keep in Mind If a Loved One Has ALS

An amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) diagnosis can be devastating for both the patient and their family. If a loved one has recently been diagnosed with ALS, they’ll need your support now more than ever. Remember to be understanding and patient. We’ve put together a list of things to consider if a someone close to you has…

In New Book, ALS Researcher Niels Birbaumer Explores Brain’s Limitless Capacity to Remodel Itself

Neuroscientist and professor Niels Birbaumer, a senior research fellow at Switzerland’s Wyss Center in Geneva, has written a new book investigating the brain’s seemingly limitless capacity  to reshape itself and overcome disease. Birbaumer has conducted research with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients who, because of their progressive motor neuron disease, have…

Welcome to My Column, ‘The Mighty Mind’

Welcome to “The Mighty Mind.” When I was diagnosed with ALS at age 28 in 2015, I felt like I had lost everything. My body, without warning or reason, had turned on me, and that meant the end of so much. My teaching career, and dreams of motherhood and growing…

National Institutes of Health Awards $30 Million to Support Development of 3-D Models of Disease

The National Institutes of Health has awarded $30 million over two years to 13 researchers who are developing three-dimensional models of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other diseases. Researchers say the initiative is aimed at tackling a translational science problem: More than 60 percent of therapies prove ineffective in clinical trials of…

Filmmaker Finishes Film Project With Advanced ALS

In this video from CBS Sunday Morning, follow the journey of award-winning filmmaker Simon Fitzmaurice as he completes his pet project, a film called My Name is Emily, despite being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) eight years ago. MORE: Explaining the progression…

6 Tips to Reduce Stress and Help You Relax

Everyone suffers from stress from time to time but when you have a chronic disease, stress not only adds to your everyday burden but can often exacerbate the symptoms of your condition. While we can’t avoid stress altogether, there are ways that we help ourselves relax more and not let things…

Human Skin Cells Successfully Converted into Motor Neurons

Scientists have discovered how adult skin cells can be converted into motor neurons without transitioning them through a stem cell state. The findings promise to help researchers better understand motor neuron diseases, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “MicroRNAs Induce a Permissive Chromatin Environment that…