During my last visit to the ALS clinic, my neurologist surprised me with an invitation to be a participant in a clinical trial that she was conducting. It was open to 50 of her patients, it could be completed in our own homes, and only it required…
A Clinical Trial that’s Just My Style
Research indicates that an injury pathway in fruit fly neurons might be responsible for the loss of synapses in neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Findings from the University of Michigan study were published in the open-access journal eLife, titled “Restraint…
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Explaining the Progression of ALS
This illustrated video from Stichting ALS Nederland briefly explains the neurodegenerative disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). MORE: Could exercise help ALS patients with swallowing? It explains the progression of the disease and how it affects patients. ALS causes the brain and spinal cord to stop transmitting signals to…
While a link between neurodegenerative diseases and cancer seems unlikely, a recent study suggests that such connections might exist. Genetic analysis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, conducted by Japanese and Taiwanese researchers, revealed that many genes linked to ALS are also related to certain cancers. The research suggests that…
Long-term exposure to air pollution increases the risk of a person developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a Dutch study shows. The study, “Long-Term Air Pollution Exposure and Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis in Netherlands: A Population-based Case–control Study,” appeared in the journal Environmental Health Perspectives. Scientists say…
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Understanding the Neurons Behind ALS
This video from Nature Video discusses the neurons behind amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The narrator explains that ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that usually begins in adulthood and progresses rapidly. MORE: 16 fast facts about ALS The disease is characterized by the loss of both upper and lower motor neurons,…
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This Is What ALS Can Do in One Year
In this touching video from Friends of Alan Gustafson, we see how quickly the progressive condition amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can change a person’s life. MORE: Four treatments that can help improve life with ALS In just a year, Alan has gone from an active father to being…
Pete Frates, the Boston man who invented the Ice Bucket Challenge that raised millions for ALS, was reported to have kicked the bucket this summer — but it turned out to be a newspaper’s goof. The erroneous report stemmed from a headline in Britain’s Sun declaring that the 32-year-old had died…
Analysis of a large group of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has shown that patients who also have dementia at diagnosis are more likely to have bulbar-onset ALS, a subtype of the disease in which patients first experience symptoms in the head and neck, including trouble speaking or swallowing. These patients also…
I began to notice something new during my first year of living with ALS. Every day around mid-afternoon, my energy would drop. Sleepiness, lack of concentration and a case of the blahs would creep in. Was this a brand new symptom of ALS? No, luckily not. But the…
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