The Gift of Presence Brought Meaning and Love to Life With ALS

Results of Phase 3 Trial of TUDCA in Slowing ALS Likely Next Year

An ongoing Phase 3 clinical trial in Europe is testing whether tauroursodeoxycholic acid, added to standard therapy, can slow disease progression and extend survival among people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The oral compound, also known as TUDCA, is one of the two ingredients in Relyvrio (sodium phenylbutyrate…

I’m Learning to Embrace My High-speed ALS Reflexes

Shortly after I was diagnosed with ALS, I began to notice my reflexes acting kind of wonky. Pre-ALS, thanks to years of practicing yoga and tai chi, I considered myself a relatively calm and relaxed person. But now, any sudden loud noise or unexpected tap on my shoulder had…

Study Reveals How Growing Motor Neurons Guide Blood Vessel Growth

An international team of researchers discovered how, during development, motor neurons — the nerve cells controlling movement whose death causes amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) — direct blood vessel growth around them while growing toward target muscles. Specifically, motor neurons were found to secrete a combination of signaling molecules that…

Our Date Night Movie Hit Too Close to Home

Last weekend, my husband, Todd, and I watched the movie “The Electrical Life of Louis Wain,” about an eccentric artist in Victorian England. Wain’s comical and endearing illustrations of cats changed people’s perceptions of them and led to them being more accepted as household pets. From the description,…