Stem cell-derived motor neurons from people with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have mutation-specific alterations in glutamate receptors and calcium signals, which may alter nerve signaling and play a role in the disease, a study found. These findings may lead to future…
Scientists have created a new type of split-hand index — which identifies the loss of the pincer grasp — that is able to distinguish people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) from healthy individuals at the earliest stages of the disease. Results from the study, “Split-hand index in…
Glaciers are known for their slow movement and the transformative change that they leave in their wake. Most move only a few centimeters a day. Yet they produce lakes, cliffs, moraines, valleys, mountain arêtes and horns, and pronounced landscape striations. Perhaps stem cell research…
People in China with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) can now access edaravone (brand names Radicava, Radicut, among others), following its approval by the National Medical Products Administration, the country’s regulatory agency. The infusion therapy (delivered into the veins) is meant to slow ALS progression and will…
People with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) have an altered composition of their gut microbial community, with an increase in harmful microbes and a decrease in beneficial microorganisms, according to a new small study. This altered gut microbiota could drive digestive problems in those with ALS, the researchers said. The…
Being underweight when they start supported feeding puts patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at risk for poor outcomes at later stages of the disease, an Italian study has found. The study, “Nutritional prognostic factors for survival in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients undergone percutaneous endoscopic gastrostomy placement,”…
Inactivation of ATG7, one of the genes that controls autophagy — a process in which cells degrade or recycle components that are damaged or no longer needed — is linked to the onset of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD), a study says. Results from…
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is characterized by specific changes in brain activity and connectivity, which are associated with motor and cognitive symptoms, an international research team has found. Therefore, measuring the impairment of motor and cognitive networks can be a novel ALS biomarker to evaluate disease progression in clinical trials,…
Noninvasive ventilation (NIV) can be ineffective in preventing episodes of upper airway obstruction in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients, likely because of unstable breathing control and poorly working bulbar motor neurons — those needed for swallowing, speaking and chewing — in these people, a study suggests.
Diet is a major factor when it comes to amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Quality of diet, proper macronutrient and micronutrient balance, and absorption all require great attention. At the core, however, is maintaining a healthy body weight, which is essential…
