The United States has enacted legislation to ensure permanent funding of speech-generating devices that allow people with degenerative diseases such as ALS to communicate. Both houses of Congress unanimously approved the original version of the Steve Gleason Act that was enacted in 2015 but set to expire this year. The…

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…

The amount of RNA molecules present in the blood and central nervous system of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) patients seems to play a role in the onset and development of the disease, a study published in the journal Scientific Reports showed. A better understanding of the involvement of RNA molecules…

Increasing the levels of a neurotransmitter-generating brain enzyme that is in short supply in paralysis disorders restored movement in a fly model of ALS, an Italian study shows. Bolstering the Gad1 enzyme’s levels also led to the return of a pre-disease pattern of nerve cell organization, the researchers said. The…

University of North Carolina researchers have identified the DNA sequence in a virus that lets it deliver treatments for neurodegenerative diseases to the brain. The finding may pave the way for the development of improved and safer gene therapies for diseases like ALS, the team said. A number of gene therapies…

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is sometimes known as Lou Gehrig disease after the baseball player who famously suffered from it. Although ALS is a more common disease than we would like it to be, there is still little known about it and many are unaware of the details of the condition. MORE: Find out…

Restoring a protein that’s missing in a type of ALS that affects 10 percent of patients stopped nerve cell deterioration, University of Southern California researchers report. The results also applied to a disease called frontotemporal dementia, or FTD, according to the team at USC Stem Cell. Their study, ”Haploinsufficiency leads…

Being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a difficult and stressful time. You’ll probably feel incredibly overwhelmed in the first few days and weeks, and struggle to understand the ramifications involved. To help with the process, we’ve compiled a list of tips for patients who have recently been diagnosed with…

Researchers at Sweden’s University of Gothenburg say low red blood cell count at a young age is a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Disease onset was also associated with low muscle strength and low body fat during the later teen years. ”One should never overstate conclusions from a…

https://vimeo.com/124559355 This video from the ALS Association Texas chapter is all about a talented young artist, Alexis. Alexis has loved drawing since she was a child, but the progression of her amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) condition has meant that she can now no longer draw with paper and pencils. However, she hasn’t let…