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…

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…

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…

AB Science announced that abstracts reporting the use of Kinavet (masitinib) in the treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) were selected for oral presentation at six international meetings in 2017. The abstracts include both preclinical and clinical data. The meetings include: XXIII World Congress of Neurology (WCN 2017) in Kyoto, Japan,…

“If I was a broken clock, would you throw screwdrivers and bolts into my tool shed?” – “Tool Shed” by Chaya Nemiccolo What is emotional intelligence? Patients can easily learn about the traditional aspects of their doctor’s qualifications with a quick internet search. However,…

Managing a chronic illness can be difficult. There are many different medications to take (often at different times), appointments to remember, symptoms to keep track of, and lots of information to absorb. Thankfully, living in a digital age means that there are numerous mobile apps that can help you manage your chronic…

Dear readers, this week my Living Well with ALS column will take a slightly different path down the road of wellness. Because, in the quest of living a balanced life, I’ve learned that humor is something we all need to incorporate into our days. And one of…

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…

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…