Researchers in China recently evaluated the changes of ferritin levels in the brain’s cerebrospinal fluid of patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). They found that ALS patients exhibited significantly increased levels of ferritin, an iron-based protein, a result that indicates ferritin has value as a biomarker and could be used for…

The Augmentative Communication Program (ACP) at Boston Children’s Hospital has received a $1.5 million donation to set up a program focused on improving the quality of life of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) adult patients. “If you could not speak and you want to say to someone, ‘I’m thirsty,’ a computer-generated synthetic voice is fine.

New research reports that environmental pollutants appear to influence the risk of developing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The study, “Association of Environmental Toxins With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis,” was published in JAMA Neurology by University of Michigan researchers working on pesticide and other environmental exposures. “From the first ALS patient I…

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. That lack of…

The solvable tragedy of Lou Gehrig’s disease: all 35,000 current ALS sufferers in the U.S. and 600,000 worldwide will soon die of their disease while existing therapeutics that might possibly help them remain out of reach unless we solve the barriers to access. Learn how one organization is restoring patients’…

A new technology powered by artificial intelligence (AI) may one day help doctors diagnose people in the early stages of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), according to data from a clinical trial. Developed by Pison, the technology was able to detect involuntary muscle twitches, or fasciculations, and changes in…

In a recent study published in the journal BMC Neurology researchers found that despite the lack of a curative therapy, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis carergivers (including specialized physicians as well as nursing and familial caregivers) can substantially contribute to the maintenance of quality of life (QoL) at the…

A new study on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) provided evidence that certain areas of gray matter (GM) are disproportionately and asymmetrically vulnerable to the pathology of ALS. The study entitled “Exposing asymmetric gray matter vulnerability in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis” was published on the…

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…

In this video from 2009, researchers and doctors are working together at Johns Hopkins to explore the impact of stem technology on ALS. The Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins has helped uncover new genes for familial ALS, researched nerve repair, worked actively on genetic risk…