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Stem Cell Transplantation Shows Potential as ALS Therapy, Study Suggests

Stem cell transplantation in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) has the potential to be “an important alternative strategy” in treating the disease, a new study suggests. In recent decades, many advances in identifying and understanding the underlying mechanisms of ALS have been made. But those advances have not resulted in…

4 Tests That Help Diagnose ALS

There isn’t one test that doctors can use to determine if a person has amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Instead, doctors need to perform a series of tests to eliminate other similar neurological diseases and to arrive at an ALS diagnosis. The process can be slow, taking an average of 12 to 14 months…

Dying May Be a More Positive Experience Than We Imagine, Finds Analysis of ALS Patients, Death Row Inmates

People dying of terminal diseases like amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and inmates on death row have something in common: their outlooks are more positive than might be expected. A recent study examining attitudes on impending death, “Dying is Unexpectedly Positive,” appeared in the journal Psychological Science. Death is an important part…

What Research Is Being Done on ALS?

The National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) is one of the world’s leading funders of research into amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Its goals are to better understand the cellular mechanisms which lead to the development and subsequent progression of ALS, discover more about the…

Prognosis of ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in which muscles waste away due to the death of the nerve cells that control them. The condition affects limb function and produces bulbar symptoms, such as difficulty speaking and swallowing, that originate in the brainstem. The outlook for ALS…

Nerve Conduction Study (NCS) for the Diagnosis of ALS

Physicians will generally carry out a nerve conduction study (NCS) — also called a nerve conduction velocity (NCV) test — prior to ordering an electromyography (EMG) to diagnose amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Electrical signals are passed along nerve cells throughout the body to relay messages, for example, to tell a muscle…