Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Scientists develop drug that slows Alzheimer's in mice

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Alzheimer's disease & dementia created May 13, 2013 | popularity 4.2 / 5 (5) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Cancer drug prevents build-up of toxic brain protein

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Genetics created May 10, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (3) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Increased stability of a misfolded protein linked to age of onset of common form of motor neuron disease

Neurodegenerative diseases are characterized by the aggregation of misfolded proteins, which accumulate to form insoluble clumps within or around nerve cells. In the adult motor neuron disease amyotrophic ...

Medical research created Apr 22, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

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Overweight and Obesity created Apr 23, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Structure that edits messenger RNA transcripts defective in two different forms of motor neuron diseases

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) are degenerative motor neuron diseases in which the key mutated genes are involved in RNA metabolism. This similarity suggests that a ...

Medical research created Apr 26, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0

Neon exposes hidden ALS cells

A small group of elusive neurons in the brain's cortex play a big role in ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis), a swift and fatal neurodegenerative disease that paralyzes its victims. But the neurons have always been difficult ...

Neuroscience created Apr 30, 2013 | popularity 5 / 5 (1) | comments 0 | with audio podcast

Researchers identify new circadian clock component

Northwestern University scientists have shown a gene involved in neurodegenerative disease also plays a critical role in the proper function of the circadian clock.

Genetics created May 16, 2013 | popularity 3 / 5 (1) | comments 1 | with audio podcast


Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease in American English and Motor Neurone Disease in British English, is a form of Motor Neuron Disease caused by the degeneration of upper and lower neurons, located in the ventral horn of the spinal cord and the cortical neurons that provide their efferent input. The condition is often called Lou Gehrig's disease in North America, after the New York Yankees baseball player who was diagnosed with the disease in 1939. The disorder is characterized by rapidly progressive weakness, muscle atrophy and fasciculations, spasticity, dysarthria, dysphagia, and respiratory compromise. Sensory function generally is spared, as is autonomic and oculomotor activity. ALS is a progressive, fatal, neurodegenerative disease with most affected patients dying of respiratory compromise and pneumonia after 2 to 3 years; although some perish within a year from the onset of symptoms, and occasional individuals have a more indolent course and survive for many years.

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