Biomedical technology

Cultured nerve tissue can be used in ALS studies

Motor neurons are nerve cells that control our muscles by sending signals from the brain and spinal cord out to the body. In diseases such as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), these cells are destroyed, leading to muscle ...

Other

ALS care: Global differences in life support decisions

A new study reveals striking international differences in how doctors approach the sensitive issue of tracheostomy invasive ventilation (TIV) for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Cultural norms and health ...

Neuroscience

First-of-its-kind technology helps man with ALS speak in real time

Researchers at the University of California, Davis, have developed an investigational brain-computer interface that holds promise for restoring the voices of people who have lost the ability to speak due to neurological conditions.

Medications

Trend toward survival benefit seen for REM-inhibition in ALS

For patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), rapid eye movement (REM) inhibition via receipt of antidepressant medication is associated with a trend toward survival benefit, according to a study presented at the ...

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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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