Every year, approximately 6,000 people in the United States are diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS.
This disease is a degenerative condition that slowly kills off motor neurons in both the brain and the spinal cord. As the disease progresses, the patient loses the ability to control motor function, which, within two to five years, leads to paralysis and finally death. Of course, many people fall outside of that parameter and live longer, but periods of remission are transient.
The average age of onset is around 55 years old, but people can develop ALS much earlier. There is no known cure, but scientists are beginning to better understand it.
A recent study published in a European neurological journal discovered that, in patients who have both ALS and dementia, the cognitive problems begin not in the motor neurons, but in areas of the brain that control cognition. This is a significant finding.
And there is more good news on the research side of the coin.
Last October, the FDA approved testing for a combination stem cell-gene therapy to be conducted at Cedars-Sinai Medical Center in Los Angeles, giving hope to patients who are living with an 100% fatal disease.
If you, or a loved one, has been diagnosed with ALS, you may wish to join the ALS registry. You would be asked to answer survey questions to help researchers who are studying not only the disease but also possible treatments.
