Current pathways for epidemiological research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Current pathways for epidemiological research in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease. The current status of the epidemiology, challenges to its study, and novel study design options are discussed in this paper. We focus on recent results from large-scale population based prospective studies, case-control studies and population based registries, risk factors, and neuropathologic findings in ch...

Epidemiological surveillance of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis in Saguenay region.

OBJECTIVES The Neuromuscular Registry of Saguenay-Lac-Saint-Jean (SLSJ), Québec, Canada was established for epidemiological surveillance of neuromuscular disorders including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). The objectives of this study are to analyze the ALS clinical characteristics of the SLSJ population and to determine the incidence rate over time by five year periods since 1985. METHO...

Current developments in gene therapy for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

INTRODUCTION Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating adult neurodegenerative disorder characterized by motor neuron degeneration and death around 3 years from onset. So far, riluzole is the only treatment available, although it only offers a slight increase in survival. The complex etiology of ALS, with several genes able to trigger the disease, makes its study difficult. AREAS C...

Title: Current Developments in Gene Therapy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Advances in stem cell research for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis.

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder characterized primarily by motor neuron loss in the motor cortex and spinal cord leading to progressive disability and death. Despite the relative selectivity of motor neuron loss, recent studies have implicated other cell types including astrocytes and microglia as contributors to this cell death. This understanding has result...