Diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease) can take a long time and numerous diagnostic tests may be needed. Scientists have been trying to develop a specific test for ALS. Researchers from Mount Sinai School of Medicine have identified three proteins that might be useful in diagnosing the disease. They discovered that the three proteins are found in significantly lower concentrations in the cerebrospinal fluid of individuals with ALS than in healthy individuals. These lower concentrations were evident within 1.5 years of diagnosis, so testing for the proteins may provide a means of early diagnosis.
Source:
Pasinetti, G.M., et al. (2006). Identification of potential CSF biomarkers in ALS. Neurology, published online January 2006.
Rate of progression of ALS predicts length of survival
Researchers in Japan evaluated 82 Japanese individuals with ALS. They noted the symptom duration at diagnosis and the score on the revised ALS Functional Rating Scale for each individual, and calculated a progression rate for the disease. When the researchers looked at survival time after diagnosis, they found it correlated with the calculated progression rate. This suggests that the progression rate might be used to predict an individual’s survival time after diagnosis with ALS.
Source:
Kimura, F., et al. (2006). Progression rate of ALSFRS-R at time of diagnosis predicts survival time in ALS. Neurology, vol. 66, pp. 265-267.
Effects of non-invasive ventilation on quality of life in ALS
Some individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis who have difficulty breathing might benefit from non-invasive ventilation such as continuous positive airway pressure (CPAP). However, non-invasive ventilation is not often prescribed for individuals with ALS. Researchers at University of Newcastle upon Tyne, England, studied individuals with ALS who developed difficulty breathing, assigning some to non-invasive ventilation treatment and some to standard care. They found that non-invasive ventilation improved survival with maintenance of, or improvement in, quality of life.
Source:
Bourke, S.C., et al. (2006). Effects of non-invasive ventilation on survival and quality of life in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A randomized controlled trial. The Lancet Neurology, vol. 5, pp. 140-147.
Pentoxifylline not beneficial in ALS
A large study of 400 individuals with probable or definite amyotrophic lateral sclerosis treated with riluzole (Rilutek) was conducted by French researchers. The individuals were randomly assigned to treatment with pentoxifylline or placebo. After 547 days, 103 individuals (51.7%) treated with pentoxifylline and 120 individuals (59.7%) in the placebo group were alive. The researchers concluded that pentoxifylline is not beneficial in ALS and should be avoided in individuals treated with riluzole.
Source:
Meininger, V., et al. (2006). Pentoxifylline in ALS. Neurology, vol. 66, pp. 88-92.
