A diagnostic test for ALS
ALS, a diagnosis feared by patients and doctors alike Wednesday, June 21 is World ALS Day. It is a day to stop and consider amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS for short. This neurodegenerative disease causes the death of motor neurons, the nerve cells controlling the muscles. The result is a loss of strength which spreads throughout the body. Besides the muscles in the limbs, it also affects the muscles used for swallowing, breathing, and speaking. The average survival rate after the onset of the first symptoms is just 2 to 5 years. ALS is relatively rare; about 400 people a year are diagnosed with the condition in Belgium. As Prof. Philip Van Damme (VIB-KU Leuven, UZ Leuven) tells us: "Despite the severity of the disease, an ALS diagnosis relies heavily on the physician's clinical acuity. The typical disease progression of ALS, with the loss of strength extending from one body region to another, allows a definite diagnosis. In the early stages of the disease, diagno...