A highly accurate diagnostic blood test has been developed for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects neurons in the brain and spinal cord.
ALS leads to gradual paralysis, ultimately resulting in the inability to walk, speak, or, in later stages, move. Currently, diagnosis is based on a thorough clinical examination, but it can take up to 12 months to provide a definitive diagnosis, by which time many patients have significantly deteriorated. Misdiagnosis rates vary widely, occurring in as many as 68% of cases, further complicating timely and accurate treatment.
Researchers from the not-for-profit Brain Chemistry Labs in Jackson Hole, Wyoming, published the paper, “A microRNA diagnostic biomarker for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis” in Brain Communications.
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