1.
Amyotroph Lateral Scler Frontotemporal Degener
; 15(3-4): 165-8, 2014 Jun.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24707820
2.
Neurology
; 81(24): 2136-40, 2013 Dec 10.
Article
in English
| MEDLINE
| ID: mdl-24271651
ABSTRACT
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a lethal, progressive neurodegenerative disease characterized by loss of motor neurons.(1) Patients with ALS lose function in the limbs, speech, swallowing, and breathing muscles. The cause of the disease is still not known for most patients. Approximately 25,000 people in the United States have ALS, and 5,000 people are diagnosed with ALS annually in the United States.(1) Most patients die from respiratory failure 2 to 5 years after onset of symptoms. Cognitive dysfunction is seen in 20% to 50% of patients.(2) The disease burden for patients and caregivers is enormous. The average cost of care has been estimated at $50,000 per patient per year.(3.)