Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and other motor neuron disorders : official publication of the World Federation of Neurology, Research Group on Motor Neuron Diseases
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Amyotroph. Lateral Scler. Other Motor Neuron Disord. · Mar 2002
Clinical Trial Controlled Clinical TrialNo effect of creatine on respiratory distress in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
To evaluate the effect of creatine supplementation on the respiratory function of patients with advanced amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ⋯ The present study did not show any clinically significant, long-term effect of creatine on the function of respiratory muscles in ALS patients with respiratory distress.
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Amyotroph. Lateral Scler. Other Motor Neuron Disord. · Sep 2001
Standards of palliative care for patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: results of a European survey.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may be viewed as a paradigmatic disease for palliative care in neurodegenerative disorders. However, standards of care for ALS are known anecdotally to differ between and even within countries. ⋯ Great efforts are made by the centres to offer the best possible palliative care to ALS patients. The discrepancies in the type of care offered might be resolved by adopting common standards, on the basis of available evidence and mutual consensus. Several areas of ALS patient care would benefit from controlled studies to establish an evidence base for treatment decisions.
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Amyotroph. Lateral Scler. Other Motor Neuron Disord. · Sep 2000
Expression of nitric oxide synthase isoforms in spinal cord in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
Autoradiography with [3H]nitro-L-arginine (3HL-NNA) was used to quantify nitric oxide synthase (NOS), and immunocytochemistry to identify NOS isoforms, in spinal cord in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and controls. ⋯ Expression of abnormal variants of nNOS or increased expression of iNOS may have a role in motoneuron death in ALS.
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Amyotroph. Lateral Scler. Other Motor Neuron Disord. · Mar 2000
Case ReportsPathophysiological significance of fasciculations in the early diagnosis of ALS.
In amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), muscles with preserved strength can have fasciculation potentials (FPs) as the only abnormality. The FPs in strong muscles are predominantly simple and stable, and can often be recruited by a slight voluntary contraction. In weak and atrophic muscles, the FPs are generally complex and unstable, tend to have a slower firing rate and are not recruited by voluntary contraction. ⋯ Some ALS patients with fatigue and mild weakness can have profuse fasciculations at an early phase in the evolution of the disease. Patients with denervation localized in one region and diffuse FPs should be strongly suspected of having ALS. With this strategy it should be possible to shorten the diagnosis time.