Pathogenesis and Therapy of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Written by 60 international experts in research and clinical practice, this volume reviews current concepts and controversies on the pathogensis, diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

The section on pathogenesis examines various mechanisms that have been linked to ALS, including excitotoxic mechanisms, Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase mutations and free radical damage, autoimmunity, autoantibodies to calcium channels and paraproteinemia.

Attention is given to animal models, particularly the transgenic mouse that expresses human superoxide dismutase mutations.

The section on diagnosis and clinical trials includes discussions of the subclinical signs of ALS, its natural history and the key issues in clinical trial design.

The section on therapy presents data on neurotrophic factors, excitotoxic blocking strategies and glutamate receptor antagonists and also examines the role of the biopharmaceutical industry in developing new drugs for ALS.