Jove
Visualize
Contact Us
JoVE
x logofacebook logolinkedin logoyoutube logo
ABOUT JoVE
OverviewLeadershipBlogJoVE Help Center
AUTHORS
Publishing ProcessEditorial BoardScope & PoliciesPeer ReviewFAQSubmit
LIBRARIANS
TestimonialsSubscriptionsAccessResourcesLibrary Advisory BoardFAQ
RESEARCH
JoVE JournalMethods CollectionsJoVE Encyclopedia of ExperimentsArchive
EDUCATION
JoVE CoreJoVE BusinessJoVE Science EducationJoVE Lab ManualFaculty Resource CenterFaculty Site
Terms & Conditions of Use
Privacy Policy
Policies

Related Experiment Videos

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: new developments in diagnostic markers.

Reinhard Dengler1, Nils von Neuhoff, Johannes Bufler

  • 1Department of Neurology, Medical School Hannover, Hannover, Germany. dengler.reinhard@mh-hannover.de

Neuro-Degenerative Diseases
|August 16, 2006
PubMed
Summary

Researchers are exploring new diagnostic markers for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Promising methods include cerebrospinal fluid protein analysis, neurophysiology, and advanced MRI techniques like diffusion tensor imaging for early detection and monitoring.

Related Concept Videos

You might also read

Related Articles

Articles linked to this work by shared authors, journal, and citation graph.

Sort by
Same author

Long-term use of rozanolixizumab in generalised myasthenia gravis: final pooled analysis of the phase III MycarinG study and two open-label extensions.

Therapeutic advances in neurological disorders·2026
Same author

Quantification of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) disease accumulation with T1-weighted high-resolution magnetic resonance imaging: validation in an independent cohort.

Journal of neurology·2026
Same author

Multicentric prognostic observational study on biomarker profile in immunotherapy-naïve patients with highly active generalized myasthenia gravis (PROGNO-MG): a study protocol.

Neurological research and practice·2026
Same author

The World Federation of Neurology Specialty Group in ALS/MND: toward strategic partnership and new frontiers.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis & frontotemporal degeneration·2026
Same author

Between guidelines and reality: expert neurologists' perspectives on structural resources for ALS care in Germany.

Neurological research and practice·2026
Same author

Constitutive neuronal expression and disease-associated upregulation of chitinases in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Brain : a journal of neurology·2026

Area of Science:

  • Neurology
  • Biomarker Discovery
  • Neurodegeneration

Background:

  • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) lacks definitive diagnostic markers.
  • Identifying reliable biomarkers is crucial for early diagnosis and disease monitoring.
  • Current diagnostic approaches require improvement for timely intervention.

Purpose of the Study:

  • To review and evaluate potential diagnostic and monitoring markers for ALS.
  • To assess the utility of proteomic, neurophysiological, and imaging techniques.
  • To highlight advancements in identifying objective measures for ALS.

Main Methods:

  • Cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) proteomic analysis using mass spectrometry and 2-D gel electrophoresis.
  • Measurement of inflammatory proteins (cytokines) and growth factors in CSF and blood.

Related Experiment Videos

  • Clinical neurophysiology techniques including transcranial magnetic stimulation (TMS) and motor unit number estimation (MUNE).
  • Advanced neuroimaging techniques such as diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) and voxel-based morphometry (VBM).

    • Main Results:

    • Proteomic analysis shows potential for detecting specific protein changes in CSF.
    • Inflammatory markers like monocyte chemoattractant protein-1 and interleukin-1beta are elevated in ALS CSF.
    • Nogo A/B increase in muscle and vascular endothelial growth factor decrease in blood may aid monitoring.
    • Triple stimulation technique (TST) via TMS detects early upper motor neuron damage.
    • MUNE techniques effectively monitor lower motor neuron loss.
    • Diffusion tensor imaging (DTI) shows promise in differentiating ALS patients from controls and potentially for individual diagnosis.
    • Voxel-based morphometry reveals characteristic cortical atrophy patterns in ALS.

    Conclusions:

    • A combination of proteomic, neurophysiological, and advanced imaging markers shows significant potential for ALS diagnosis and monitoring.
    • Techniques like DTI and TST offer sensitive detection of early disease changes.
    • Further validation is needed to establish these markers for routine clinical use in ALS management.