Related Experiment Video
Updated: Jul 11, 2026

Real-Time Fluorescent Measurement of Synaptic Functions in Models of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Published on: July 16, 2021
Genetics of sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
J C Schymick1, K Talbot, B J Traynor
1Department of Physiology, Anatomy and Genetics, University of Oxford, Oxford OX1 3QX, UK.
Abstract:
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease characterized clinically by rapidly progressive paralysis leading ultimately to death from respiratory failure. There is substantial evidence suggesting that ALS is a heritable disease, and a number of genes have been identified as being causative in familial ALS. In contrast, the genetics of the much commoner sporadic form of the disease is poorly understood and no single gene has been definitively shown to increase the risk of developing ALS. In this review, we discuss the genetic evidence for each candidate gene that has been putatively associated with increased risk of sporadic ALS. We also review whole genome association studies of ALS and discuss the potential of this methodology for identifying genes relevant to motor neuron degeneration.
Related Concept Videos
Parkinson Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Alzheimer Disease l: Introduction
Parkinson Disease l: Introduction
Alzheimer Disease ll: Pathophysiology
Amyloid Fibrils
Amyloid deposits were observed as early as 1639 in the liver and the spleen. In 1854, Rudolph Virchow performed iodine staining, normally used to...
Human Genetics
The complex relationship between genetics and psychology is observable through common biological components such...

