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Updated: May 5, 2026
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Clinical Testing and Spinal Cord Removal in a Mouse Model for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ALS
Published on: March 17, 2012
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Can lesions to the motor cortex induce amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?
Angela Rosenbohm1, Jan Kassubek, Patrick Weydt
1Department of Neurology, University of Ulm, Oberer Eselsberg 45, 89081, Ulm, Germany.
Journal of Neurology
|November 21, 2013
Summary
Motor cortex lesions may initiate amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) in some patients. Focal brain lesions preceding ALS onset were identified in 18 patients, often correlating with symptom location.
Area of Science:
- Neurology
- Neuroscience
- Pathology
Background:
- Recent staging of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) suggests TDP-43 neuropathology often begins focally in the motor cortex.
- Investigating the role of pre-existing motor cortex lesions in ALS pathogenesis is crucial.
Observation:
- A data bank search identified 1,835 patients with ALS.
- Eighteen patients with definite ALS had documented motor cortex lesions predating symptom onset by 8-42 years.
- In most cases (15/18), ALS onset correlated with the location of the focal lesion.
Findings:
- Focal motor cortex lesions can precede ALS onset by decades.
- The location of the initial lesion often corresponds to the body region where ALS symptoms first appear.
- These findings support a potential role for motor cortex lesions in ALS initiation.
Implications:
- Motor cortex lesions may be an initiating factor in a subset of ALS patients.
- Lesions could determine the specific site of ALS onset in predisposed individuals.
- This research offers new insights into the etiology and early pathogenesis of ALS.
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