Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in the central nervous system that impacts the brain and spinal cord, resulting in a loss of muscle control.
It is colloquially referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, after the famous baseball player who battled it in the late 1930s, and does not yet have a cure. To better understand the language of ALS, the ALS Glossary below provides definitions for research terms commonly used by our Innovation Ecosystem and the extended ALS community.
nerve conduction velocity (NCV) tests
Also called a nerve conduction study (NCS), a test that measures how fast an electrical impulse moves through a nerve to assess nerve damage
neurodegenerative disease
An array of disorders that affect the brain cells and lead to progressive degeneration of the structure and function of the nervous system. Common neurodegenerative diseases include ALS, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease.
neuroimmune disorders
A group of disorders where the immune system mistakenly attacks parts of the central nervous system. These disorders include multiple sclerosis, neuromyelitis optica and transverse myelitis. ALS researchers are exploring the ways neuroimmune disorders interact.
neuroimmunology
The study of the interactions of the immune and nervous system.
neurology
The area of medicine that diagnoses diseases and treats disorders of the nervous system.
neuroregeneration
The regrowth or repair of any part of the nervous system.
neuroscience
The study of the nervous system and its disorders.
new candidate therapeutic targets
A recently identified gene, protein, or pathway that is associated with a disease, and treatments to modulate them may be beneficial to fight disease.
