As May is the national awareness month for both amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and Huntington’s disease (HD), the American Neurological Association is highlighting recent research on these conditions that has appeared in its publications: the Annals of Neurology and the Annals of Clinical and Translational Neurology.

About ALS

According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS), ALS is a group of rare neurological diseases that mainly involve the neurons responsible for controlling voluntary muscle movement. Voluntary muscles produce movements like chewing, walking, and talking. The disease is progressive, and there is no cure for ALS and no effective treatment to halt or reverse the progression of the disease. In 2016, the Centers for Disease Control and Prevention estimated that between 14,000–15,000 Americans had ALS. The disease affects men and women of all races and ethnic backgrounds but is more common in caucasians. Symptoms most commonly develop between ages 55–75.

ALS highlighted articles:

High-frequency motor rehabilitation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a randomized clinical trial

Smoking and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: A mendelian randomization study

Shared polygenic risk and causal inferences in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Eating peptides: biomarkers of neurodegeneration in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia

Functional magnetic resonance imaging of human motor unit fasciculation in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Pilot trial of inosine to elevate urate levels in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

About HD

According to NINDS, HD is an inherited disorder that causes brain cells (neurons) to die in various areas of the brain, including those that help to control voluntary movement. Symptoms of the disease, which gets progressively worse, include uncontrolled movements; abnormal body postures; and changes in behavior, emotion, judgment, and cognition. People with HD also develop impaired coordination, slurred speech, and difficulty feeding and swallowing. HD typically begins between ages 30 and 50. An earlier onset form, called juvenile HD, occurs under age 20. More than 30,000 Americans are affected by HD.

HD highlighted articles:

Cerebellar degeneration correlates with motor symptoms in Huntington disease

DNA damage signatures in peripheral blood cells as biomarkers in prodromal Huntington’s disease

In vivo characterization of white matter pathology in premanifest Huntington's disease

An image-based model of brain volume biomarker changes in Huntington's disease

Predicting clinical diagnosis in Huntington's disease: An imaging polymarker

Xeroderma pigmentosum is a definite cause of Huntington's disease-like syndrome