Miyata M, Kakeda S, Hashimoto T, et al. - Via a retrospective study of 15 amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) individuals and 16 controls, researchers assessed if facial nerve (FN) measurement on 3D fast imaging using steady-state acquisition (FIESTA) was beneficial for ALS diagnosis. For ALS patients vs controls, the mean FN/cochlear nerve ratio (FCR) was significantly smaller and the area under the curve was 0.93. For distinguishing ALS patients from controls, the sensitivity and specificity values of FIESTA were 93.3% and 90.0%, respectively, when an FN score was 3 or 4, indicative of FN atrophy. The FN atrophy exhibited on FIESTA, which may highlight lower motor neuron impairment in ALS, allowed researchers to differentiate ALS patients from controls with great accuracy.