Genetics of Familial and Sporadic ALS — ALS  

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Clinical Trial

Official title: Identification of Genes Causing Familial ALS or Increasing Risk for Sporadic ALS and ALS With Frontotemporal Dementia and Understanding Disease Mechanism.

Status Completed

Clinical Trial Summary

We are collecting blood samples, clinical and family information from ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) patients and their families to identify causes of ALS and ALS/dementia.

Clinical Trial Description

The investigators' long term goals are to improve diagnosis and develop effective treatments that arrest or ameliorate symptoms of ALS, and possibly delay or prevent disease onset in individuals at risk for developing familial ALS (FALS). In order to do this one must understand how disease develops at a molecular level. Identification of genes that increase risk for developing all types of ALS will reveal the pathways of molecular events that are involved in ALS.

The investigators are collecting blood samples, family and medical histories of patients with all types of ALS, (familial and sporadic, with and without frontotemporal dementia, and primary lateral sclerosis and particular family members. Samples are coded to maintain confidentiality. Travel is not necessary.

As well as seeking to identify new genes implicated in ALS, the investigators continue our study of families with known genetic mutations to more fully characterize that disease mechanism.

Linkage analysis and affected relative pair analysis will be used to identify causative FALS genes and disequilibrium analysis and association studies are being done for sporadic ALS.

Results from these studies will provide insight into the underlying disease mechanisms of ALS and provide targets for therapeutic interventions. ;

Related Conditions & MeSH terms

• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
• Aphasia, Primary Progressive
• Dementia
• Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
• Frontotemporal Dementia
• Lou Gehrig's Disease
• Motor Neuron Disease
• Pick Disease of the Brain
• Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS)
• Sclerosis

• NCT number: NCT00821132
• Study type: Observational
• Source: Northwestern University
• Status: Completed
• Start date: January 1991
• Completion date: January 2023