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.
dementia
A general term for the loss of loss of cognitive functioning–the ability to remember, think or make decisions.
diagnostic biomarker
A diagnostic biomarker detects or confirms the presence of a disease or condition, or identifies an individual with a subtype of the disease.
druggability
A term used in drug discovery to describe the likelihood that a drug will be able to adjust a biological target (such as a protein).
dysarthria
Weakness of the muscles used for speaking. Can cause slurred or slow speech, making it difficult to communicate with others.
dysphagia
The inability to swallow.
Dystonia
A long, enduring spasm within a particular muscle group.
