Clinical Characteristics, Natural History, Health Care Measures, and Genetic Screening in Patients With ALS

Patients with sporadic ALS (sALS), which refers to those without a family history of ALS, are typically not subjected to genetic investigations as part of their standard care. Therefore, their mutation status is often unknown. Even patients with familial ALS (fALS), who have a known family history of ALS, are not regularly screened for genetic mutations. This project aims to study a large group of ALS patients, examining their family history, clinical characteristics, healthcare measures, and genetic variants in ALS's most commonly mutated genes: SOD1, C9orf72, FUS, and TARDBP. Examining genetically distinct ALS cohorts is significant, as understanding the relationship between genotype and disease progression is essential in determining the therapeutic potential of future genetic therapies.