Genetics of Familial and Sporadic ALS

Northwestern University

Status: Completed

Conditions: Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS); Familial Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis; Motor Neuron Disease (MND); Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS); ALS With Frontotemporal Dementia (ALS/FTD); Sporadic ALS (SALS); Lou Gehrig's Disease

Treatments: Other: Genetic study of ALS families

Study type: Observational

Funder types: Other

Identifiers

NCT00821132

Lab01

RO1N505641-04 (Other Identifier)

Details and patient eligibility

About

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.

Full 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.

Enrollment: 13,521 patients

Sex: All

Ages: 18+ years old

Volunteers: Accepts Healthy Volunteers

Inclusion criteria

• Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS and frontotemporal dementia
• Selected family members, generally brothers and sisters of an ALS patient, the patient's parents

Exclusion criteria

• Under 18 years old

Trial design

13,521 participants in 1 patient group

ALS families

Description:

Patients with either inherited or sporadic ALS or PLS and selected family members

Treatment:

Other: Genetic study of ALS families