Measurement of isometric muscle strength: a reproducibility study of maximal voluntary contraction in normal subjects and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a degenerative disease of unknown cause, resulting in the progressive loss of voluntary motor activity. Traditional methods of evaluating patients with ALS (neurologic assessment, manual muscle testing and rating scales) involve subjective elements and lack the sensitivity needed to detect small but meaningful changes in deterioration and therapeutic efficacy. This paper presents a recently developed strength measurement instrument, useful for the long-term monitoring of muscle strength deterioration in ALS.

The natural history and the effects of gabapentin in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.

Glutamate excitotoxicity seems to play an important role in the aetiopathogenesis and progression of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Gabapentin is a modulator of the glutamatergic system and has been shown to prolong survival in the transgenic model of familial ALS. It has also been demonstrated to slow the decline of arm strength in human sporadic cases.