Lumbar punctures are safe in patients with ALS and have a risk profile similar to that in the non-ALS population.

Introduction/aims: Analysis of biofluids, especially cerebrospinal fluid (CSF), is critically important for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) research. Collection of CSF is typically performed by lumbar puncture (LP). Previous studies have demonstrated the safety of LPs in patients with other neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, although there are no published studies of the safety of LPs in patients with ALS.