A study identified cognitive and behavioral subtypes in non-demented ALS
Original source
Neuropsychological Sub-Phenotypes in Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. (opens in a new tab)Compass summarised this from the study's abstract.
Study details
- Studied in
- Human
Researchers used Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen data from 901 non-demented people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) to classify cognitive and behavioral patterns. Mild cognitive impairment was found in 39% of participants, mild behavioral impairment in 37%, and both in 16%. The authors described the classification as provisional and said it needs further validation.
Why this matters
The proposed subtypes could provide a framework for describing cognitive and behavioral differences in non-demented people with ALS in research and, potentially, clinical settings. This study does not establish a new treatment or show that using these categories improves care.
Limitations and context
This was a retrospective review based on Edinburgh Cognitive and Behavioral ALS Screen data. The classification is provisional and requires further validation before its clinical usefulness is clear.