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Target ALS

A New York based ALS research organization that's leading the fight for a cure.

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Glossary

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, more commonly known as ALS, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease in the central nervous system that impacts the brain and spinal cord, resulting in a loss of muscle control.

It is colloquially referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, after the famous baseball player who battled it in the late 1930s, and does not yet have a cure. To better understand the language of ALS, the ALS Glossary below provides definitions for research terms commonly used by our Innovation Ecosystem and the extended ALS community.

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Bell's palsy

Temporary paralysis of facial muscles that causes one side of the face to droop. Occurs after a condition (usually a virus) causes inflammation and swelling of the nerve that controls facial muscles. Most people with Bell's palsy recover without treatment.

Biomarker

A substance, biological structure, or biological process that can be measured in the body that informs and/or predicts the incidence and/or outcome of disease. It may also inform on whether a therapy is working. Three types of biomarkers: diagnostic, prognostic, and pharmacodynamic. Current ALS research–including that funded by Target ALS–is focused on biomarker discovery.

blink rate

The number of times an eyelid automatically closes–typically between 10 and 30 times a minute.

brisk reflex

Quicker or above-average responses to tendon reflex tests.

bulbar onset ALS

ALS cases in which the initial symptoms involve difficulty in speaking or swallowing.

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