The concept, definition, and diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS) currently present some problems. This article systematically reviews the literature on the history, current concepts, definition, and diagno...The concept, definition, and diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS) currently present some problems. This article systematically reviews the literature on the history, current concepts, definition, and diagnosis of ALS, and discloses the present problems based on the retrieved literature and the authors' clinical experience. The current concepts and definitions of ALS have not yet been unified or standardized in clinical practice, and are sometimes vague or inaccurate, which can cause difficulties for neurologists in the clinical treatment of ALS. The concept and definition of ALS need to be further ascertained, and the current diagnostic criteria for ALS require further development. The identification of effective and objective biomarkers may be a feasible method for the early and accurate diagnosis of ALS. Therefore, future research should focus on the identification of reliable biomarkers—especially neuroimaging biomarkers—through autopsy. Standardizing the concept and definition of ALS and formulating clear diagnostic criteria will largely avoid many uncertainties in the future clinical research and treatment of ALS, which will greatly benefit patients.展开更多
基金supported by the National Natural Science Foundation of China,No.30560042,81160161 and 81360198(all to RSX)grants from the Education Department of Jiangxi Province,No.GJJ13198 and GJJ170021(both to RSX)+3 种基金grants from Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology,No.2014-47,20142BBG70062,and 20171BAB215022(all to RSX)a grant from Health and Family Planning Commission of Jiangxi Province,No.20181019(to RSX)a grant from Jiangxi Provincial Department of Science and Technology Gan Po Elite 555,No.2015108(to RSX)the Innovation Fund Designated for Graduate Students of Jiangxi Province,No.YC2016-B027 and YC2015-S097(both to RSX)。
文摘The concept, definition, and diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis(ALS) currently present some problems. This article systematically reviews the literature on the history, current concepts, definition, and diagnosis of ALS, and discloses the present problems based on the retrieved literature and the authors' clinical experience. The current concepts and definitions of ALS have not yet been unified or standardized in clinical practice, and are sometimes vague or inaccurate, which can cause difficulties for neurologists in the clinical treatment of ALS. The concept and definition of ALS need to be further ascertained, and the current diagnostic criteria for ALS require further development. The identification of effective and objective biomarkers may be a feasible method for the early and accurate diagnosis of ALS. Therefore, future research should focus on the identification of reliable biomarkers—especially neuroimaging biomarkers—through autopsy. Standardizing the concept and definition of ALS and formulating clear diagnostic criteria will largely avoid many uncertainties in the future clinical research and treatment of ALS, which will greatly benefit patients.
