Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a disease that leads to complete loss of control of muscle movement, paralysis and death within two to five years of diagnosis.
There is no cure, and only one drug on the market can slightly extend the lives of people with ALS.
In an effort to find a cure, the ALS Association has announced that it will fund $655,855 in clinical management grants. The four grants will be used on projects aimed at closing gaps in ALS clinical care.
One of the grants will amount to $199,984, awarded over two years, and will be given for a project that defines and addresses the needs of caregivers for ALS patients. Another, for $58,320 over two years, will be awarded to a project that includes telehealth as an ALS management tool. The third, for $200,000 over two years, will fund a project that combines inspiratory and expiratory respiratory training in ALS care. The last will be $197,551 over two years for a project that explores brain-computer interface communication.
Additionally, the organization will fund one $100,000 grant to be awarded for a data collection project. This grant, the TREAT ALS Clinical Management Grant, will be awarded over nine months and will fund a project aimed at improving care for ALS patients. Its focus will be clinical, psychological and social management of ALS.
Projects considered will include those that address gaps in care delivery, telemedicine in ALS care, psychological interventions for ALS patients and nutrition and respiratory interventions.
