ALS has been a non-curable disease, but its disease-modifying therapy is emerging increasingly. There have been hundreds of promising therapeutic agents tested for its efficacy in animal models, but only few have been approved for humans with limited efficacy. As in Alzheimer's disease, it may not be possible to change its natural course if the regimen is started too late. To this end, the diagnosis of ALS should be made early, and more surviving motor neurons be tested for the efficacy of any agent. One of these criteria for early electrophysiological diagnosis is Awaji-criteria, and its has been shown that the diagnosis is made possible several months earlier compared with Airlie House-El Escorial criteria with similar specificity. Other disease-markers, especially for detecting upper motor neuron involvement, are now being explored. In this talk, the most updated information is reviewed on these measures for early diagnosis, which make it possible to start a potentially effective treatment for disease modification.

ALS has been a non-curable disease, but its disease-modifying therapy is emerging increasingly. There have been hundreds of promising therapeutic agents tested for its efficacy in animal models, but only few have been approved for humans with limited efficacy. As in Alzheimer's disease, it may not be possible to change its natural course if the regimen is started too late. To this end, the diagnosis of ALS should be made early, and more surviving motor neurons be tested for the efficacy of any agent. One of these criteria for early electrophysiological diagnosis is Awaji-criteria, and its has been shown that the diagnosis is made possible several months earlier compared with Airlie House-El Escorial criteria with similar specificity. Other disease-markers, especially for detecting upper motor neuron involvement, are now being explored. In this talk, the most updated information is reviewed on these measures for early diagnosis, which make it possible to start a potentially effective treatment for disease modification.

ALS has been a non-curable disease, but its disease-modifying therapy is emerging increasingly. There have been hundreds of promising therapeutic agents tested for its efficacy in animal models, but only few have been approved for humans with limited efficacy. As in Alzheimer's disease, it may not be possible to change its natural course if the regimen is started too late. To this end, the diagnosis of ALS should be made early, and more surviving motor neurons be tested for the efficacy of any agent. One of these criteria for early electrophysiological diagnosis is Awaji-criteria, and its has been shown that the diagnosis is made possible several months earlier compared with Airlie House-El Escorial criteria with similar specificity. Other disease-markers, especially for detecting upper motor neuron involvement, are now being explored. In this talk, the most updated information is reviewed on these measures for early diagnosis, which make it possible to start a potentially effective treatment for disease modification.

ALS has been a non-curable disease, but its disease-modifying therapy is emerging increasingly. There have been hundreds of promising therapeutic agents tested for its efficacy in animal models, but only few have been approved for humans with limited efficacy. As in Alzheimer's disease, it may not be possible to change its natural course if the regimen is started too late. To this end, the diagnosis of ALS should be made early, and more surviving motor neurons be tested for the efficacy of any agent. One of these criteria for early electrophysiological diagnosis is Awaji-criteria, and its has been shown that the diagnosis is made possible several months earlier compared with Airlie House-El Escorial criteria with similar specificity. Other disease-markers, especially for detecting upper motor neuron involvement, are now being explored. In this talk, the most updated information is reviewed on these measures for early diagnosis, which make it possible to start a potentially effective treatment for disease modification.