Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: New ideas from cancer

摘要

In the past 20 years, findings of epidemiological studies have substantially changed ideas about the incidence and phenotype of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that were previously based on data from tertiary centres. In 2010, Logroscino and colleagues1 reported that like the two other major neurodegenerative diseases, Alzheimer's disease and Parkinson's disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is age dependent, with peak incidence in people aged 70-80 years, and a flattening age-adjusted incidence curve thereafter. Phukan and colleagues2 reported a much broader disease phenotype than previously described and non-motor features (cognitive and behavioural) that affect prognosis.