Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease of motor neurons that results in relentlessly progressive paralysis and, ultimately, death. Considerable progress has been made in elucidating the genetic causes of ALS, but the contribution of environmental factors has been more difficult to determine. Al-Chalabi and Hardiman outline the current state of knowledge regarding the environmental and genetic epidemiology of ALS, and propose a disease model in which environmental risks and time act on a pre-existing genetic load.
- Ammar Al-Chalabi
- Orla Hardiman
