Pathogenesis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a critical review.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease with unknown pathogenesis. It is a relatively common disorder of adults (2-4 per 100,000 incidence) and leads to death from respiratory failure. There is no cure at this time, and available treatment and management can at best extend survival to a modest degree. Increasing our understanding of the pathogenesis of this disease is essential to the development of more effective treatments. The level of research interest is very high, and yearly reviews of the literature are helpful in assessing progress.