ABSTRACT
Despite the explosion of research interest in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and the numerous clinical trials that have been conducted over the last decade, clinicians treating ALS still have only one United States Food and Drug Administration (FDA) approved drug, riluzole, that marginally slows disease progression. At the present time, aggressive rehabilitation and symptom management, which includes management of respiratory failure and dysphagia, can prolong the life of the patient with ALS longer than any currently available pharmacologic interventions (1-6). As researchers develop additional drugs that slow disease progression in ALS, life expectancy will increase and rehabilitation will become even more important.
