Trends in the diagnostic delay and pathway for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis patients across different countries.

ABSTRACT:

Background

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a rapidly progressive neurodegenerative disease with a median survival of 2-5 years. An early diagnosis is essential for providing ALS patients the finest management possible. Studies from different countries report a similar median diagnostic delay of around 12 months, which is still far from desirable. We analyzed the diagnostic pathway in different countries in order to identify the major challenges.

Methods

We studied a cohort of 1,405 ALS patients from five different centers, in four different countries (Turkey, Germany, Poland, and Portugal), which collaborated in a common database. Demographic, disease and sociocultural factors were collected. Time from first symptom onset to first medical evaluation and to diagnosis,

SUBMITTER: Falcao de Campos C 

PROVIDER: S-EPMC9886675 | biostudies-literature | 2022

REPOSITORIES: biostudies-literature