Can a new test help those at risk to develop ALS? Elizabeth Tracey reports

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A new test may identify ALS up to a decade before symptoms appear, research by Alex Pantelyat, a movement disorders expert at Johns Hopkins, and colleagues has shown. Pantelyat says there are certain groups of people who may benefit from testing.

Pantelyat: As with all complex diseases it's genetic, gene environment interplay that we haven't fully unraveled. People who have known environmental exposures particularly to these mitochondrial toxins that are in all manner of pesticides, that would make sense for them to be screened, especially if there's a family history of some neurodegenerative disease. That's why we need a commercially, CLIA lab approved panel that's easy enough for a neurologist or maybe even a primary care clinician at some point to order if there is a suspicion of this kind of illness.             :33

CLIA lab certification is a rigorous process to ensure strict testing standards. At Johns Hopkins, I’m Elizabeth Tracey.