The amyotrophic lateral sclerosis center: A model of multidisciplinary management

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), a progressive motor neuron disorder, is a devastating disease that poses myriad clinical problems. Patients with ALS are best cared for in a multidisciplinary fashion with the involvement of a variety of clinicians, including neurologists, physical medicine and rehabilitation specialists, pulmonary medicine specialists, clinical nurse specialists or nurse practitioners, physical and occupational therapists, speech-language pathologists, dieticians, psychologists, social workers, and case managers. This article provides a summary of the current research into the etiology of ALS and then outlines the diagnostic evaluation and rehabilitative management of ALS in the context of a multidisciplinary ALS center approach.