Etiology and progression of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: an epidemiological analysis of environmental risk factors

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating disease with fatal outcomes usually within a few years following diagnosis. The progressive degeneration of the nerve cells responsible for muscle movement leads to muscle wasting and paralysis, and eventually restricts breathing. The cause of ALS is unknown and probably includes a number of external factors.

There is a relative lack of very large-scale studies with data on potential risk factors collected before ALS occurs. This project aims to assess data from the entire population of Canada to examine the effect of external factors such as military service, trauma, and medication use on the risk of:

1. developing ALS
2. progression of ALS

Ultimately, this research could aid in designing effective disease prevention efforts and treatment strategies.