Motor Neuron Disease News and Research

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Occupational pesticide exposure may significantly increase ALS risk

Workplace exposure to pesticides (herbicides and insecticides) is linked to a 60-70% heightened risk of the most common form of motor neuron disease-amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS for short, finds a synthesis of the available evidence, published online in Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

4 Aug 2026

Advancing Motor Neuron Disease Diagnosis with Non-Invasive Ultrasound and AI

Research led by Professor Hodson-Tole combines ultrasound and AI to improve motor neuron disease diagnosis, reducing reliance on invasive procedures.

6 Jul 2026

New viral model triggers Parkinson's symptoms without using toxins

Scientists usually use animal models when studying Parkinson's disease because these models mimic the disease well.

29 Jun 2026

U-M Health neurosurgeons complete first human implant of wireless brain computer interface

Neurosurgeons at University of Michigan Health completed the first-in-human implant of a Paradromics Inc., wireless brain-computer interface, or BCI, as part of a national clinical trial for patients with difficulty speaking.

17 Jun 2026

Study reveals different factors driving rising neurological disease rates

The growing number of people living with Parkinson's disease (PD), multiple sclerosis (MS) and motor neuron disease (MND) is being driven by different underlying factors, according to new research due to be presented at the European Academy of Neurology (EAN) Congress 2026 and published in Neurology.

15 Jun 2026

NHS pathology staff face unsafe formaldehyde exposure levels

Routine exposure to harmful levels of the human tissue preservative formaldehyde are risking the health of thousands of NHS staff working in pathology departments across the UK, due to poor monitoring and control, finds an analysis of Freedom of Information (FOI) requests, published online in the journal Occupational & Environmental Medicine.

9 Jun 2026

Advancing Human Muscle Models for Drug Development and Preclinical Testing

Transforming drug development, Myomaker Bio's lab-grown muscle platforms offer human-relevant models for effective preclinical testing and risk reduction.

From Myomaker Bio 2 Jun 2026

Lab-grown corticospinal neurons offer new models for ALS and spinal injuries

Researchers have developed a way to grow a highly specialized subset of brain nerve cells that are involved in motor neuron disease and damaged in spinal injuries.

29 Jan 2026

New evidence shows Parkinson’s spreads via immune cells from the gut

New research reveals how Parkinson's spreads from the gut to the brain, with the help of immune cells – offering a new potential therapeutic strategy – in a study in mice led by scientists at the UK Dementia Research Institute at UCL (University College London).

29 Jan 2026

Long-term air pollution exposure raises motor neuron disease risk

Long-term exposure to ambient air pollution was associated with a higher risk of developing motor neuron disease and poorer prognosis after diagnosis in a large nationwide Swedish study. Higher particulate matter and nitrogen dioxide exposure were also linked to faster functional decline and increased likelihood of invasive ventilation.

21 Jan 2026

Prolonged exposure to air pollution linked to elevated risk for ALS

Prolonged exposure to air pollution can be linked to an elevated risk for serious neurodegenerative diseases like ALS and seems to speed up the pathological process, report researchers from Karolinska Institutet in Sweden.

20 Jan 2026

Wearable device enables natural speech in stroke patients with dysarthria

Researchers have developed a wearable, comfortable and washable device called Revoice that could help people regain the ability to communicate naturally and fluently following a stroke, without the need for invasive brain implants.

19 Jan 2026

Enhancing ALS diagnosis with dual blood biomarkers

Despite modern imaging and genetic testing, diagnosing amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) remains challenging, particularly when distinguishing it from clinically similar neurodegenerative disorders.

29 Oct 2025

New European trial tests subcutaneous EEG technology for people with epilepsy

A new clinical trial co-led by researchers at FutureNeuro and RCSI University of Medicine and Health Sciences is investigating how advanced brain monitoring could improve the diagnosis and management of epilepsy.

16 Oct 2025

Blocking brain damage may slow aggressive glioblastoma growth

Blocking brain damage triggered by a glioblastoma, an aggressive brain cancer, may slow the growth of the cancer and allow the brain to keep working better for longer, according to a new study led by UCL (University College London) researchers.

20 Aug 2025

Lifestyle choices and irregular sleep patterns drive weekend spike in OSA severity

Late nights, alcohol, and smoking on weekends may be doing more than disrupting your Monday mornings, they could be triggering a newly identified sleep health concern known as 'social apnea', warn researchers from Flinders University.

13 Aug 2025

New study identifies effective blood tests for ALS diagnosis and monitoring

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, can sometimes be difficult to diagnose or to predict how quickly the disease is likely to progress. A new study helps determine which blood tests are best at identifying and monitoring ALS.

26 Feb 2025

Researchers develop new approach to effectively deliver therapeutics into the brain

Researchers at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai have developed an innovative approach - demonstrated in mouse models and isolated human brain tissue - to safely and effectively deliver therapeutics into the brain, providing new possibilities for treating a wide range of neurological and psychiatric diseases.

25 Nov 2024

UCL scientists receive £78 million funding boost to develop treatment for motor neurone disease

A funding boost of more than £78 million will help UCL scientists working to develop a potential treatment for motor neurone disease, for which there is currently no cure and which affects 5,000 people each year in the UK.

14 Nov 2024

New drug shows promise for motor neurone disease treatment

A pioneering study published in the International Journal of Molecular Sciences by researchers at Durham University has revealed promising results for a new treatment targeting motor neurone disease (MND).

22 Oct 2024