The National Institutes of Health announced a five-year, $25 million investment in a new program aimed at incentivizing additional research on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that has no cure. It affects the motor neurons in the spinal cord that control voluntary muscles, eventually paralyzing these muscles including those used for speech.
This new program promoting ALS research is especially encouraging as researchers strive to better understand and find a cure for this debilitating and devastating disease. While there is currently no cure for ALS, there are FDA-approved drugs that can help prolong the lives of those diagnosed with the disease.
Learn More About NIH ALS Initiatives
Accessibility Services, Inc (ASI) actively monitors ALS research. We are continually evolving our custom environmental control unit/ALS communication device known as the autonoME to meet the changing and growing demands of our customers. ALS assistive technology such as the autonoME improves quality of life thanks to its environmental control and augmentative and alternative communication capabilities. The voice assistive technology features of the autonoME are particularly impressive because they allow individuals in the early stages of disease to “bank” their voice. When they lose their ability to speak, the autonoME allows them to communicate using their own voice and unique expressions, sayings and tones.
If you or a loved one has been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, there is hope. The same assistive technology for quadriplegics has also proven successful with helping individuals with ALS control their environment and communicate with loved ones and friends. Give us a call to learn more about the autonoME today!
