[Comment] What if you knew the prognosis of your patients with ALS?

More than 60 years ago, Karl Jaspers1 stated that when patients plead for the truth, most of them just want assurance. Forbes Norris, one of the most respected American experts on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), used to tell his patients: “I think you have ALS, but I might be wrong”. His intention was to try to convey some uncertainty regarding the diagnosis, which could provide hope for some patients. After so many years, have we made any progress in relaying diagnoses and prognoses to patients with ALS? In The Lancet Neurology, a research team led by Leonard van den Berg and colleagues now reports on a comprehensive model developed to provide estimates of prognosis for individual patients with ALS.

Source: Lancet Neurology - March 26, 2018 Category: Neurology Authors: Hiroshi Mitsumoto Tags: Comment Source Type: research