MetaFilter posts tagged with ALS

Lytico-Bodig, the mysterious killer of Guam

Joe in Australia — Mon, 16 Nov 2009 20:06:31 -0800

Can an obscure disease from Guam explain the explain the appearance of neurological disorders near Marscoma Lake in New Hampshire? The only people thought to contract Lytico-Bodig were Chamorros born before 1961 and related or married to particular familes living near the village of Umatac in Guam. It was theorised that it came from eating cycad seeds, but why were there no documented cases before the 1900s, and why are there no new cases on the island today? The popular author and neurologist Oliver Sacks visited the island and has continued to study the disease. He suggests that the cause is biomagnification of a toxin produced by cyanobacteria and concentrated twice - first by the cycads, and a second time in the flesh of the fruit bats. There are no new cases, he says, because the fruit bats have been nearly hunted to extinction.

EyeWriter Initiative

brundlefly — Fri, 13 Nov 2009 14:32:53 -0800

"The EyeWriter project is an ongoing collaborative research effort to empower people, who are suffering from ALS, with creative technologies." From the site:

Members of Free Art and Technology (FAT), OpenFrameworks, the Graffiti Research Lab, and The Ebeling Group communities have teamed-up with a legendary LA graffiti writer, publisher and activist, named Tony Quan, aka TEMPTONE. Tony was diagnosed with ALS in 2003, a disease which has left him almost completely physically paralyzed… except for his eyes. This international team is working together to create a low-cost, open source eye-tracking system that will allow ALS patients to draw using just their eyes. The long-term goal is to create a professional/social network of software developers, hardware hackers, urban projection artists and ALS patients from around the world who are using local materials and open source research to creatively connect and make eye art.

Stem Cell Breakthrough

homunculus — Fri, 01 Aug 2008 20:32:15 -0800

Scientists report a breakthrough in stem cell production: Stem cells created from ALS patient and used to make neurons. [Via]

Slow Death Captured on a Blog

otherwordlyglow — Mon, 25 Feb 2008 16:34:22 -0800

Slow Death Captured on a Blog. Brian Hill died February 2, 2008 after living with and blogging about his experiences with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. A similar story, previously. He was diagnosed with ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, on Jan. 13, 2004. Readers of his blog discovered a rare personal account that chronicled one man's eloquent journey through the maelstrom of an incurable and fatal disease.

Proceeds to benefit the Patrick O'Brien Foundation

Ambrosia Voyeur — Sun, 12 Aug 2007 20:24:57 -0800

3D design artist and Filmmaker, father-to-be and fan of long titles extraordinaire, Transfatty, aka Patrick O'Brien (dir. The Man With The Smallest Penis In Existence And The Electron Microscope Technician Who Loved Him, previously) will debut his new DVD, Everything Will Be Okay, or How I Learned to Trancend Form, Live in the Now and Make Love in my Electric Wheelchair, tomorrow in NYC. The DVD is clips from his forthcoming film, October 5, 1974, his ongoing personal documentary about his journey to the end with ALS.

ALS

Cancergiggles — Tue, 07 Dec 2004 02:29:46 -0800

Think you've got a problem? Then discover how you should pick your nose with a fish fork. Some guys really don't get all the luck. Not when they bleed to death from eating blueberries.