Reviewing the evidence for viruses as environmental risk factors for ALS: A new perspective

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a devastating neurodegenerative disease whose etiology remains poorly understood. Since the genetic basis of disease is known in only a small subset of cases, there has been substantial interest in determining whether environmental factors act as triggers of ALS. Viruses have received longstanding attention as potential ALS triggers. Yet, existing studies have not provided a compelling case for causation. This …