The Journal of neuroscience nursing : journal of the American Association of Neuroscience Nurses
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All neuroscience nurses must be able to evaluate different avenues to inform their practice and solve clinical problems. The three methodologies discussed in this article have particular strengths in certain situations and require different skill sets, time, and resources. ⋯ It can be difficult at times for the practitioners to identify the right method to answer clinical questions. The state of readiness for frontline staff to manage clinical problems with evidence-based practice and research must be advanced for the scientific knowledge employed by our profession to be visible in our clinical care.
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease, causes a progressive wasting and loss of the upper and lower motor neurons that facilitate the movement of body parts. At onset, ALS patients may show symptoms such as muscle weakness, atrophy, hyperreflexia, or bulbar symptoms such as dysphagia or dysarthria. Deterioration progresses rapidly, and the later stages of ALS are characterized by severely limited mobility and respiratory failure, which is the primary cause of death. ⋯ Drug therapy for ALS is currently limited to riluzole; however, patients may be treated with a number of nonpharmacologic methods on the basis of their symptoms. A number of other treatment modalities, such as stem-cell-based therapy or gene therapy, and an array of neuroprotective clinical trials are currently under development for the treatment of ALS. Nurses may also have a key role in these various ALS studies.