Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Recovery: A New Model System of Care Integrating Neuromuscular Rehabilitation With Clinical Stabilization in <scp>ALS</scp>
There is currently no consensus on how to define recovery for individuals with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Tofersen treatment for superoxide dismutase-1-related (SOD1) ALS marks a pivot in clinical management: for the first time, clinicians can target disease stabilization and functional recovery in some individuals. This advancement shifts the focus of ALS care toward optimizing functional recovery alongside symptomatic management. However, there are no evidence-based guidelines for prescribing neuromuscular rehabilitation (NMR) to improve functional recovery. Building on our preliminary single-center data of integrated NMR with tofersen, we propose a new ALS Recovery Model System of Care, utilizing a hub-and-spoke infrastructure to combine NMR with novel therapies. This model aims to define ALS recovery, characterize recovery profiles, standardize NMR protocols, and establish a rehabilitation framework adaptable to future disease-stabilizing therapies.
Authors
- Sam Smith (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-1488-7621)
- Timothy M. Miller (ORCID: https://orcid.org/0000-0002-3424-5511)
- Robert C. Bucelli
- Beth Hughes
Institutions
- Washington University in St. Louis (US)
Publication Details
- Journal
- Muscle & Nerve
- Published
- 2026-06-16
- DOI
- https://doi.org/10.1002/mus.70320
- Primary Topic
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Research
- Type
- article
- Field-Weighted Citation Impact
- 0.00