BiPAP
An acronym for "Bilevel Positive Airway Pressure", a non-invasive breathing device which provides two levels of pressure: one for inhalation (IPAP) and a lower pressure during exhalation (EPAP). It is used to help people with breathing difficulties including sleep apnea, particularly at night.
Bulbar
The "bulbar region" means the mouth/throat region. It is named because the muscles in this area are innervated by the corticobulbar tract which originates in the surface of the brain (cortex) and descends through the brainstem (known historically as the "bulb").
Symptoms in the bulbar region can affect speech and swallowing and are often diagnosed either by a neurologist or a speech and language pathologist/therapist.
CALS
Caregiver for someone with ALS
CareTeam
CareTeam members are people you invite to join the community such as caregivers, doctors, therapists, and friends who help you manage your disease.
CPAP
An acronym for "Continuous Positive Airway Pressure", a non-invasive machine which helps people with breathing difficulties such as sleep apnoea, particularly at night.
CR
An abbreviation at the end of a drug name that means "Controlled Release" or "Continuous Release". Examples include Sinemet CR, a drug used in Parkinson's that releases its active substance over a longer time period than the standard pill.
CT
Computed Topography, or CAT Scan. A noninvasive, painless medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
CT (or CAT scan)
Computed Topography, or CAT Scan. A noninvasive medical test that helps physicians diagnose and treat medical conditions.
EMG
Electromyography. A technique for evaluating and recording physiologic properties of muscles at rest and while contracting.
U.S. Food and Drug Administration (FDA) is the federal agency responsible for ensuring that foods are safe, wholesome and sanitary; human and veterinary drugs, biological products, and medical devices are safe and effective; cosmetics are safe; and electronic products that emit radiation are safe. FDA also ensures that these products are honestly, accurately and informatively represented to the public. For more information about the FDA go to http://www.fda.gov/default.htm
Footdrop
Impaired or absent voluntary dorsiflexion of the foot. The normal heel-toe pattern of walking is disturbed, causing the toes to touch the ground before the heel, resulting in tripping and loss of balance.
FRS
Functional Rating Scale. A self-report version of the ALS functional rating scale
FVC
Forced Vital Capacity. A measure of breathing function
GERD
Gastoresophageal Reflux Disease
IViG
IViG is an acronym for "Intravenous Immunoglobulin", a drug used in the treatment of immune conditions such as multifocal motor neuropathy or myaesthenia gravis. It is sometimes used during the diagnostic process of ALS in order to rule out mimic conditions.
LP
Lumbar puncture - a diagnostic and at times therapeutic procedure that is performed in order to collect a sample of cerebrospinal fluid
MAOI
MonoAmine Oxidase Inhibitor. A type of antidepressant drug which prevents the breakdown of dopamine. It is also used in Parkinson's disease as the drug selegiline, where in combination with an L-dopa containing drug such as Sinemet, it helps boost the latter's efficacy.
MRI
Magnetic Resonance Imagery A medical imaging technique primarily used in Radiology to visualize the structure and function of the body. It provides detailed images of the body in any plane.
NCS
Nerve Conduction Study. A test commonly used to evaluate the function, especially the ability of electrical conduction, of the motor and sensory nerves of the human body.
NGT
NGT or "NG Tube" is short for "Naso-Gastric Tube", a narrow tube which is threaded through the nostril, down the throat, and into the stomach to allow tube feeding for short periods. Longer-term feeding options include PEG or RIG, which involve insertion of a feeding tube directly into the stomach.
NIV
An acronym for "Non-Invasive Ventilation"; a machine which can be used to help people with breathing difficulties using a mask rather than a surgical procedure (tracheotomy).
ON (Optic neuritis)
Optic neuritis can be a symptom of MS. It is an inflammation of the optic nerve; it is classified as either intraocular, affecting the part of the nerve within the eyeball, or retrobulbar, affecting the portion behind the eyeball.
PEG
An acronym for "Percutaneous Endoscopic Gastrostomy", a surgical procedure to insert a feeding tube into the stomach by means of a tube inserted down the throat (endoscope) to guide the surgeon.
Phase I
Phase I trials are the first part of a medical trial to use human subjects, as opposed to animals in the pre-clinical stage. This phase includes trials designed to assess the safety (pharmacovigilance), tolerability, pharmacokinetics, and pharmacodynamics of a drug and is not intended to test whether the drug does what it's supposed to do. Most Phase I trials take place in healthy volunteers as opposed to people with the condition to be treated.
Phase II
Phase II clinical trials are the first stage of drug development designed to test efficacy and tolerability in patients and at the dosage at which the drug will probably be used clinically. Most drugs that fail clinical trials do so at this stage, usually due to toxicity or adverse events.
Phase III
Phase III clinical trials are the large, expensive studies used to determine a drug's efficacy compared either to an inert (but identical-looking) pill called a placebo. Because the expectations of doctors and patients can affect outcomes, both are "blinded" as to whether each participant is receiving the drug or the placebo. Outcome measures vary according to the nature of the disease but may include survival, functional outcome, and/or quality of life.
RIG
An acronym for "Radiologically Inserted Gastrostomy", a procedure whereby the stomach is inflated with air whilst a surgeon inserts the feeding tube whilst using a radiological camera to ensure proper placement. RIG is a newer technique than the older PEG system and can be performed quickly and with only local anaesthetic.
SOD1
Superoxide dismutase or "SOD1" is an enzyme which clears up free radicals in cells. A small number of patients with ALS (~2%) have a mutation in the part of their DNA that encodes for SOD1, thought to be the cause of their ALS. The most widely used animal model of ALS relies upon mice who do not have the ability to produce SOD1.
SR
Sustained Release. A formulation of a tablet which releases its active agent slower than the normal pill. Examples include Effexor SR (an antidepressant).
SSRI
Serotonin Specific Reuptake Inhibitor; a class of antidepressant drug which maintains higher levels of the mood-affecting neurotransmitter serotonin. Examples of SSRI's include paroxetine (Seroxat) and Fluoxetine (Prozac). This class of antidepressants is used in the treatment of depression, anxiety disorders, and some personality disorders. More information available at Wikipedia.
Stars
Profile stars refer to Community Leadership Ratings, and are explained in some detail here.
Stickman
Your patient representation or icon that appears in your profile and on forum posts