Neuromuscular and ALS Center Overview
The Rutgers Health Neuromuscular and ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) Center is a Certified Treatment Center of Excellence by the ALS Association. The center provides diagnosis and treatment for many conditions affecting muscles and peripheral nerves, including:
- Autonomic neuropathy
- Carpal tunnel syndrome
- Diabetic neuropathy
- Guillain-Barre
- Inflammatory neuropathies
- Inherited neuropathies
- Muscular dystrophies
- Myasthenia gravis
- Small fiber neuropathy
The center includes leading-edge diagnostic facilities, including a clinical neurophysiology lab, a neuropathology lab for performance of muscle and nerve biopsies, and a radiology department for comprehensive neuroimaging. It also offers the following diagnostic tests:
- Blood tests
- Electromyography (EMG)
- MRI neurography (MRI of peripheral nerves)
- Nerve and muscle biopsy
- Nerve conduction studies (NCS)
- Skin biopsy (to evaluate intraepidermal nerve fibers)
- Spinal fluid tests (with lumbar puncture)
- Ultrasonography of peripheral nerves
About ALS
ALS, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive disease of the motor neurons (nerve cells that control the skeletal muscles). As nerve cells are affected, gradual weakness, atrophy, and paralysis of the skeletal muscles occur. These muscles may include those that control walking, arm movements, speech, swallowing, and breathing.
Leaders in Care
Physicians at the Rutgers Health Neuromuscular and ALS Center are on the faculty of Rutgers Robert Wood Johnson Medical School, a part of Rutgers University, one of the top research institutions in America. Our doctors are active in research and in teaching about all aspects of ALS and other neuromuscular conditions, and each brings leading-edge knowledge from the classroom to the exam room.
If you or a loved one is seeking diagnosis and treatment for conditions that affect muscles and peripheral nerves, including ALS, please make an appointment with the Rutgers Health Neuromuscular and ALS Center today.
