EFNS Guidelines on the Clinical Management of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (MALS)--Revised Report of an EFNS Task Force
European Journal of Neurology
Andersen, P. M., Abrahams, S., et al. (2012).
European Journal of Neurology, 19(3), 360-375.
This guideline is an update of a 2005 European Federation of Neurological Societies (EFNS) guideline by Anderson et al. (2005) on the diagnosis and management of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This guideline provides recommendations that may be relevant to a large range of professionals, including speech-language pathologists.
European Federation of Neurological Societies
The data in this guideline are included in other documents which can be found in the Associated Article section below.
<div>The Test of Verbal Fluency can be used as a rapid screening tool to identify individuals in need of further comprehensive assessment (Level C Evidence).</div>
<div>Individuals with evidence of early language deficits should be referred for full neuropsychological testing (Good Clinical Practice Point).</div>
<div>Treatment should include the use of individualized and appropriate communication support systems ranging from simple pointing boards to high-tech computerized speech synthesizers (Good Clinical Practice Point).</div>
<div>Assessment of speech and language function should be completed on regular intervals (i.e., every three to six months) by a speech-language pathologist trained in working with patients with ALS (Good Clinical Practice Point).</div>
<div>Speech-language pathologists can provide valuable advice regarding the use of compensatory swallowing techniques (Good Clinical Practice Point).</div>
<div>The management of ALS through multidisciplinary care teams, which includes speech-language pathology assessment and treatment, may extend survival (Level B Evidence), decrease medical complications (Level B Evidence), and improve quality of life (Level C Evidence).</div>
<div>Speech-language pathologists should be part of the multidisciplinary care team for assessing and treating individuals with ALS (Good Clinical Practice Point).</div>
