Nutritional status of motor neuron diseases in relation to their disease duration

During the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis/motor neurone diseases (ALS/MND) malnutrition occurs with a prevalence of 10–55 percent. Irrespective of the various causes of malnutrition (e.g. dysphagia, depression, disability to use the cutlery), an additional intrinsic hypermetabolism of unknown causes leading to an increase in resting energy expenditure. Because malnutrition and weight loss are independent significant prognostic factors for survival in ALS/MND, an adequate disease state adapted nutrition is an integral component of treatment in such diseases. Less is known about the nutritional status and…