What is the rationale for studying the skin in ALS?
It has long been recognized that patients with ALS tend not to develop bedsores despite the immobility that develops as the disease progresses. This has led some investigators to hypothesize that there is something different about the skin in ALS. In the past it has only been possible to study the skin by taking a biopsy and examining the skin under a microscope. With the Cutometer we now have an ability to measure certain properties (notably the elasticity and plasticity) of the skin without the need for a biopsy. Our collaborators have previously shown that the viscoelastic properties of skin differ between patients with ALS and healthy controls.
