Clinical Features of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis According to the El Escorial and Airlie House Diagnostic Criteria

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Abstract
AMYOTROPHIC lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive degeneration of upper (UMN) and lower (LMN) motor neurons. Patients with findings suggestive of ALS are accorded different levels of diagnostic certainty (suspected, possible, probable, and definite ALS) by application of a set of defined diagnostic criteria. These criteria were established for research purposes in 1991 (El Escorial [EEC]1) and were revised in 1997 (Airlie House [AHC]2). To ensure uniformity within clinical trials, only patients exhibiting features of probable or definite ALS according to the EEC have been enrolled in recent clinical trials.3-5