ALS Center Overview

Section of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Related Disorders

Mission Statement

The mission of the Center for ALS and Related Disorders is to:

• Evaluate and diagnose patients with ALS and other motor neuron diseases (MNDs) in a timely, comprehensive and compassionate fashion.
• Provide excellent and comprehensive clinical care on an ongoing basis to patients with ALS and other MNDs in the multidisciplinary ALS/MND Team Clinic
• Conduct clinical investigations, participate in therapeutic trials and conduct basic research to identify causes and effective treatments of ALS and other MNDs
• Provide ongoing education relevant to ALS and other MNDs to patients and their caregivers, to the multi-disciplinary team, and to health care professionals in the community

ALS Section Creates Solutions to the Challenges of ALS and Other MNDs

Through scientific investigation, specialists in the Section of ALS and Related Disorders continue to probe for the cause of the disease.

Through clinical trials of promising medications, specialists seek potentially effective treatments.

In creating solutions to the many challenges people with ALS face, the ALS Section capitalizes on the interaction and cooperation among the physicians and allied health professionals who are members of the patient’s care-giving team.

ALS Section’s Team of Specialists Offers Comprehensive Care

Although there is no specific treatment for ALS or other MNDs because the cause (or causes) is/are unknown, specialists in the ALS Section are familiar with the disease’s many manifestations. Because the specialists are familiar with both the typical and less typical symptoms, they are adept at distinguishing this disease from similar conditions that can be treated and reversed. Consequently, they are frequently called upon to confirm a diagnosis of ALS and other MNDs. The Section of ALS and Related Disorders specialists diagnose approximately 300 new ALS/MND patients each year from the United States and abroad.

Once the disease is diagnosed, specialists and allied health professionals in the ALS Section offer patients comprehensive treatment in a compassionate setting in the multidisciplinary ALS/MND Team Clinic. Although it is impossible to erase the weakness and progressive muscle paralysis (at present) that accompany ALS and other MNDs, team members strive to maintain, or at times restore, a patient’s muscle function and his or her ability to perform the daily activities of life.

ALS/MND Team Clinic Designated by the ALS Association

The Cleveland Clinic’s ALS/MND Team Clinic is one of the first of 34 ALS clinics in the United States to be designated by the Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association (ALSA).

ALS/MND Team Clinic Specialists
Core Members

• Erik P. Pioro, MD, PhD, FRCPC
  Director, Section of ALS and Related Disorders
  Director, ALS/MND Team Clinic
• Rebecca M. Kuenzler, MD
  Associate Director, ALS/MND Team Clinic
• Nicole Berry, CCRP
  Clinical Research Coordinator

Clinical On-site Members

• Lisa M. Bruening, MS, CCC-SLP
  Program Services Coordinator
  ALS Association, Northern Ohio Chapter
• Gillian Culbertson, RD
  Dietician-Nutritionist
• Shirley Eisenberg, LISW
  Social Worker
  ALS Association, Northern Ohio Chapter
• James Ives, OT
  Occupational Therapist
• Alexandra Sakai, LSW
  Social Worker
• Matt Sutliff, PT
  Physical Therapist
• Mary Trombold, MA, CCC-SLP
  Speech Pathologist

Clinical Consultant On-site Members

• Loutfi Aboussouan, MD (Pulmonologist)
• Scott Marlow, BA, RT (Respiratory Therapist)

Neuromuscular Specialists in Section of ALS and Related Disorders

• Kerry H. Levin, MD
• David C. Polston, MD
• Robert W. Shields Jr. MD
• Steven Shook, MD
• Jinny Tavee, MD
• Jennifer Ui, MD

Research Personnel in Section of ALS and Related Disorders

• Mark Lowe, PhD
  Director, High Field MRI, Neuroimaging Institute
• Micheal Phillips, MD
  Neuroradiologist, Neuroimaging Institute