Rethinking how we define neurodegenerative diseases

On the surface, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), frontotemporal dementia (FTD) and limbic-predominant age-related TDP-43 encephalopathy (LATE) might seem like unrelated diseases. ALS destroys motor neurons, causing muscle weakness and eventually paralysis. FTD affects the brain's frontal and temporal lobes, affecting language, personality and behavior. LATE is a slowly progressing memory disorder that resembles Alzheimer's disease and tends to affect people over 85.