Increased cerebrospinal fluid levels of substance P in patients with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

To clarify the mechanism of brain and spinal cord impairment in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (AES), we measured the cerebrospinal fluid (CSF) levels of substance P (SP) in 11 patients with sporadic ALS. Findings were compare d with those obtained in controls and diseased controls. The CSF SP levels of patients with ALS, and particularly in patients with a disease duration of less than 2.5 years, were significantly higher than those in controls. These findings strongly suggested that SP may play an important role in the pathophysiology of ALS.