A simple non-invasive hair-based test could one day help with early diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS)—improving patient care and potentially extending survival.

This is the hope of Mount Sinai researchers who have shown for the first time that just a single strand of hair can reveal unique elemental patterns that distinguish people with ALS from healthy individuals.

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It typically takes 10 to 16 months from symptom onset to diagnosis in the U.S.

While the average survival time is three years, about 20 percent of people with ALS live five years, 10 percent survive 10 years and 5 percent live 20 years or longer, according to the ALS Association.

Early detection is critical t

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