This sentiment was well expressed by Charcot in one of his many teaching sessions on amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It holds as true today as it did in 1865 and the search must continue but progress has been incredible in recent years. There has been an exponential increase in the number of publications dealing with ALS and motor neuron diseases in the last 50 years, as evidenced by listings in PubMed and related data bases. The Editors extend their utmost thanks to the internationally renowned experts that have contributed to this volume. They have helped create an in-depth reference on motor neuron diseases that is.
