With the ALS pen, we are presenting a new project for the structured and quantifiable recording of hand motor skills in the course of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) for the first time.
Our aim is to record motor changes in the hand of people with ALS in a more differentiated and standardized way. To this end, we measure two key values:
– The strength of the index finger
– The mobility of the thumb
By measuring index finger strength, we would like to gain additional information on the involvement of the second motor neuron. The recording of thumb mobility should also help to quantify the involvement of the first motoneuron
Position of the ALS pen to record the clicking movement with the thumb.
Holding the ALS pen for
Measuring the pressure with the index finger
The ALS pen can be connected to the ALS app via Bluetooth.
ALS app with “ALS pen” function on the start page under the “Help” function for recording the click movement with the thumb.
ALS app with Bluetooth connection function to the ALS pen
Measurement software is used to record, analyze and log the data. The development of both measured values over time is already shown in two diagrams in the patient account of the outpatient partner portal. We are also planning to make these diagrams available in the ALS app in the future.
This image from the patient account in the Outpatient Partner Portal shows the click frequency of the thumb recorded with the ALS pen and thus the measured mobility of the thumb over the course of the measurement.
The ALS pen supplements the previous assessment of hand function in the ALSFRS-R questionnaire, in particular the question on handwriting. While the ALSFRS-R only provides a rough assessment here, the ALS pen is intended to support a much more precise assessment of motor function impairments of the hand.
At the ALS Network Meeting on April 16, 2026 in Berlin, the ALS Foundation was presented to and discussed with leading German experts in the field of ALS research and treatment.
A pilot project with the ALS pen is currently underway at the ALS outpatient clinic at
Charité Universitätsmedizin Berlin. In the medium term, a clinical study is planned to prove the reliability of the ALS pen for the standardized measurement of hand motor skills. The long-term plan is to use the ALS pen both in drug trials and in standard care in order to better record the effects of therapy.
With this project, Ambulanzpartner is pursuing the goal of further developing digital and
standardized progress monitoring in ALS and creating new possibilities for a more precise assessment of motor changes.
Best regards
Your Ambulanzpartner technology team