TARDBP and amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: For example, the association between ALS and certain forms of frontotemporal dementia (FTD) has been linked to TDP-43 positive cytoplasmic inclusions as well as to mutations in the gene encoding this protein or other related proteins, in both familial and sporadic forms whether these molecular changes are a cause or a consequence of neuronal degeneration is unclear (4–7).