Whether hypothalamic degeneration accompanies the ingestive dysfunctions observed in some patients with neurodegenerative disorders, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), which, in familial cases, is often caused by mutations in Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase (SOD1) or hexanucleotide repeat expansions in chromosome 9 open reading frame 72 (C9ORF72), is unknown. The gene discussed is SOD1; the disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.