The 6th European ALS congress took place in Lisbon, Portugal from 20 to 22 June. The scientific sessions focused on disease pathogenesis and neuroprotection including genetics, proteomics, metabolomics and various disease models. In the clinical session the latest findings on nutrition, ventilation, psychological support as well as new developments in the field of imaging and neurophysiology were discussed. This review outlines the work that was presented during the meeting.