Causes of and Treatments for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in the U.S. is a widely known debilitating disease that effects the upper and lower motor neurons in the nervous system. The degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons in turn cause muscle atrophy and chronic loss of muscle use. ALS is the most common of the five motor neuron disease. Heredity is a major cause of ALS but can show up in any patients. ALS usually presents itself in late middle age but can show up in children and even young adults. The cause of ALS is not known. It seems to be caused by a genetic mutation, but the mutation has to have an environmental trigger to cause the disease. In the past the disease was believed to have one cause, but that does not hold true to current findings. The majority of ALS cases are sporadic in nature and can pop up anywhere, but 5 to 10 percent of cases has some sort of heredity involved. What is interesting is th at sporadic ALS and familial ALS may have the same genetic mutation and the environment is the key factor in contracting the disease. Some of the signs and symptoms of Lou Gehrig’s disease is loss of voluntary muscle use. Cramping and twitching is common as the degrading axons become damaged and cannot transmit the action potential needed to muscle contraction. Sometimes symptoms start showing up in a specific region but can be mild loss of use to multiple areas also. The loss of use ofShow MoreRelatedSpeech Amyotrophic Lateral Disease : Is A Chronic And Terminal Disease That Affects The Lower And Upper Motor Neurons1725 Words   |  7 PagesThis research paper is being written to address Amyotrophic lateral disease (ALS), which is a chronic and terminal disease that affects the lower and upper motor neurons (Srivastava, 2014). ALS is usually fatal within a few years of inception and affects 2-5 per 100,000 people annually worldwide (Donnelly, Grima, Sattler, 2014). This di sease usually affects the patient physically and emotionally and as well as their support system. As of this year, no cure has been developed for this disease. TheRead MoreEssay on What is Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis?1064 Words   |  5 PagesAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis is short for ALS, and is often referred to as â€Å"Lou Gehrig’s disease.† Lou Gehrig was born in New York in June 19, 1903. In April of 1923, Lou Gehrig signed his first contract with the New York Yankees. He played for the Yankees for 15 years and lead them to 6 World Series between 1927 and 1938. Gehrig was known as a seven-time all-star champion, for his batting average and was named twice the American Leagues MVP; He later earned the name of the Iron Horse (Lou GehrigRead MoreALS Essay1042 Words   |  5 PagesFunctional Deficits Caused by ALS People with ALS have a median survival of three years, and the immediate cause of death is respiratory failure, pneumonia, or cardiac arrhythmias (Arbesman, M; Sheard, K). According to Arbesman and Sheard, about ten percent of people with ALS survive ten years or more (Arbesman, M; Sheard, K). Early symptoms of ALS diagnosed individuals include muscle twitches in the upper and lower extremities and in the tongue, muscle cramps, stiff muscles, muscle weakness inRead More Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Essay1644 Words   |  7 PagesAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is an insidiously developing, adult-onset, progressive anterior horn cell degeneration with associated degeneration of descending motor pathways. Despite increasing clinical and research interest, its cause remains obscure. Although many theories as to its cause have been proposed, no intervention has yet been shown to modify biologically determined motor system degeneration. There is no clear cut neuropathological diagnosis forRead MoreOrgan Lateral Sclerosis : A Disease That Affects The Nervous System1578 Words   |  7 PagesAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a disease that affects the Nervous system as well as the Muscular System as well, this disease is defined as a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. A-myo-trophic is a Greek term when translated it means â€Å"No muscle Nourishment†. This lack of nourishment causes a reaction within the muscles leading to their eventual break down, otherwise known as â€Å"atrophies† which is a simple term meaning that the muscleRead MoreAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Muscular Atrophy: an Annotated Bibliography1388 Words   |  6 PagesAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - Muscular Atrophy: An Annotated Bibliography Abramovitz, Melissa. Lou Gehrigs Disease p17-61. Treatment for ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease has found that Vitamin E and the drug known as Riluzole can help the progression of the disease. When taking the medication Riluzole it has shown to prolong survival in patients by two to three months and it has also delayed the use for breathing support. There is a few side effects to taking Riluzole, such as headache, dizzinessRead MoreDestruction Of The Neurons Responsible For Involuntary Muscle Movement1593 Words   |  7 PagesAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also called Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative motor disease that results in the destruction of the neurons responsible for involuntary muscle movement (NINDS 2014). Patients are determined to have ALS if they have both upper motor neuron disease and lower motor neuron disease (Gordon 2011). Many people that have been diagnosed with ALS are seen in wheelchairs or if the person is in the early onset of ALS, using other walkingRead MoreHenry Louis Gehrig was a popular German-American baseball player. He was most known for several1400 Words   |  6 PagesGehrig was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis when he was 36. Sadly, within two years he had succumbed to the disease. Lou Gehrig was well known in his lifetime as a great baseball player but in his death he has been most noted for his diagnosis of ASL. Before the public announcement of the reasons for his retirement, many Americans had not heard of the disease. Because of thi s, his name is a trademark of its discovery. Theoretically, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ASL) is a disorder thatRead MoreAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis1478 Words   |  6 PagesAmyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease, is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. Jean-Marie Charcot was the first to recognize ALS as a distinct neurological disease with its own unique pathology. In ALS, nerve cells degenerate and deteriorate, and are unable to transmit messages to muscles. In around 90% of the cases of ALS, the cause remains unknown. Studies have concentrated on the responsibility of glutamateRead MoreAmyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis - 11013 Words   |  5 PagesMany people are affected by genetic disorders every day. Abnormalities in one’s DNA are what cause a genetic disorder. These disorders could be as little as a mutation in a single gene. In another case, they could be as severe as having an extra chromosome, or taking away a chromosome. Genetic disorders are present from birth, but they may not be visibly seen until a later age. Some mutations could be heritable, or from your parents genes. Some forms of cancer can be inherited form a parent