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Is ALS a Motor Neuron Disease?

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is well known as "Lou Gehrig's disease." This motor neuron disease is characterized by the progressive deterioration of nerve cells called motor neurons in the spinal cord and brain. These motor neurons degenerate until they die, at which point muscle control deteriorates and, eventually, is lost.

  1. Significance of Motor Neurons

    • Motor neurons are responsible for sending electrical impulses from your brain to your muscles, creating movement in your voluntary muscles. ALS only attacks motor neurons, which leaves many of the senses (such as hearing, touch and taste) and functions (such as bladder control which is governed by involuntary muscles) intact.

    Early Symptoms

    • Early symptoms may be slight and include muscle stiffness, muscle weakness dropping items, tripping, muscle twitches, muscle cramping, periods of uncontrollable crying or laughing and slurred speech.

    Symptoms of Advanced ALS

    • As Lou Gehrig's disease progressively damages and destroys your motor neurons, more noticeable symptoms emerge including difficulty swallowing, breathing problems, weakness of the limbs, difficulty speaking, "thick" speech, impaired use of the legs or arms and twitching of the muscles. Paralysis eventually spreads, affecting breathing, swallowing, speaking and chewing.

    Who Is Effected

    • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis usually strikes people in their late 50's, early 60's. There are some cases of onset in children, young adults and elderly patients. According to ALS-MDA.org, men are slightly more at risk (1.2 to 1); however, anyone can be affected by the disease.

    ALS Facts

    • According to the ALS Association, the disease accounts for approximately two out of every 100,000 deaths each year in the United States with 5,600 new cases being diagnosed every year.

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