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Is Lou Gehrig's Disease Inherited?

Lou Gehrig's Disease is named after the famous New York Yankees baseball player who was stricken with the disease while still in his playing days. The actual name of the disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). It is a neurodegenerative disease that, while not likely, can be inherited.

  1. History

    • In 1874, Jean-Marie Charcot was the first person credited with recording the characteristics of ALS. Charcot named the disease based on what his research had shown. Charcot was a famous French neurologist given the nickname "the father of neurology."

    Definition

    • According to the ALS Association, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is "a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord." ALS causes degeneration of the motor neurons in the brain that control the muscle system. Often, ALS leads to paralysis and then death.

    Genetics

    • ALS is rarely inherited. More than 90 percent of cases, called sporadic ALS (SALS), have no family-related history of the disease. Rarely, ALS patients have another family member who also has the disease, which is called familial ALS (FALS).

    FALS Pattern

    • The most frequent pattern in familial ALS is autosomal dominant, which is when one parent passes a pair of genetically mutating genes. There is a 50 percent chance someone will contract the disease, depending on which gene mutates. If the child does not contract the disease, there is then a zero percent chance that they will pass the disease along.

    Testing

    • Anyone who shows symptoms of ALS can take a genetic test for ALS. It cannot diagnose the disease since most cases are non-hereditary. The test can only confirm if the patient has a genetic discrepancy that can lead to ALS. The test consists of a blood sample that can take as long as three months to diagnose. The test costs are usually around $300 to $500.

    Symptoms

    • Symptoms of ALS include muscle weakness, muscle twitching and muscle impairment. Difficulty in breathing and swallowing and inability to project your voice are also symptoms of ALS.

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