Description of ALS

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a serious neurological disease that affects the nerve cells that control the voluntary muscles of the body. ALS is a progressive and fatal disease.

History

• Jean-Martin Charcot first described ALS in 1869, but the condition gained attention after Lou Gehrig, a famous baseball player, retired in 1939 after contracting the disease.

Function

• ALS occurs when upper motor neurons in the brain and lower motor neurons in the spinal cord degenerate and die. When these nerves cells (motor neurons) die, a person can no longer control voluntary muscle movement.

Statistics

• According to the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 20,000 Americans have ALS, and another 5,000 are diagnosed each year.

Symptoms

• Symptoms of ALS include foot drop, or the inability to lift the front part of the foot and toes; leg, foot and ankle weakness; hand clumsiness and weakness; slurred speech and problems swallowing; and twitching and cramps in the muscles of the shoulders, arms and tongue.

Treatment

• There is no cure for ALS. Treatment options include the drug riluzole to slow progression of the condition and other medications to treat specific symptoms, along with physical, occupational and speech therapy.