|  | Conditions Treatments | Neurological Disorders

Lou Gehrigs Disease

Lou Gehrig's disease is a term given to a medical condition called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). ALS is a degenerative disease in which the motor neurons that control muscle contractions are destroyed, causing muscles to atrophy. ALS starts in the brain and progresses to the neurons that surround muscle tissue. When these cells die, the muscles begin to twitch and can no longer function. Eventually, the brain itself is attacked and can no longer control other muscles such as the diaphragm, destroying the ability to breathe without support.

  1. Symptoms

    • Symptoms for Lou Gehrig's disease are normally mild in the beginning. Initial symptoms involve small muscle spasms, cramping or stiffness. The patient might have more serious complications such as difficulty swallowing or slurred speech. Symptoms are also dependent on the muscles that are initially affected. Patients normally experience an unexplained weakness in a leg or arm. As the disease progresses, the patient might experience loss in coordination of simple functions such as eating, getting out of bed or buttoning a shirt.

    Statistics

    • About 20,000 people in the United States have Lou Gehrig's and another 5,000 are diagnosed every year, according to the website of the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke. The disease affects people of all races and backgrounds, but it affects men more often than women. About 5 percent to 10 percent of cases are inherited from parents.

    Diagnosis

    • The diagnosis of Lou Gehrig's disease is mainly based on symptoms, but the presence of upper and lower motor neuron loss is the first sign for more tests. Physicians who suspect Lou Gehrig's disease will schedule regular appointments to observe any progression of the disease, such as increased muscle weakness, atrophy, hyperreflexia and spasticity. Blood and urine tests are ordered if symptoms persist because other diseases such as HIV/AIDS, leukemia and Lyme disease have similar symptoms to Lou Gehrig's.

    Causes

    • Lou Gehrig's disease was recently diagnosed as a genetic disease. In 1993, scientists at the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke discovered mutations in genes that produce the SOD1 enzyme were associated with some cases of familial ALS. The enzyme affected by this mutation is an antioxidant that protects the body from free radicals that damage DNA. The studies also found that people affected with Lou Gehrig's disease have high levels of glutamate. Prolonged exposure to high levels of glutamate is destructive to neurons.

    Treatment

    • There is no known cure from Lou Gehrig's, but the FDA has just approved the first drug for treatment named Rilutek. Of the two causes of Lou Gehrig's, Rilutek works to eliminate high levels of glutamate in the body. Rilutek does not reverse existing damage of neurons, but it treats further degradation from the disease.

Neurological Disorders - Related Articles