Therapeutic Approach To ALS Essay

B. Walking becomes difficult, if a fall occurs, the person may not be able to stand back up alone. Driving is relinquished. Weakness in swallowing muscle may cause choking, and greater difficulty eating and managing saliva.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a terminal disease that degenerates the nerves in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons run from the brain, through the spinal cord, and into the muscles of person; this is what allows a person to have control over voluntary movement. When an individual is diagnosed with ALS, their motor neurons begin to degenerate, thus eradicating their ability to walk, eat, and eventually breathe.

There are 20,000 new cases of ALS diagnosed each year in the United States. This yields an incidence of 3 per 100,000 (Brown, 2006). There is no known cause for ALS in 95% of patients; however, 5% have an identifiable genetic mutation (Elman, 2016). The disease can present in individuals less than 30 years of age, but peaks between 40 and 60 years of age. Before the age of 65, more diagnoses are made in men; after the age of 65, gender incidence is equal. There is no clear-cut ethnic or racial predisposition in ALS (Ricks, 2016). The lifespan is approximately 3-4 years after diagnosis. However, in 10 % of

ALS, better known as Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, is considered as a complex genetic disorder, in which multiple hereditary and environmental factors combine to cause this disease. This is seen as an illness of parts of the nervous system that control voluntary muscle movement. In ALS, the motor neurons (nerve cells that control muscle cells) are gradually lost. When these motor neurons turn out to be lost, the muscles they control become weak and ultimately nonfunctional. We see that “amyotrophic” is rooted in Greek origin meaning without nourishment to muscles and refers to the loss of signals nerve cells normally send to muscle cells. “Lateral” simply means to the side and refers to the location of the damage in the spinal cord. “Sclerosis” means hardened and refers to the toughened nature of the spinal cord in advanced ALS. This progressive neurodegenerative disease, that was first discovered 150 years ago, is associated with a life expectancy of approximately three years after symptom onset. In the United States, ALS is also known as Lou Gherig’s Disease, named after the Yankees Baseball player who passed away because of it in 1941. In the United Kingdom and other parts of the world, it’s often referred to as motor neuron disease in reference to the cells that are lost in the disorder (ALS Association, 2015).

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting both the upper and lower motor neurons in the cerebral cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. It is the most common motor neuron disease in the adult population with a prevalence of two to seven cases per 100,000 individuals. Survival rates in persons with ALS show considerable variation. Five-year survival rates vary from 7% to 40%, whereas 10-year survival rates range from 8% to 16% (cite).

ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease. A progressive neurodegenerative disease is a disease that will affect your brain and spinal cord. Since this is a progressive disease, you will deteriorate as time goes by. In order to move, the motor neurons in the brain reaches the spinal cord and then reaches the muscles throughout the body. ALS affects the motor neurons and since this disease is progressive, it will continue to affect the motor neurons by killing it until there is you lose control. Once you lose control of your muscles,it will start to atrophy or waste away from no nourishment. Since the spinal cord is the main part that signals and controls muscle movement, that

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. ALS causes muscle weakness and impacts physical functions this occurs in the nervous system. In the nervous system motor neurons of the body are being affected. Usually, ALS causes weakness and paralysis in the muscles. The muscles slowly waste away and a person’s legs and arms become much weaker. In some cases there may be muscle spasms, weight loss, and difficulty in breathing, eating, and swallowing. The mind does not get affected and there is no loss of sensation, or sense of touch during ALS. The average for a person with ALS is about two to five years from the time diagnosis. In some cases people can live with the disease for five years and more. ALS is mostly being develop between the ages of 40 and 70. Athletes usually get diagnosed between 30 and 34. It shows that athletes have had multiple head trauma and they also have abnormal

Lou Gehrig’s disease, also known as, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is an active neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord, and is also 100% fatal (ALS association, 2017). Henry Louis “Buster Gehrig was an American hall of fame baseball player with the New York Yankees from 1923 through 1939. At the Mayo Clinic in the 1930’s, doctors diagnosed him with ALS, now called Lou Gehrig’s disease. Every day, on average, 15 people are newly diagnosed with ALS, more than 5,600 people per year. ALS disturbs motor neurons, these motor neurons are nerve cells that control muscle movement and are found in the spinal cord and the brain. This specific disease affects the ability of nerves and muscles to function properly. The first symptoms of ALS can be extremely subtle, and roughly 20% of individuals with this disease also progress FTD (frontotemporal degeneration) which could alter their personality and also their emotions. Since Lou Gehrig’s disease can be so harmful, treatments cannot reverse the damage that has been done. Currently, there has been two medications that have been approved by the Food and Drug Administration for the treatment of Lou Gehrig’s disease. The two medications include, Riluzole and Edaravone. Riluzole slows the development of the disease in some people decreasing the levels of the chemical messenger in the brain. And Edaravone is shown to decrease the decline of everyday function related to ALS.

There are many known diseases in the world that we live in today affecting a wide range of individuals of different ages, ethnicities, and genders. With each type of disease comes a diagnosis, prognosis, and potential for a cure from one of life’s many ailments. Over the course of time, technology has began to lead the way in discovering as well as treating many disease in which doctors previously knew little about. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, was first described in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot. In 1939 ALS brought international attention when Lou Gehrig abruptly retired from baseball after being diagnosed with the disease(6).

Genetic factors not only affect the familial cases, but they also are likely to play a role in some of 4 the sporadic cases.9 Among the familial cases about 200/s 3'12 contain causative genetic lesions in copper-zinc superoxide dismutase (SOD 1). 3'7 ALS could be an oxidative neurotoxicity brought on by this mutation in the SOD 1 protein:1'11 A leading hypothesis of the development of ALS is /glutamate excitotoxicity.1°'12 Concepts of excitotoxicity may help explain the selective neuronal death that occurs.10 Excitatory neurotransmitters, such as glutamate, can damage postsynaptic cells with excess concentrations.I° Glutamate levels are elevated in serum, spinal fluid, and brain tissue of ALS patients.11'12 It is also hypothesized that deficiency of nerve growth factor may cause ALS.II Neurotrophic growth factors might rescue the cells that are destroyed in ALS.I "12 Additional cause for ALS may be derivative of industrial pollutants and occupational exposure to chemicals associated with welding and soldering." Symptoms ALS is characterized by a combination of both upper and lower motor neuron ✓ symptoms9'I2 that lead to respiratory insufficiency within a few years.1° Lower motor neuron symptoms include weakness, muscle wasting, hyporefexia, muscle cramps, and fasciculations.9'11 Spasticity, hyperreflexia, Hoffmann sign, extensor plantar responses, hyperactive jerk and gag reflex,

Many people around the world may be familiar with the horrible diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and chronic traumatic encephalopathy, which both are commonly caused from brain trauma. However, what people may not know is that these brain injuries are frequently reoccuring among athletes from collision sports. CTE is a neurodegenerative disease found from multiple head injuries. On the other hand, ALS can also be from a brain collision or hereditary. ALS causes death to neurons, which control voluntary muscles. The fact these diseases are reoccuring primarily due to sports, brings a debate on whether the rules and sports should be changed to ensure better safety for the athletes or whether athletes

Amyotrophic Later Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive disease that occurs in the nerve cells which controls muscle movement. Over time it takes over the rest of the patient’s body until finally the heart gives up. Motor neurons make this disease progress. They reach from the brain to the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the rest of the body. Degeneration of the motor neurons is the cause of death in patients. The death of motor neurons leads to the brain not being able to control muscle movement. ALS is mainly a sporadic disease but 10% of cases are familial. Since the cause is still unknown it is hard to tell where people actually contract the disease from. Some theories about the cause of ALS is, some patients have had a head injury in

This 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 disease 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. The only drug that has been approved by the Food and Drug Administration (FDA) thus far, is a drug that goes by the name Riluzole (Srivastava, 2014). Although Riluzoles is not a cure, it has been effective of lengthening the patients’ life without successful improving the quality of their lives (Srivastava, 2014). While the cause of this disease is unknown, several researchers and clinical drug trails has been conducted, and researchers has determined that this disease is a candidate for stem cells therapy (Srivastava, 2014). This research paper goes in great detail in explaining the pathophysiology, assessments findings (both objectives and subjective), and the type of treatments that is being used to slow down this disease.

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a disease that damages motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. It is a deadly disease that cripples its victims due to breakdown in the body’s motor neurons. Motor neurons are nerve cells that control muscle movement. They are important part of the body’s neuromuscular system. The neuromuscular system allows our bodies to move and is made up of the brain, many nerves, and muscles. People that are diagnose with ALS disease causes for the motor neurons in the brain and the spinal cord to shrink and disappear, so that the muscles no longer receive signals to move eventually causing the muscles to become smaller and weaker. Slowly the body becomes paralyzed, which means that the muscles no longer function. The average life expectancy for a person that has ALS after being

A distinctive characteristic of ALS is that although the motor neurons die, the brain, cognitive functions and sensory neurons stay intact (Porth & Matfin, 2009). This makes the disease especially devastating because patients become trapped inside their dying body, with a fully alert mind, but are unable to move. It is not known what causes the exact death of the motor neurons in the body, but “five percent to 10% of cases are familial; the others are believed to be sporadic” (Porth & Matfin, 2009, p.