Lee, Hyeyeon

Yu, Han Phil B.

 Lou Gehrig's disease is formally
known as amyotrophic lateral
sclerosis (ALS). The disease was
named after Lou Gehrig, the famous
baseball player who died of it in 1941.

 People with ALS have normal abilities

to think and their memories work fine,
but their bodies do not respond to
commands from their brain to move. Lou Gehrig
• “a” means no or negative “Lateral” is the “Sclerosis” is
area in the hardening: as the
• “myo” refers to muscle spine where disease progress,
the brain tells the later areas
• “trophic” means the muscles harden and the
nourishment what to do signals stop.

• “No Muscle Nourishment”

 The prognosis for patients with ALS is generally death
within three to five years because the breathing
muscles will even totally be affected, resulting in
suffocation.

 ALS is an irreversible and progressive disease.

 There is no cure

 100% fatal
 1.
Neurons in the brain’s motor
cortex and in the spinal cord
die.
2.
The neurons that die are
responsible for
controlling voluntary
muscles and the ability to
move.

3.
Gradual decline in strength leads
to paralysis of more and more
muscles. Eventually death
• When motor neurons
gradually degenerate and
die, the muscles no longer
receive nerve impulses.

• As a result of the nerve

death, the muscles shrink
and waste away.
Early signs and symptoms of ALS include:
 Difficulty walking or doing your normal daily activities
 Tripping and falling
 Weakness in your leg, feet or ankles
 Hand weakness or clumsiness
 Slurred speech or trouble swallowing
 Muscle cramps and twitching in your arms, shoulders and
tongue
 Difficulty holding your head up or keeping good posture
ALS is inherited in 5 to 10 percent of cases, while the
rest have no known cause.
Researchers are studying several possible causes of ALS,
including:
 Gene mutation.
 Chemical imbalance.
 Disorganized immune response.
 Protein mishandling.
Established risk factors for ALS include:

 Heredity

 Age

 Sex

 Genetics
Environmental factors may trigger ALS. Some that may affect
ALS risk include:

 Smoking

 Environmental toxin exposure

 Military service
 As the disease progresses, people with ALS experience
complications, which may include:

◦ Breathing problems

◦ Speaking problems

◦ Eating problems

◦ Dementia
 ALS is difficult to diagnose early because it may mimic several
other neurological diseases. Tests to rule out other conditions
may include:
◦ Electromyogram (EMG)
◦ Nerve condition study
◦ Magnetic resonance imaging (MRI)
◦ Blood and urine tests.
◦ Spinal tap (lumbar puncture)
◦ Muscle biopsy
Thank You