Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the brain and spinal cord. Coming from Greek language Amyotrophic simply means no muscle nourishment (alsa.org). Lateral is the anatomical identification along the spinal cord and as the disease progresses, it eventually leads to sclerosis which is hardening of the region along the spinal cord. ALS was first discovered in 1869 by a famous French neurologist named Jean- Martin Charcot, ALS was originally named “Maladie de Charcot (alsab.org). Since then ALS has had many names all over the world but it is famously names in the United States as “Lou Gehrig’s disease” after the famous New York Yankee who was diagnosed with the disease that ended his baseball career and tragically his life later on.
There are three forms of ALS: Sporadic, familial and Guamanian. The sporadic form of ALS is the most common form contributing to 95% off all cases. The familial form of ALS is based on heredity and contributes 5% of all cases. The third type, the Guamanian form of ALS was observed in in Guam in the 1950’s and much is known about this form of ALS (Alsa.org). The cause of ALS is unknown but researchers have discovered that majority of ALS cases are not based on heredity but based on a chromosome 21 abnormality (ghr.nlm.nih.gov). ALS seems to be more common in men than in women before age 65 and can commonly occur between the ages of 40 and 70, the sex difference disappears after the 70 years of age. The Prognosis for people living with ALS is extremely poor with the average life expectancy being 3 to 5 years. ALS is rapidly degenerative and very fatal, attacking the nerves of the body with the patient becoming completely paralyzed, the will lose the ability to speak, breathe and swallow, while the mind is completely alert. There is no cure and only one known pharmacological treatment that slows the progression for this disease.
The tests usually done to diagnose ALS are lumbar