Amyotrophic Lateral

Amyotrophic Lateral

Sclerosis

Sclerosis

Lou Gehrig disease

Lou Gehrig disease

What is Amyotrophic

What is Amyotrophic

Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?

Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?



ALS is a

ALS is a

neurodegenerative

neurodegenerative

disease caused by

disease caused by

the degeneration of

the degeneration of

motor neurons that

motor neurons that

are responsible for

are responsible for

involuntary muscle

involuntary muscle

movement, in the

movement, in the

brain and in the

brain and in the

spinal cord.

spinal cord.

Causes/Risk Factors

Causes/Risk Factors



It causes the death of a motor nerve cell that

It causes the death of a motor nerve cell that

transmits messages from the brain to the

transmits messages from the brain to the

muscle

muscle



In about 10% of the cases ALS is caused by a

In about 10% of the cases ALS is caused by a

genetic defect, the other 90% is unknown

genetic defect, the other 90% is unknown



The nerve neurons waste away or die leading

The nerve neurons waste away or die leading

the muscle to weaken , twitch and being

the muscle to weaken , twitch and being

unable to move the arms, legs and body

unable to move the arms, legs and body



As ALS weakens the patient it shuts down the

As ALS weakens the patient it shuts down the

nervous system messages to more and more

nervous system messages to more and more

muscles, particularly the ones that control

muscles, particularly the ones that control

breathing

breathing

Incidence/Prevalence

Incidence/Prevalence



ALS affects approximately 1 of

ALS affects approximately 1 of

every 100,000 people

every 100,000 people



Based on the U.S population

Based on the U.S population

studies a little over 5,600

studies a little over 5,600

people are diagnose with ALS

people are diagnose with ALS

a year, that is 15 new cases a

a year, that is 15 new cases a

day.

day.



The life span of ALS patients is

The life span of ALS patients is

3 to 5 years after they are

3 to 5 years after they are

diagnose

diagnose



ALS is most commonly

ALS is most commonly

diagnosed in middle age

diagnosed in middle age

people and it normally affects

people and it normally affects

men more than it affects

men more than it affects

women

women

ASL

ASL



Normally the

Normally the

muscle tissue is

muscle tissue is

supplied by the

supplied by the

nerves. It all

nerves. It all

happens in the

happens in the

muscle fiber and

muscle fiber and

produce an action

produce an action

potential, allowing

potential, allowing

the muscle to

the muscle to

contract.

contract.



In ALS the motor

In ALS the motor

nerve cells in the

nerve cells in the

anterior horns of

anterior horns of

the spinal cord and

the spinal cord and

in the motor nuclei

in the motor nuclei

of the brain stem

of the brain stem

are lost affecting

are lost affecting

the innervation of

the innervation of

the muscle.

the muscle.

Symptoms

Symptoms



muscle weakness in one

muscle weakness in one

or more of the

or more of the

following: hands, arms,

following: hands, arms,

legs or the muscles of

legs or the muscles of

speech, swallowing or

speech, swallowing or

breathing

breathing



Difficulty swallowing,

Difficulty swallowing,

gags or chokes easily

gags or chokes easily



twitching (fasciculation)

twitching (fasciculation)

and cramping of

and cramping of

muscles, especially

muscles, especially

those in the hands and

those in the hands and

feet

feet



impairment of the use

impairment of the use

of the arms and legs

of the arms and legs

Diagnosis

Diagnosis



ALS is difficult to diagnose because it has

ALS is difficult to diagnose because it has

similar symptoms of other

similar symptoms of other

neuromuscular disorders. It is through

neuromuscular disorders. It is through

clinical examination and many diagnostic

clinical examination and many diagnostic

tests that a diagnosis for ALS can be

tests that a diagnosis for ALS can be

established.

established.

Some of the procedures

Some of the procedures

include:

include:



spinal tap

spinal tap



x-rays, including magnetic

x-rays, including magnetic

resonance imaging (MRI)

resonance imaging (MRI)



myelogram of cervical spine

myelogram of cervical spine

Treatments

Treatments



There is no known cure

There is no known cure

for ALS.

for ALS.



The first drug treatment

The first drug treatment

for the disease is a

for the disease is a

medicine called riluzole.

medicine called riluzole.



The goal of the

The goal of the

treatment is to control

treatment is to control

the symptoms

the symptoms

and

and

maintaining an optimal

maintaining an optimal

quality of life.

quality of life.



Treatment is based on

Treatment is based on

individual therapy and

individual therapy and

the continual adaptation

the continual adaptation

of medications.

of medications.

Preventions

Preventions



There is no known

There is no known

way to prevent

way to prevent

motor neuron

motor neuron

disease or the

disease or the

dementia that goes

dementia that goes

along with it. This

along with it. This

is an area of

is an area of

intense research in

intense research in

motor neuron

motor neuron

diseases.

diseases.

Questions

Questions

1)ALS is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the

1)ALS is a neurodegenerative disease caused by the

degeneration of

degeneration of



A) Stem cells

A) Stem cells



B) motor neurons

B) motor neurons



C) nerves

C) nerves



D) glial cells

D) glial cells

2) The life span of ALS patients is

2) The life span of ALS patients is



A) 3 to 5 years

A) 3 to 5 years



B) 7 days

B) 7 days



C) 20 years

C) 20 years



D) 6 moths

D) 6 moths

3) In about 10% of the cases ALS is caused by

3) In about 10% of the cases ALS is caused by

a________, the other 90% is ________.

a________, the other 90% is ________.



A) Unknown, weakening of the muscle

A) Unknown, weakening of the muscle



B) Unknown, genetic defects

B) Unknown, genetic defects



C) Generic defect, unkown

C) Generic defect, unkown



D) Generic defect, weakening of the muscle

D) Generic defect, weakening of the muscle

4)ALS normally affects

4)ALS normally affects



A) Women

A) Women



B) Children

B) Children



C) Men

C) Men



D) Baby’s

D) Baby’s

Answers: 1)

Answers: 1)

motor neurons 2) 3 to 5 years 3) Generic

motor neurons 2) 3 to 5 years 3) Generic

defect, unkown 4)

defect, unkown 4)

Men

Men

Work Cited

Work Cited



"Better Information. Better Health>."

"Better Information. Better Health>."

Web MD

Web MD

. August 2007.

. August 2007.

Web MD. 12 Nov 2007 <http://www.webmd.com>.

Web MD. 12 Nov 2007 <http://www.webmd.com>.



"Connect to Better Health."

"Connect to Better Health."

Health Line

Health Line

. 01/011/2007.

. 01/011/2007.

Healthline Networks. 09 Nov 2007

Healthline Networks. 09 Nov 2007

<http://www.healthline.com>.

<http://www.healthline.com>.



"Fighting on Every Front to Improve Living with ALS."

"Fighting on Every Front to Improve Living with ALS."

The

The

ALS Association

ALS Association

. 1/25/04 . ALS Association. 09 Nov 2007

. 1/25/04 . ALS Association. 09 Nov 2007

<www.alsa.org>.

<www.alsa.org>.



"Medical College of Wisconson."

"Medical College of Wisconson."

Health Link

Health Link

. March 9, 2004 .

. March 9, 2004 .

Health Link. 11 Nov 2007 <http://healthlink.mcw.edu>.

Health Link. 11 Nov 2007 <http://healthlink.mcw.edu>.



"Physician developed and monitered."

"Physician developed and monitered."

Healthcommunities.com

Healthcommunities.com

. July 24, 2007 . Healthcommunities.

. July 24, 2007 . Healthcommunities.

09 Nov 2007 <http://www.neurologychannel.com/>.

09 Nov 2007 <http://www.neurologychannel.com/>.



"The Center for Neurologic Study."

"The Center for Neurologic Study."

CNS

CNS

. Wed Jul 25, 2007.

. Wed Jul 25, 2007.

12 Nov 2007 <http://www.cnsonline.org>.

12 Nov 2007 <http://www.cnsonline.org>.



"The Worlds Largest Medical Library."

"The Worlds Largest Medical Library."

National Library of

National Library of

Medicine

Medicine

. 09 November 2007. National Library of Medicine.

. 09 November 2007. National Library of Medicine.

09 Nov 2007 <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/>.

09 Nov 2007 <http://www.nlm.nih.gov/>.