Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually leads to their death. When motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With voluntary muscle action progressively affected, patients in the later stages of the disease may become totally paralyzed. ALS was first found in 1869 by French neurologist Jean-Martin Charcot, but it wasn’t until 1939 that Lou Gehrig brought national and international attention to the disease. ALS led to
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“Although his performance in the second half of the season was slightly better than the first half, Gehrig reported physical changes at the midway point. At the end of the season he reported, ‘I was tired mid-season. I don’t know why but I couldn’t get going again.’” By the time the Yankees began their preseason in 1939 it was quite obvious that Lou Gehrig was not the once formidable player he had been in the past. By the end of April of 39’ his statistics were the worst of his career. In June of 1939, after 6 days of testing and labs in Chicago, Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with …show more content…
Other early symptoms vary but can include tripping, dropping things, abnormal fatigue of the arms and/ or legs, slurred speech, muscle cramps and twitches and/ or uncontrollable periods of laughing or crying. When the breathing muscles become affected, ultimately, people with the disease will need permanent ventilating support to assist with breathing. ALS is very difficult to diagnose and there is no one test or procedure to ultimately establish the diagnosis. It is through a clinical examination and a series of diagnostic tests that a diagnosis can be established . A comprehensive diagnostic workshop includes most, if not all, of the following procedures: Electrodiagnostic tests including electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV), Blood and urine studies, spinal tap, X-Ray – including an MRI, myelogram of the cervical spine, muscle and / or nerve biopsy, and thorough neurological exam. There are two types of ALS: sporadic and familial. Sporadic is the most common form of the disease in the United States, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of all cases. It may affect anyone, anywhere. Familial ALS accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all cases in the United States. Familial ALS means the disease in inherited. In those families, there is a 50% chance off each offspring inheriting the gene mutation and may develop the
“Although his performance in the second half of the season was slightly better than the first half, Gehrig reported physical changes at the midway point. At the end of the season he reported, ‘I was tired mid-season. I don’t know why but I couldn’t get going again.’” By the time the Yankees began their preseason in 1939 it was quite obvious that Lou Gehrig was not the once formidable player he had been in the past. By the end of April of 39’ his statistics were the worst of his career. In June of 1939, after 6 days of testing and labs in Chicago, Lou Gehrig was diagnosed with …show more content…
Other early symptoms vary but can include tripping, dropping things, abnormal fatigue of the arms and/ or legs, slurred speech, muscle cramps and twitches and/ or uncontrollable periods of laughing or crying. When the breathing muscles become affected, ultimately, people with the disease will need permanent ventilating support to assist with breathing. ALS is very difficult to diagnose and there is no one test or procedure to ultimately establish the diagnosis. It is through a clinical examination and a series of diagnostic tests that a diagnosis can be established . A comprehensive diagnostic workshop includes most, if not all, of the following procedures: Electrodiagnostic tests including electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction velocity (NCV), Blood and urine studies, spinal tap, X-Ray – including an MRI, myelogram of the cervical spine, muscle and / or nerve biopsy, and thorough neurological exam. There are two types of ALS: sporadic and familial. Sporadic is the most common form of the disease in the United States, accounting for 90 to 95 percent of all cases. It may affect anyone, anywhere. Familial ALS accounts for 5 to 10 percent of all cases in the United States. Familial ALS means the disease in inherited. In those families, there is a 50% chance off each offspring inheriting the gene mutation and may develop the