“Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive degeneration of nerve cells that control muscle movements. The disease, the most common motor neuron disease among adults, became known as Lou Gehrig’s disease after the New York Yankee’s Hall of Fame first baseman. Gehrig’s career ended in 1939 because of the condition. About 30,000 patients in this country have the disease and about 5,000 are diagnosed with ALS every year.” (ALS)
History
ALS was first discovered by a neurologist from France,Jean Martin Charcot, in 1869. Other research was done prior to Charcot’s discovery, but no one was able to define the disease or cared to take a closer look at it. ALS is a neuromuscular disease that will affect …show more content…
In order to properly diagnose a patient, the doctor may need to perform several tests which include an electromyography, a nerve conduction survey, an MRI, and X-Rays. Other tests may be necessary in order for doctors to get a complete diagnosis. Even after all these tests, it can still be tough for doctors to evaluate a patient and diagnose exactly what the disease is. Due to the fact that there are several motor neuron diseases that could be in play during the diagnosis, it should be expected that the doctor take his time and be thorough. Every year 5,000 Americans are diagnosed with ALS and there are currently around 30,000 patients who have the disease. ALS occurs most often among middle-aged adults who,many times, have no family history with this disease. Men are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than women and it is not known why. It is rare for the disease to be passed down or inherited. Those with family members who have been diagnosed are not at a higher risk of being diagnosed with ALS. Only 5 to 10 percent of cases of ALS are inherited and passed down. The other 90 to 95 percent do not have a known cause and there are no risk factors linked to developing ALS. It can also be extremely difficult to determine whether it is familial or sporadic. There is no distinct difference between the two types of ALS, so …show more content…
Most research has been done with familial ALS, the type that is inherited, as it gives researchers more information. They have found a possible link between familial ALS and sporadic ALS, but it can be very difficult to tell the difference between the two forms of the disease. Researchers have also attempted to convert skin cells from ALS patients into stem cells and have worked on a new technology that could help diagnose patients as they pass through the stages of ALS. The biomarkers they have created use fluid or images of the spinal cord to determine how far the patient has progressed in the disease. Researchers have also been able to create computer systems that can read the patient’s brain signals and send them to prosthetic limbs. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge also helped raise awareness and funds for research in 2014. (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Fact
History
ALS was first discovered by a neurologist from France,Jean Martin Charcot, in 1869. Other research was done prior to Charcot’s discovery, but no one was able to define the disease or cared to take a closer look at it. ALS is a neuromuscular disease that will affect …show more content…
In order to properly diagnose a patient, the doctor may need to perform several tests which include an electromyography, a nerve conduction survey, an MRI, and X-Rays. Other tests may be necessary in order for doctors to get a complete diagnosis. Even after all these tests, it can still be tough for doctors to evaluate a patient and diagnose exactly what the disease is. Due to the fact that there are several motor neuron diseases that could be in play during the diagnosis, it should be expected that the doctor take his time and be thorough. Every year 5,000 Americans are diagnosed with ALS and there are currently around 30,000 patients who have the disease. ALS occurs most often among middle-aged adults who,many times, have no family history with this disease. Men are more likely to be diagnosed with the disease than women and it is not known why. It is rare for the disease to be passed down or inherited. Those with family members who have been diagnosed are not at a higher risk of being diagnosed with ALS. Only 5 to 10 percent of cases of ALS are inherited and passed down. The other 90 to 95 percent do not have a known cause and there are no risk factors linked to developing ALS. It can also be extremely difficult to determine whether it is familial or sporadic. There is no distinct difference between the two types of ALS, so …show more content…
Most research has been done with familial ALS, the type that is inherited, as it gives researchers more information. They have found a possible link between familial ALS and sporadic ALS, but it can be very difficult to tell the difference between the two forms of the disease. Researchers have also attempted to convert skin cells from ALS patients into stem cells and have worked on a new technology that could help diagnose patients as they pass through the stages of ALS. The biomarkers they have created use fluid or images of the spinal cord to determine how far the patient has progressed in the disease. Researchers have also been able to create computer systems that can read the patient’s brain signals and send them to prosthetic limbs. The ALS Ice Bucket Challenge also helped raise awareness and funds for research in 2014. (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Fact