Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig"s disease, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks motor neurons in the brain (upper motor neurons) and spinal cord (lower motor neurons).
These motor neurons control the movement of voluntary muscles. When the motor neurons can no longer send impulses to the muscles due to ALS, the muscles begin to waste away (atrophy), causing increased muscle weakness. Motor neuron, or nerve cell, death makes it impossible for the brain to control muscles or signal them to move.
Symptoms of ALS include twitching and cramping of muscles (called fasciculation), loss of motor control in hands and arms, impaired use of the arms and legs, weakness and fatigue, tripping and falling, dropping things, slurred or thick speech and difficulty breathing or swallowing.
In most cases, ALS patients do not experience impaired intellectual reasoning, vision or hearing. Eye and bladder muscles, along with sexual function and drive, are not normally affected.
ALS is diagnosed using a variety of tests and examinations, including laboratory tests, muscle and nerve biopsy, spinal tap, X-rays, MRI"s and electrodiagnostic tests.
Occasionally, the Neurologists at the center will give you a diagnosis which may be related to ALS, but not actually ALS. That can be a confusing situation, and we wanted to provide other resources for you. Although there is potentially no cure for many disorders affecting motor neurons, quality of life can be improved with diligent management and supportive, proactive treatment. Certain characteristics are true for most of these types of diseases, and most affect motor neurons. Motor neurons are divided into Upper Motor Neurons (UMNs) and Lower Motor Neurons (LMNs). UMNs carry information from the brain to the spinal cord where they connect with the LMNs (which move the muscles). Damage to the UMNs can cause spasticity (muscle stiffness) and exaggerated or abnormal reflexes, damage to LMNs results in weakness, atrophy (muscle wasting), decreased or absent reflexes, and fasciculations (involuntary muscle twitching). ALS is a progressive motor neuron disease which affects both UMNs and LMNs, and has to have both types of signs to be diagnosed, but many other motor neuron diseases do not have both. Here are some common diagnoses, with information on each:
*Bulbar Onset ALS
*Brachial Amyotrophic Diplegia
*Spinal Muscular Atrophy
*Primary Lateral Sclerosis
*Progressive Bulbar Palsy
*Progressive Muscular Atrophy
*Pseudobulbar Palsy
*Spinal Bulbar Muscular Atorphy(Kennedy"s Diease)
WEST AZARBIJAN URMIA--Dr.RAHMAT SOKHANI
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