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ALS

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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as motor neuron disease (MND) or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rare terminal neurodegenerative disease defined by the progressive loss of both upper and lower motor neurons that normally control voluntary muscle contraction. ALS is the most common of the motor neuron diseases. ALS often presents in its early stages with gradual muscle stiffness, twitches, weakness, and wasting. Motor neuron loss typically continues until the ability to eat, speak, move, and breathe without mechanical support is lost. It is estimated that at least 50% of people with ALS experience significant changes in thinking and behavior, with 15% of individuals going on to develop frontotemporal dementia. An ALS diagnosis is made based on a person's signs and symptoms, with additional testing conducted to rule out other potential causes. Depending on which areas of the body are affected first, ALS may be classified as limb-onset (beginning with weakness in the arms or legs) or bulbar-onset (beginning with difficulty in speaking or swallowing). Respiratory onset occurs in approximately 1%–3% of cases.

ALS - Wikipedia Jump to content From Wikipedia, the free encyclopedia Rare neurodegenerative disease This article is about the neurodegenerative disease. For other uses, see ALS (disambiguation) . "Motor neuron disease" and "Motor neurone disease" redirect here. For a group of muscle-wasting disorders, see Motor neuron diseases . Medical condition Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Other names Motor neuron disease (MND) Lou Gehrig's disease Charcot's disease [ 1 ] Parts of the nervous system affected by ALS, causing progressive symptoms in skeletal muscles throughout the body [ 2 ]

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