About Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS):
- It is a progressive neurological disorder that damages the nerve cells controlling voluntary muscle movement. These nerve cells are called motor neurons.
- One group, called upper motor neurons, extends from the brain to the spinal cord.
- The second group, called lower motor neurons, extends from the spinal cord to muscles throughout the body.
- ALS causes both groups of motor neurons to gradually deteriorate and then die.
- When motor neurons are damaged, they stop sending messages to the muscles. As a result, the muscles can't function.
- ALS is often called Lou Gehrig's disease after the baseball player who was diagnosed with it.
- Cause:
- The exact cause is still not known in most people.
- In a small percentage of people, ALS is inherited from a parent.
- Treatment:
- Currently, there’s no treatment to reverse damage to motor neurons or cure ALS.
- But some treatments may slow progression of the disorder, improve quality of life, and extend survival.
