Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

• ALS
• Lou Gehrigs Disease

Lydia Beck
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What is ALS?

• Debilitating nerve and muscle disease
• Progressive and non-contagious
• Attacks motor neurons in brain and inhibits it
  from communicating with muscles throughout body

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Symptoms

• Muscle weakness
• Cramping and twitching of muscles
• Paralysis
• Shortness of breath

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Diagnosis/Treatment

• Difficult to diagnose early because it can appear
  to be other diseases
• Electric tests that are done to diagnose ALS are
  EMG and NCV
• No treatment
• A new drug, Riluzole? reduces damage to motor
  neurons

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Things that are not affected

• Senses
• Sight
• Hearing
• Touch
• Smell
• Involuntary muscle movement

• Mind
• Memory
• Thoughts
• Learning
• Personality

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Living with ALS

• Chuck Kennicott was diagnosed with ALS in 1994
• Each day, he takes 7 different kinds of
  medication
• He has to have 24-hour health care
• There are ALS support groups in bigger cities for
  families to meet each other

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Living with ALS

• Chucks ways of mobility has progressed from
  having to use braces, a manual wheelchair, a
  motorized wheelchair, and now total bed
  confinement
• His family has hired a nurse to be with him
  during the day, and his wife takes care of him at
  night
• He likes being read to and watching his children
  in their various school activities

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Statistics

• 5,600 Americans are diagnosed with ALS each year
• Most common among 40-70 year old males
• 90-95 of all cases occur randomly
• Longevity
• 50 live at least 3-4 years after diagnosis
• 20 live 5 or more years
• 10 survive more than 10 years after diagnosis

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Bibliography

• Falcheck, Stephen, MD. Lou Gehrig\'s Disease
  (ALS). Jan. 2003. 14 June 2004
  html.
• Harwood, Glenn. Facts About ALS. Oct. 2003.
  Muscular Dystrophy Association. 15 June
  2004 tml.
• Kennicott, Kathi. Telephone interview. 14 June
  2004.
• Understanding ALS. Dec. 2001. ALS Association. 14
  June 2004
  .