Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

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Basics

• Summary
• Start Here
• Symptoms

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• Living With
• Related Issues
• Genetics

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Research

• Statistics and Research
• Clinical Trials
• Journal Articles

Resources

• Reference Desk
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For You

• Children
• Patient Handouts

Summary

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a nervous system disease that attacks nerve cells called neurons in your brain and spinal cord. These neurons transmit messages from your brain and spinal cord to your voluntary muscles - the ones you can control, like in your arms and legs. At first, this causes mild muscle problems. Some people notice

• Trouble walking or running
• Trouble writing
• Speech problems

Eventually, you lose your strength and cannot move. When muscles in your chest fail, you cannot breathe. A breathing machine can help, but most people with ALS die from respiratory failure.

The disease usually strikes between age 40 and 60. More men than women get it. No one knows what causes ALS. It can run in families, but usually it strikes at random. There is no cure. Medicines can relieve symptoms and, sometimes, prolong survival.

NIH: National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke

Start Here

• ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke)
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (Mayo Foundation for Medical Education and Research)
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke) - Short Summary Also in Spanish
• What Is ALS? (ALS Association) Also in Spanish

Symptoms

• Initial Symptoms of ALS (ALS Association) Also in Spanish

Living With

• Breathing Difficulties (ALS Association)
• Everyday Life with ALS: A Practical Guide (Muscular Dystrophy Association) - PDF
• Products to Aid in Daily Living (ALS Association) - PDF

Related Issues

• Benefits for Military Veterans with ALS (ALS Association)
• For Caregivers: Coping with Burnout (ALS Association)
• MDA ALS Caregiver's Guide (Muscular Dystrophy Association) - PDF
• Oral Care for the Patient with ALS: A Guide for the Caregiver (ALS Association)

Genetics

• Genetic Testing for ALS (ALS Association) - PDF
• Genetics Home Reference: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (National Library of Medicine)

Statistics and Research

• Facts You Should Know (ALS Association)

Clinical Trials

• ClinicalTrials.gov: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (National Institutes of Health)

Journal Articles References and abstracts from MEDLINE/PubMed (National Library of Medicine)

• Article: Edaravone: a new hope for deadly amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.
• Article: Rapamycin treatment for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: Protocol for a phase...
• Article: Skeletal Muscle MicroRNAs as Key Players in the Pathogenesis of...
• Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis -- see more articles

Reference Desk

• Glossary of ALS-Related Medical and Scientific Terms (ALS Association)

Find an Expert

• ALS Association
• National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke Also in Spanish

Children

• Lou Gehrig's Disease (ALS) (Nemours Foundation) Also in Spanish

Patient Handouts

• Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish
• Swallowing problems (Medical Encyclopedia) Also in Spanish