Motor Neuron Disease

C. Strictly speaking, ALS involves degeneration and death of both upper and lower motor neurons. While most patients have clear loss of both types of motor neurons, some patients have greater loss of upper motor neurons, while other patients have greater loss of lower motor. These differences do not change the diagnosis. In these circumstances, the more general term ‘motor neuron disease’ is appropriate (MDA).

As I was reading the book assigned for my AP Language class, “Tuesdays With Morrie,” I read as Morrie struggled with ALS. Because of the disease, he lost his ability to walk and eventually he wouldn't be able to chew, talk, or use his arms. The struggles Morrie faced in the book inspired me to write a research paper on the disease in his honor.

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory and demyelinating disease of the central nervous system (CNS). Demyelination affects white and grey matter (Kieseier and Stuve, 2011; Stadelman et al., 2011), and it is accompained by disruption of the blood-brain barrier (BBB), inflammatory infiltrates consisting of monocyte-derived macrophages and lymphocytes, and axonal degeneration (Trapp and Nave, 2008). As a consequence, MS patients usually suffer from loss of motor and sensory function, and cognitive impairment.

ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, and is also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease. After this disease is contracted, it weakens skeletal muscles and the body is eventually paralyzed. In some cases, ALS affects the limbs first, causing difficulty to move. Due to being a progressive condition, patients will suffer from many different symptoms as time goes by. After being diagnosed, only about fifty percent of patients live for at least two more years (Facts You Should Know 2010). Moreover, about twenty percent live five years after being diagnosed and only ten percent of people can expect to live for over ten years after the diagnosis (NINDS 2013). This being said, ALS is typically very rare. Approximately two out of one hundred

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord (Plowman, 2015, p.1151). The motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles in the body. When ALS is in a degenerate stage, this causes paralyzation and loss of muscle control, which can lead to one’s death. The ALS Association is a national nonprofit organization that is dedicated to fighting Lou Gehrig’s disease by providing support and information to those that have this disease, as well as spreading awareness effective for change. The ALS Association aims to discover new treatment for those living with Lou Gehrig’s disease, while actively seeking a cure

Multiple Sclerosis is a debilitating neurological disorder that is an abnormal response of the body’s immune system which is directed against the central nervous system. The immune system attacks glial cells called “myelin”. Damaged myelin is turned into scar tissue. This scar tissue is called “sclerosis”, which gives this disease the name “Multiple

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a neurodegenerative disease associated with the breakdown and loss of motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord. Voluntary muscle control degenerates until the body eventually loses function. To better understand how ALS works, the medical terminology can first be translated into a more basic understanding. ‘A-’ meaning not, “myo-” meaning muscle, and “-trophic” meaning nourishment or growth [source]. Due to the loss of motor neurons, the muscle loses nourishment and atrophies, or wastes away. “Lateral” means that this condition usually affects only one side of the body and “sclerosis” means hardening and buildup of fibrous (scar) tissue. The disease is progressive and is 100% fatal.

Lou Gehrig’s Disease or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a collection of rare neurological diseases that affect the motor neurons that control the voluntary muscle movements. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative illness that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. ALS is a disease that belongs to a wider group of disorders that are known as motor neuron diseases. This is caused by gradual deterioration and the death of motor neurons. ‘Amyotrophic’ comes from the Greek roots that mean ‘without nourishment to muscles’. ‘Lateral’ means ‘to the side’ and refers to the position of the destruction in the spinal cord. ‘Sclerosis’ means the hardening of the spinal cord.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is devastating and currently untreatable degradation of motor neurons. Motor neuron disease (MND) is a specific disease that causes the death of neurons which control voluntary muscles. Motor neurons are the only kind of nerve cells that are damaged. This disease is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Eventually taking away a person's ability to have movement or to even breathe.

Do you know someone in your life who is suffering from a disease with no cure, like Parkinson’s disease? Imagine a world where when people got old they didn’t need to worry about Parkinson’s disease, or a world where mothers and fathers didn’t have to live in fear of their child developing Tay-Sachs disease or cystic fibrosis, diseases where their child could die before the age of four. Stem cells that are in our bodies, and that we can take from our bodies can be used to prevent all of this, with proper research. Stem cells are cells that can be taken from the body, and they are the building blocks of the human body. These cells can be turned into any cell in the body, and they would be a perfect match for the person receiving the treatments.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as ALS or Lou Gehrig's disease, is a disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. Jean-Marie Charcot was the first to recognize ALS as a distinct neurological disease with its own unique pathology. In ALS, nerve cells degenerate and deteriorate, and are unable to transmit messages to muscles. In around 90% of the cases of ALS, the cause remains unknown. Studies have concentrated on the responsibility of glutamate in motor neuron degeneration. Glutamate is one of several neurotransmitters in the brain. While there is no known cure for ALS, strides in medicine have allowed for the development of a wide variety of medications to treat the various

Choice “B” is not the best answer. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common degenerative disease of the motor neuron system. It manifests as weakness without sensory loss. The diagnosis of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is primarily clinical. When the disease has progressed far in its course and involves many parts of the body, the patient’s appearance and the findings on the neurologic examination may provide sufficient evidence to establish the diagnosis. ALS may be suspected whenever an individual develops an insidious loss of function or gradual, slowly progressive, painless weakness in one or more regions of the body, without changes in the ability to feel, and when no other cause is immediately

Evidence Based Medicine (EBM) is one of the most important skills for the heath profession in this era. In this paper two occupational therapy on Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) are critically analyzed to test its validity for further evidence-based practice on the occupational therapy of ALS patients. The two articles used for the critical appraisal of EBM are one, Interaction of physical function, quality of life and depression in Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: characterization of a large patient cohort by Körner, Kollewe, Abdulla, Zapf, Dengler and Petri (Körner et al). Two, Systematic review of the Effectiveness of Occupational Therapy-Related Interventions for People with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis by Arbesman and

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease) is considered one of the most common and highly fatal motor neuron disease amongst adults. ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that effects both upper motor neuron (central neuron cells) function and lower motor neuron (peripheral neuron cells) function and usually results in muscle weakness, muscle atrophy, speech and swallowing dysfunctions, progressive paralysis, and possible death from respiratory failure. Spasticity, altered behavior disturbances, dysexecutive impairment, and frontotemporal dementia may also be present with ALS as well. In general, neurons in specific tracts/areas (corticospinal tracts, cerebellum, medulla, pons, anterior horn cells, motor cortex) of the brain and spinal cord undergo marked degeneration and premature cell death which may be caused by a toxic buildup of glutamate but that is only one of many factors that may be

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou-Gehrig’s disease, was first described by Charcot in 1874. “Amyotrophic” pertains to the lower motor neuron signs of muscle weakness, atrophy, and fasciculations. “Lateral sclerosis” refers to the gliosis of the lateral column of the spinal cord found in autopsy specimens following degeneration of the corticospinal tracts. This is clinically manifested as upper motor signs like hyperreflexia, clonus, extensor toe signs, and Hoffmann