Full form of ALS
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the full form of ALS. It is also called motor neuron disease (MND). This is a disease that causes the death of neurons that control voluntary muscles. These muscles are a group of muscles that we can control however we want. They are also called skeletal muscles, which are attached to bones and are responsible for movement. Typical features of ALS are muscle twitching, muscle stiffness, and gradual deterioration of muscle size leading to body weakness.
Characteristics of ALS
The condition of ALS begins with a typical weakness in the body, which gradually becomes stiffening of the muscles and joints, and the patient begins to have difficulties speaking and swallowing. Many patients also begin to suffer from thinking difficulties, and few experience behavioral changes. Patients also suffer from pain. The condition continues to eventually progress to the limited movement of the arms and legs and breathing difficulties. The patient is also unable to walk or help himself in any way.
In about 95% of cases, the cause is unknown, but researchers believe that causes include environmental and genetic factors. The remaining 5% of cases must be considered hereditary, with the patient's family history showing that someone has suffered from a similar disorder. Usually, messages are carried from motor neurons in the brain, called upper motor neurons, to motor neurons in the spinal cord and motor nuclei of the brain, known as lower motor neurons.
ALS is a condition that involves damage to both upper and lower motor neurons that gradually degenerate and die. Generally, the diagnosis and prognosis depend on the patient's signs and symptoms. As of now, tests are being conducted to rule out likely causes.
On the treatment aspect, there is no known cure for ALS. In general, in the case of neuronal damage and dysfunction, the main treatment protocol would focus on improving the patient's symptoms.
History of ALS
ALS was first discovered in 1824 by Charles Bell. Later in 1869, Jean-Martin Charcot developed a link between symptoms and underlying neurological problems. In 1874, Jean-Martin Charcot introduced the term amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. This disease is often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disorder, even though it affected the famous baseball player Lou Gehrig in 1939. In the 20th century, the disease was well known in the United States.
Classification of ALS
Motor neuron disease is a group of neurological disorders that affect the body's motor neurons and affect the body's voluntary muscles. These are:
- Primary Lateral Sclerosis (PLS)
- Pseudobulbar Palsy
- Monomelic Amyotrophy (MMA)
- Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
- Progressive Muscular Atrophy (PMA)
- Progressive Bulbar Palsy (PBP)
Types of ALS
It is classified into two types:
- Sporadic ALS: It affects about 80% of people. This means that the disease affects randomly without any family history. Although people's family risk of developing the disease, the risk is low, and most people do not necessarily develop ALS.
- Familial ALS: About 10% to 15% of people fall into this category, where the individual has a family history or genetic background of the disease. At least one parent must carry the gene responsible for the familial type of ALS. Mutations associated with a dozen genes may be responsible for familial ALS. Research has also linked the same genes as a cause of frontal and temporal lobe dementia.