Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
| Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis | |
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| Stephen Hawking, a physicist who has ALS. | |
| ICD-10 | G12.2 |
| ICD-9 | 335.20 |
| OMIM | 105400 |
| DiseasesDB | 29148 |
| MedlinePlus | 000688 |
| MeSH | D000690 |
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis Microchapters |
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Differentiating Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from other Diseases |
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Case Studies |
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis On the Web |
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American Roentgen Ray Society Images of Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
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Risk calculators and risk factors for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis |
For patient information, click here
Editor-In-Chief: C. Michael Gibson, M.S., M.D. [1]
Synonyms and keywords: ALS; Lou-Gehrig's disease; maladie de Charcot; upper and lower motor neuron disease; motor neuron disease
Overview
Historical Perspective
Classification
Pathophysiology
Causes
Differentiating Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis from other Diseases
Epidemiology and Demographics
Risk Factors
Natural History, Complications and Prognosis
Diagnosis
Diagnostic Evaluation | History and Symptoms | Physical Examination | Laboratory Findings
Prognosis
Regardless of the part of the body first affected by the disease, it is usual for muscle weakness and atrophy to spread to other parts of the body as the disease progresses. It is important to remember that some patients with ALS have an arrested course with no progression beyond a certain point despite extensive follow-up. Such a pattern is particularly true for young males with predominant upper limb weakness especially on one side (so-called monomelic or Hirayama type mother neuron disease). Eventually people with ALS will not be able to stand or walk, get in or out of bed on their own, or use their hands and arms. In later stages of the disease, individuals have difficulty breathing as the muscles of the respiratory system weaken. Although ventilation support can ease problems with breathing and prolong survival, it does not affect the progression of ALS. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10 percent of those individuals with ALS survive for 10 or more years.
Resources
United States
- Emory ALS Center
- ALS Association
- Muscular Dystrophy Association [2]
- Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins
- ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI), a non-profit biotechnology company focused on finding viable treatment and a cure
International
United Kingdom
Canada
Australia
- Motor Neurone Disease Association of Australia [3]
Awareness and fundraising events
- The Ride For Life, founded in 1998 by ALS patient and former teacher Chris Pendergast. Chris and other ALS patients made a wheelchair ride from Yankee Stadium to Washington D.C.—a 350-mile journey. The ride continues annually and, in recent years, has centered on the New York Metro area. Their mission is to raise public awareness of ALS, help fund research, support ALS patients and their families, and provide the ALS community with the latest ALS related news, information and inspiration. Since 1998, Ride for Life has earned nearly 3 million dollars for ALS research and patient services.
- Augie's Quest [4] was started by fitness pioneer Augie Nieto in cooperation with the Muscular Dystrophy Association after his diagnosis with the disease. Augie's Quest and ALS TDI entered into the largest private funding collaboration in the history of the disease, $36 million, in 2006. All funds raised through Augie's Quest events go 100% to ALS research.
- The Walk to D'Feet ALS held annually by the ALS Association, where walkers raise awareness and money to fight and cure ALS.
- Prize 4 Life, a group of recent Harvard Business School graduates founded Prize4Life, a nonprofit to turbo charge ALS research because one or their classmates, Avi Kremer, MBA 2007 and Chairman of Prize4Life, was diagnosed with this fatal illness in the fall of 2004. Prize4Life is a results-oriented nonprofit founded to accelerate ALS/MND research by offering substantial prizes to scientists who solve the most critical scientific problems preventing the discovery of an effective ALS/MND treatment. The Prize4Life concept is inspired by other prize awards for stimulating research, such as the X-Prize for commercial space travel and DNA-decoding, the U.S. government’s H-Prize for hydrogen renewable energy, and Eli Lilly’s venture, InnoCentive, which outsources difficult R&D problems to a distributed network of scientists using prizes.
See also
External links
- A Ride for 3 Reasons One man's solo ride across America on a bicycle to raise awareness and money for ALS research. Includes his daily weblog during the ride and profiles of families and individuals living with ALS.
- The ALS Advocacy Community is the ALS Association's online community offering. Members can partake in blogs, discussions, social network and many other features.
- ALS Association
- ALS-Project - Free communication software for people suffering from ALS
- ALS Support Group ALSforums is an international online support group for individuals affected by ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease).
- ALS-TDF forums are maintained by the ALS Therapy Development Foundation and focuses on answering scientific questions pertaining to ALS
- ALS Therapy Development Foundation; see also So Much So Fast below
- ALS Warrior Poet Blazeman Foundation, founded by the late Job Blaise, the first person with ALS to compete and finish the Ironman triathalon.
- Clinical Trial of Neurodex for Pseudobulbar Affect in People with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
- BrainTalk communities was one of the largest ALS/MND forums in the world but following a 2-month hardware failure is currently rebuilding its community.
- BUILD UK is for people affected by ALS/MND in the UK, but also has overseas members
- Duke ALS Clinic The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has recognized the Duke ALS Clinic as one of its distinguished ALS Research and Clinical Centers.
- Extra Hands for ALS
- Les Turner ALS Foundation
- Lou Gehrig's Website
- Misao for a Cause A t-shirt charity created by Misao Apparel, to help benefit those diagnosed with ALS.
- PatientsLikeMe is a telesocial medicine site which allows ALS/MND patients to record their symptoms and share information about treatments
- Robert Packard Center for ALS Research at Johns Hopkins, a leader in ALS Research
- So Much So Fast A documentary about ALS and one family's race to find a cure; aired on PBS's Frontline in May 2007
- Stephen Hawking's Website
- The Patrick O'Brien Foundation A non-profit dedicated to promoting awareness of ALS, established in honor of Patrick Sean O'Brien - an artist diagnosed with ALS at the uncommonly early age of 30, who is chronicling his experience of the disease for a feature film.
- War on ALS Official Site of Team Blazeman, founded in honor of the late Jon Blais.
References
General Muscular Dystrophy
This article incorporates in public domain text from The U.S. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke