Topic The ice bucket challenge took the internet by storm. People dumping buckets of ice over their heads in the name curing ALS, or Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, but not many people who participated in the challenge actually knew what it was. ALS or Lou Gehrig 's disease is a disease that causes the slow, constant destruction of the motor neurons, which are responsible for sending messages to the muscles. “The term ‘Lou Gehrig 's disease’ is named for the famed American baseball player who developed ALS in 1939 at age 36”(Lewis). ALS basically causes the destruction of the neurons responsible for the signals sent to the body. It is mostly found in people 40-60 years old. The amount of people who have ALS is very small. “In the United States, as many as 20,000 to 30,000 people have the disease, and about 5,000 people are diagnosed with it each year” (Lewis). There are many different variations of the disease, so it is difficult to pinpoint the exact cause of it. One form of the disease has been found to be caused by a mutation of the SOD1 enzyme. SOD1 is, “an enzyme that destroys superoxide. Superoxide is a highly reactive form of oxygen. For ALS, 20% of the total population of patients have mutations in the gene for copper/zinc superoxide dismutase type SOD1. SOD1 normally breaks down free radicals, but mutant SOD1 is unable to perform this function” (ALS Association). Research suggests that the SOD1 protein can become toxic due to the mutation. Another is a genetic abnormality. The first symptoms of ALS begin with weakness, stiffness and/or twitching in a certain area of muscles. Other symptoms are speech slurringed, nasally speech, difficulty chewing and swallowing, and overall decrease in movement control. As time goes on,... ... middle of paper ... ...mptoms when they come down with the disease, and what causes that. There are many different types of ALS, so one cure may only solve one type of the disease. Another question I have is what are some hypothesis about what causes ALS? As ALS has no known cure, nor cause, it would be interesting to see the theories of what may cause it. I could also use this research and compare it to see if my Dad did any of those things. Finally, I want to learn why ALS is such a small disease. Not many people have it or get it, so I want to know why. What genetic defects may cause it? Works Cited Lewis, Tanya. "Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS): Facts & Symptoms of Lou Gehrig 's Disease."LiveScience. TechMedia Network, 05 Jan. 2015. Web. 29 Sept. 2015. Perrin, Steve. "ALS Awareness Month: 10 Things You Should Know About ALS." BIOtechNow. 24 May 2012. Web. 30 Sept. 2015.
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Imagine if you loss control of your body but your mind stayed unaffected. You would be a prisoner in your own body, all leading up to your death sentence. That is the sad fate for the people diagnosed with Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). “Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disorder was first described by Ran in 1850. This description was then expanded in 1873 by Charcot, who emphasized the involvement of the corticospinal tracts. In the United States, ALS is often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, after the famous ball player who was stricken by the disease in the midst of his career. (Yale School of Medicine, 2014)” In this paper will go through the definition, the process, the signs, the risk factors, etiology, and discus the known people that have suffered with this terminal disease.
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Neurodegeneration is used mainly for diseases that are characterised by progressive loss of structure and function of neurons. There are many neurodegenerative diseases including amyotrophic lateral sclerosis that...
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is better known as ALS or Lou Gehrig’s disease. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis was not brought to International or national attention until Famous New York Yankees baseball player, Lou Gehrig, was diagnosed with it in 1939. Jon Stone, the writer and creator of Sesame Street, was also diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is very deadly and it physically handicaps a person as it progresses. There are two types of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Sporadic and Familial. Sporadic is the most common cause in some cases and Familial is inherited, which is rare. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is one of the most aggressive muscular atrophy disorders, it has many signs and symptoms, and it can be treated but cannot be cured.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, commonly referred to as ALS, is a disease that can alter the daily life of a human in monumental and unending ways. In one of her articles about ALS, Caroline Ingre (2015) states that the disease is a “fatal neurodegenerative disorder” and further supports this by noting how the disease is marked by the degeneration in motor neurons in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord (p. 181). This basically means that
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, is a degenerative disease affecting the human nervous system. It is a deadly disease that cripples and kills its victims due to a breakdown in the body’s motor neurons. Motor neurons are nerve cells in the brainstem and spinal cord that control muscle contractions. In ALS, these neurons deteriorate to a point that all movement, including breathing, halts. Muscle weakness first develops in the muscles of body parts distant from the brain, such as the hands, and subsequently spreads through other muscle groups closer to the brain. Such early symptoms as this, however, can hardly be noticed.
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This is a neurodegenerative disease, meaning it results in progressive loss or death of neurons. It often starts off with effecting simple motor skills like writing and holding things, after a few months usually patients start losing the ability to walk, talk, or move any of their limbs. Although the brain trauma is what causes it, ALS has little-no-effect on the brain. This fatal disease is typically diagnosed around age 60 and most patients are given about 3-5 years to live after being diagnosed. It has been found that 10% of cases are shown as genetic. It was brought to attention that athletes were beginning to get diagnosed with ALS at a younger age than most. After extensive research in the early 2000’s, Brain Analyst, Dr. Mckee ran tests and finally came to the conclusion that the toxic proteins in the brains of ALS patients were coming from repeated blows to the head. It was then made evident why so many athletes in contact sports such as football, soccer, boxing, etc… were being diagnosed at such a young age and more frequently than
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