What is MND / ALS ?

Taken from Ride for Life Website

ALS is a disease of the motor neurons in the spinal cord and lower brain which control the voluntary
muscles throughout the body. ALS is also known as Lou Gehrig's Disease or motor neuron disease
(MND). When these motor neurons die as a result of ALS, the ability of the brain to control muscle
movement is lost. The groups of muscles affected and the order in which they are affected varies
from one person to another. For some people with ALS, symptoms begin with the muscles for
swallowing and the tongue. For many, muscles in the hands, wrists, shoulders and ankles tend to
weaken first.

ALS is a rapidly progressive, fatal neuromuscular disease. It attacks the motor neurons responsible
for transmitting electrical impulses from the brain to the voluntary muscles throughout the body.

When these muscles fail to receive messages, they eventually lose strength, atrophy and die. There is
no known treatment.

Anyone can get ALS. Over 25,000 Americans currently have the disease and 6,000 new cases are
diagnosed every year in the U.S. Every 90 minutes someone dies from ALS.


Why is it known as Lou Gehrig's Disease?

Lou Gehrig, a famous baseball player in the U.S. during the 1930's, became afflicted with ALS. He
was known as baseball's "Ironman". Strength, agility, excellent health - Lou Gehrig had everything it
took to become a baseball legend. But Lou Gehrig had something else. At the peak of his career, he
was diagnosed as having Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). He died at the age of 38.


When was ALS first discovered?

ALS was first described in 1869 by Jean-Martin Charcot, a French neurologist. Since that time a
number of theories about the cause of ALS have been developed. Some scientists believe it is
possible that ALS is caused by a slow-acting or latent "virus". If it is caused by an organism, there is
absolutely no fear that it is contagious. There is no increased incidence among medical personnel
who deal with ALS patients. Work has also been done on the possible role of the thyroid gland and
trauma.


What causes ALS?

The cause is not yet known although several theories are now being researched. At present neither a
cure for ALS nor a means of prevention is known. In 1993, scientists announced in a paper
published in the British journal "Nature" that they had isolated the gene associated with about 20% of
the cases of the inherited form of the disease. While only 10% of ALS patients have this genetic
predisposition, there is no evidence of a clinical difference between the familial and the sporadic
forms of the illness.


What about environmental causes?

The very high incidence of ALS on the island of Guam, in Western New Guinea and on Kii peninsula
of Japan may provide some clues about environmental influences. Heavy metals such as lead and
mercury are suspected causes, as is aluminium, which can poison the body and cause ALS
symptoms. Some people may have a genetic makeup which makes them susceptible to an
environmental cause of ALS.


What parts of the body does it affect?

Because it attacks only motor neurons, ALS does not affect the mind. The person with ALS remains
mentally sharp and in full possession of the senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and touch. Bladder
and bowel muscles are generally not affected by ALS. ALS seldom causes pain, although some
people do have cramps and secondary discomfort from lengthy sitting or lying down.



Is sexual function affected by the disease?

No : )


Are there different types of ALS?

There are three classifications:

Sporadic (which is the most common form of ALS)
Familial (a small number of cases suggest genetic inheritance of ALS)
Guamanian (a high number of cases of ALS occur in Guam and the Trust Territories of the
Pacific)


What are the early symptoms of ALS?

ALS usually becomes apparent either in the throat or upper chest area or in the arms and legs. Some
people begin to trip and fall; some lose the use of their hands and arms; some find it hard to swallow
and some slur their speech.


Can you "catch" ALS? And what does it do?

ALS cannot be "caught" - it is not contagious. In 90% of ALS cases, it strikes people with no family
history of the disease. Ten percent of the cases are classified as familial or inherited ALS. It may
occur at any age, with the likelihood increasing as people grow older. However, many are struck
down in the prime of life. ALS occurs equally in men and women.

Because the disease frequently takes its toll before being positively diagnosed, many patients are
debilitated before learning they have contracted ALS. The disease does not affect the senses of
taste, touch, sight, smell and hearing, or the mind.

ALS wreaks a devastating effect on patients as well as their families. As they struggle to cope with
the prospect of advancing disability and death, it consumes their financial and emotional reserves. It
is a costly disease in its later stages, demanding both extensive nursing care and expensive
equipment.


Is there hope for people with ALS?

Yes, certainly. Based on recent medical discoveries, drug trials are now underway. Advances in our
knowledge about other neurological diseases may also continue to shed light on the cause of ALS
and help us find a cure.