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Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS)

Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS). Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Discovery. First identified about 130 years ago by French neurologist Jean Martin Charcot in 1869. Charcot explained the disease and given credit for the discovery. Names.

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Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS)

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  1. Lou Gehrig’s Disease (ALS) Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

  2. Discovery • First identified about 130 years ago by French neurologist Jean Martin Charcot in 1869. • Charcot explained the disease and given credit for the discovery.

  3. Names • Maladie de Charcot (first name of the disease named after the discoverer) • Motor Neuron Disease • ALS (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis) • Lou Gehrig’s Disease (named after most famous victim)

  4. What is ALS? • A disease that affects the nerve cells in the spinal cord as well as the brain that control voluntary muscle movements. • The person would eventually become completely paralyzed because the brain is not able to use or control muscles. • Often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s Disease because he was a very famous person to develop this disease.

  5. Diagnosis • No real way to diagnose ALS. • Only way to identify it is by the symptoms and running a series of tests to rule out other diseases. • Also studying the progression of the symptoms periodically to see if the symptoms have worsened.

  6. Transmission • Just about 10% of people who develop Lou Gehrig’s Disease get it as a result of a genetic defect or hereditary. Any other person who develops this disease has an unknown cause. • ***The mutation for ALS happens in one of the first 22 chromosomes. The most common mutated chromosome in hereditary ALS is the twenty first chromosome. This mutation is known as superoxide dismutase or SOD1.

  7. Who Gets ALS? • People of all races can get this disease, but mostly men. • For the most part ALS begins its progression between the ages of forty and sixty. • About 20,000 Americans have ALS and about 5,000 more people develop the disease each year.

  8. Famous People Who Had ALS • Hall of Fame baseball pitcher Jim "Catfish" Hunter • Sesame Street creator Jon Stone• Actor David Niven• Boxing champ Ezzard Charles• Pro football player Glenn Montgomery • New York Senator Jacob Javits

  9. Symptoms • Difficulty breathing and swallowing; including choking easily and gagging. • Muscle weakness that progressively gets worse. • Paralysis • Speech problems: slurred speech and nasal voice • Hoarseness • Muscle spasms • Muscle contractions • Drooling • Weight Loss • Twitching • Awkwardness in walking or running. • Tripping or stumbling more often • Ankles, feet, and leg swelling • Have difficulty completing simple tasks such as buttoning a shirt.

  10. Cause • Although a true and proven cause for ALS remains unknown, some people believe it has to do with one’s mitochondria. • They believe a mutation happens to the mitochondria in the nerve cells that slows down the cell because the mitochondria gives the cell its energy. Reproduction of that cell would cause more infected cells and they would die at a rate too fast for cell division of healthy cells to replace them. The more nerve cells die, the more paralyzed one would become.

  11. Cause (Con’d) • “Two of the prevailing theories for the cause of Lou Gehrig's disease's are the production of toxic molecular fragments called free radicals and the inheritance of faulty genes.” • (Transmission of lougehrig’s disease, Neal Litherland).

  12. Treatment • There is riluzole, which is FDA approved, that actually does slow down the progression of ALS, but does not prevent or stop it. • Acupuncture is thought to influence physiological functions via the nervous system. • A device to help a victim breathe • No found and proven cure

  13. Reference List • https://health.google.com/health/ref/Amyotrophic+lateral+sclerosis. Medicine Plus. • http://www.alsa.org/als/what.cfm. ALS Association. 2007. • http://library.thinkquest.org/05aug/00112/lou_gehrigs_frameset.htm. Think Quest. • http://www.historyforkids.org/scienceforkids/biology/cells/doing/mitochondria.htm. Kidipede. 2009. • http://www.itmonline.org/arts/als.htm. SubhutiDharmananda. 2003. • http://www.ninds.nih.gov/disorders/amyotrophiclateralsclerosis/detail_amyotrophiclateralsclerosis.htm#152494842. National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Strokes. 2010. • http://www.ehow.com/how-does_5660951_lou-gehrig_s-disease-transmitted_.html. eHow. 1999-2010.

  14. Biography of Lou Gehrig • Played for the New York Yankees beginning in 1923. • Had the most consecutive games played (until Cal Ripken Jr. broke it) despite many painful injuries. • Played shortstop and was the leadoff man for the team. • Nicknamed the Iron Horse for his strength and endurance. • Won a Most Valuable Player Award • Holds record for most RBI’s in a season (184). • 1939 diagnosed with ALS and delivers an emotional speech • http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=a4msaZTJrTA

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