ALS/Motor Neurologic Disorder Paper

With ALS, this disease process only last three to five years after being diagnosed, but patients with medical management have

The treatments available are only meant to allay the symptoms of ALS. There are many drugs being studied, including Allopurinol (Zyloprim), Antioxidants (such as Vitamins E, C, and Beta-Carotene), Gabapentin (Neurontin), Insulin-like Growth Factor 1 (Myotrophin), and Riluzole (Rilutek), etc. Riluzole was the first to be approved by the FDA. Gabapentin is another drug available in the market and, like Riluzole, it is said to prolong the life of a person with ALS for at least a few months (ALS Association), (Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine). Antioxidants are suggested to be able to protect nerve cells from the damaging effects of toxic free radicals. (Department of Neurology at Baylor College of Medicine) Another drug called Myotrophin, although not in the market yet, two clinical trials have indicated that this drug is safe and one clinical trial indicated that it has an ability to delay the deterioration of muscle tissue in ALS patients by twenty-six percent. The FDA's Peripheral and Central Nervous System (PCNS) Advisory Committee had a consensus about the drug being safe. (Department of Neurology at Baylor College of

Following the diagnosis of ALS the main goal of treatment is focused at relieving the symptoms. The most important matter in managing ALS patients is that they continually sustain the highest amount of movement and activity as possible and remain comfortable while doing so. Although a cure for ALS has not yet been developed, effective treatments do exist to assist the patients in their fight with the disease. Physicians urge the patients to carry on with their everyday lives doing all the activities and physically exerting themselves as they would normally do. But, they also recommend the patients to limit their amount of physical exertion

Once someone is diagnosed with ALS, there are different treatments. There is a New treatment called NeuRx DPS that came out a couple of months ago in September 29 (Synapse). In order

People with mild Parkinson’s may experience tremors as a primary symptom, while others might experience problems with balance. (Dittmer 14) Service dogs can be used to help keep balance (81). People may have trouble swallowing causing them to choke more while eating (Abramovitz 17). Family members or friends might notice changes in a person’s posture, walking ability or facial expression . (15-16)

A patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) would be able to be diagnosed from a patient’s history and a physical examination. Although, the symptoms for this disease might not appear until the age of the 30 with the onset of age 55. A patient with ALS will experience muscle weakness, asymmetric involvement of muscles, decrease of body movements, flaccid and spastic paralysis, and not having control of autonomic, sensory or mental effects.

Though one person may have a hard time trying to grasp a coffee cup or a pencil, another may experience voice change of pitch while speaking. ALS is a disease that typically involves a gradual worsening. The progress of this disease is usually varied depending on the person, also. The average time of survival with ALS is around three to five years, though many people live five, and up to ten or more years. The symptoms of ALS normally begin in the muscles that control swallowing and speech, or in the hands, legs, arms, or feet. Symptoms can begin in the muscles that control speech and swallowing or in the hands, arms, legs or feet. However, not everyone with ALS experiences the exact same symptoms, or the same progressive patterns of the disease, but, progressive muscle weakness and paralysis are universally

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) is a disease in which certain nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord slowly die. These nerve cells are also called motor neurons, and they control the voluntary muscles that allow you to move the parts of your body. ALS can also be referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease. (1) There are three classifications of ALS; sporadic, familial, and gumanian. Sporadic is the most common form of ALS and it makes up approximately 90 to 95 percent of all cases. Familial is the form of ALS that occurs in a family’s genetic line, a 50 percent chance each offspring will inherit the gene mutation. This form of ALS makes up about 5 to 10 percent of all cases in the U.S. the last form of ALS is Gumanian, an extremely high incidence of this ALS was observed in Guam and the Trust Territories of the Pacific in the 1950's. (3)

One study shows that the risk of developing ALS increases with age; however, some cases begin to occur as early as an individual's 30s or well beyond 50 (Gulli & Veillette, 2002; Hains, 2006). The earliest symptom found in ALS patients is usually weakness affecting only one limb (Gulli & Veillette, 2002; Hains, 2006; Sigurdson, 2011). The weakness tends to be more prominent on only one side of the body (Newton et al., 2000). Weakness in a leg may be shown through increased frequency of stumbling or difficulty in climbing stairs. Arm weakness may be displayed as difficulties in grasping and holding an object. Loss of coordination in fingers is also displayed when arm weakness begins (Gulli & Veillette, 2002; Hains, 2006; Newton et al., 2000; Sigurdson, 2011). Early symptoms of ALS also include, weakness in the bulbar muscles (Gulli & Veillette, 2002). The bulbar muscles in the mouth and throat assist in chewing, swallowing, and speaking. When negatively affected, this muscle group causes problems such as slurred speech, difficulty with conversation and hoarseness of the voice (ALS Association, 2016; Gulli & Veillette, 2002; Hains,

What is ALS? ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, it is also known to be Lou Gehrig’s and Charcot disease. ALS is a motor neuron disease, in this case ALS is a disorder that will involve the neurons cells to die. It is a result that in the death of the motor neurons control the voluntary muscles. Based upon what the patient’s symptoms and signs with testing will rule out any other potential causes. There is no cure for this disease, it is just a waiting process. Medicine that is call riluzole can however extent the life expand only by two to three months.

One treatment is to take Riluzole which is a drug that slows the progression by reducing levels of glutamate (chemical messenger) in the brain because there is often a high amount of glutamate in people with ALS, but this treatment may not work for everyone. After taking this drug, side effects include dizziness, gastrointestinal conditions, liver function changes, muscle cramps/spasms, spasticity, constipation, fatigue, excessive salivation, excessive phlegm, pain, depression, sleep problems, and even uncontrolled outbursts of crying/laughing. Another treatment would be therapy. Some therapies include breathing therapy to help yourself breathe better when your muscles deteriorate, physical therapy to help your muscles and get necessary braces to prolong independence, occupational therapist to help you modify daily activities so you can stay independent, speech therapy to learn new adaptive ways to speak, nutritional support, and psychological/social support.

The entire life of the patient and the patient’s family changes. It all starts to consume their daily lives. Depending on the patient, the lifestyle changes could start anywhere from a week to a few months after diagnosis. The family has to help the patient do everything as the disease progresses. To make life easier for the patient there are things able to be done to help them with daily activities. Such as eating, breathing, and walking. Feeding tubes are available to be installed, breathing machines to make breathing easier, walkers, and wheelchairs so walking isn’t so strenuous. There is nothing you can do to stop this disease, but there are medications that have been found to slow progression. Scientists are still on the hunt to cure this disease, and people all across the nation are contributing with donations through the Walk to Defeat ALS which has raised $213,327,280 since the walk started in 2000 and it has raised $31,327,276 so far this year. Another large fundraiser was the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge. It challenged people all across the nation to pour a bucket of ice water over their heads and donate to the ALS association for research. This was supposed to create awareness of the disease and simulate the feeling ALS patients have when losing the ability to control their muscle movements. Through the ice bucket challenge over $100 million has been raised for a

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) otherwise known as Lou Gehrig’s disease in the U.S. is a widely known debilitating disease that effects the upper and lower motor neurons in the nervous system. The degeneration of the upper and lower motor neurons in turn cause muscle atrophy and chronic loss of muscle use. ALS is the most common of the five motor neuron disease. Heredity is a major cause of ALS but can show up in any patients. ALS usually presents itself in late middle age but can show up in children and even young adults.

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is commonly referred to as ALS. This disease is also known to many as Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS is a disease characterized by the slow death of certain nerve cells in the brain and spine. As described by research done through the Mayo Clinic, nerve cells called motor neurons control the muscles that allow you to move muscles of your body. ALS effects these particular neurons and produce serious neurological effects that can start as muscle weakness that eventually leads to disability and then to death. For some people diagnosed with ALS they may find it difficult to walk, talk, eat food, swallow, and even breathe. These problems can, and will lead to injury, illness, and eventually death. For most people who suffer with ALS, death will occur within three to five years after the first symptoms begin; some people may live for many years beyond that.

Parkinson disease (PD), also referred to as Parkinson’s disease and paralysis agitans, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that is the third most common neurologic disorder of older adults. It is a debilitating disease affecting motor ability and is characterized by four cardinal symptoms: tremor rigidity, bradykinesia or kinesis (slow movement/no movement), and postural instability. Most people have primary, or idiopathic, disease. A few patients have secondary parkinsonian symptoms from conditions such as brain tumors and certain anti-psychotic drugs.