Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Sarah Belair and Hannah McLaughlin

What is ALS? ●AKA Lou Gehrig's Disease ●Causes motor neurons to deteriorate affecting voluntary muscle movements ●Motor neurons don't send messages to muscles causing the muscles to weaken ●Brain’s ability to send signals to voluntary move is lost

Symptoms ● Muscle Weakness and Difficulty Using o Limbs o Muscles used for Speaking, Swallowing, or Breathing ● Tremors ● Muscle Cramping ● Jumbled/Slurred Speech ● Advanced Stages: o Difficulty Breathing (shortness of breath) o Difficulty Swallowing ●Progressive dementia

Rosalie McLaughlin-Belair ● 25 years old ● Has developed muscle weakness in her arms ● Has difficulty lifting objects ● She is worried she inherited the disease from her mother

Regions of the Brain Affected ● Cerebellum ● Cerebral Cortex ● Frontal Lobe ● Motor Cortex

Diagnosis ● Process of Elimination (No specific diagnostic testing currently) o Electrodiagnostic Testing  Electromyography (EMG)  Nerve Conduction Velocity (NCV) o Blood/Urine Samples o Spinal Tap o X-Ray o Biopsy (Muscle/Nerve) o MRI ● Genetic Testing o SOD1 Gene on Chromosome 21 Q o of Chromosome 9 P

Treatment ● Incurable ● Riluzole o Decreases release of glutamate o Reduce damage to motor neurons o Prolongs life by several months o Prolongs time before mechanical intervention such as ventilators ● Diaphragm Pacing Systems o For late stage ALS o Assists with breathing for ALS patients o Delays need for ventilators ● Ventilator ● Gastrostomies

Prognosis ● Average life span with early detection of weakness is about 5 years ● Wheel chair ● Stages o Symptoms o Diagnosis o Involvement of second region (of the brain) o Involvement of third region (of the brain) o Gastrostomies o Machine Ventilation ●Therapy

Error in Communication ● The brain of an ALS patient is significantly smaller than a brain of a normal person. This is because neurons start to break down and die causing a decrease in brain matter. The neurons that are affected are noticed to be in different parts of the brain.

Biomedical Professionals MRI technician ● Operate magnetic resonance imaging scanner (MRI) which create diagnostic images of body tissues ● Responsibilities: o Prep patients for scan and positions them inside scanner o Calibrating MRI and it’s parts and ensuring its functioning properly o Screening patients (interviewing) for things which would prevent patient from continuing on to having the scan (pregnancy, pacemaker) ● Education o Associate's degree in magnetic resonance imaging ● How do they help a possible ALS patient? o Create images of ALS patient’s brain, spinal cord and nerves in order to eliminate other possible conditions such as MS, stroke, or tumors

Biomedical Professionals Cont. X-Ray Technician ● Preform X-Ray imaging exam/scan which create 2-D images of dense areas of the body (bone) ● Responsibilities: o Maintaining/upkeeping of their machine o Operating X-Ray Equipment o Keep records of procedures ● Education o Associates degree o Certification (American Registry of Radiologic Technologists) ● How do they help a possible ALS patient? o Conduct X-Ray which is used to eliminate other possible diseases/conditions

Citations ALS Multidisciplinary Clinic. (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from American Journal of Neuroradiology. (2014, January 1). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Fact Sheet. (2014, September 19). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. (2014, May 2). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from Become a MRI Technician: Education and Career Roadmap. (2013, January 1). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from Sapko, M.D, M. (2014, March 1). How to Become an X-Ray Technician. Retrieved November 14, 2014, from What is ALS? (2010, January 1). Retrieved November 14, 2014, from