Lou Gehrig’s Disease

- Jean-Martin Charcot discovered Men most affected - Still remains mostly a mystery

- Difficult to diagnose due to similarity to other curable neuromuscular disorders - Neurological exam to look for muscle weakness - Use EMG/NCV studies and MRI to rule out other diseases

- 90% to 95% random due to no risk factors - 5% to 10% of cases are inherited/ 20% of hereditary cases due to genetic defect that causes mutation of the enzyme superoxide dismutase 1 - Not all cases due to same thing so undiscovered genetic problems must exist

Symptoms - Twitching - Cramping - Stiffness of muscles - Trouble with muscle coordination - Speech problems - Stay aware and intellectual - Problems swallowing - Progressively symptoms get worse and more severe

-No cure has been found -Drugs like riluzole are used to improve lives of victims -Physical therapy, physicians, and constant aid help person feel more comfortable -All just prolongs death

disease.suite101.com/article.cfm/alsamyotrophic_lateral_scler osis ophiclateralsclerosis/detail_amyotrophiclatera lsclerosis.htm