Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as "Lou Gehrig's disease," is a progressive neurode""generative disease that attacks nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. Motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS eventually lead to their death. When the motor neurons die, the ability of the brain to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. With all voluntary muscle action affected, patients in the later stages of the disease become totally paralyzed. Yet, through it all, for the vast majority of people, their minds remain unaffected.

A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. "A" means no or negative. "Myo" refers to muscle, and "Trophic" means nourishment --"No muscle nourishment." When a muscle has no nourishment, it "atrophies" or wastes away. "Lateral" identifies the areas in a person's spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that nourish the muscles are located. As this area degenerates it leads to scarring or hardening  -- "sclerosis" -- in the region.

As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement. Early symptoms of ALS often include increasing muscle weakness, especially involving the arms and legs, speech, swallowing and breathing. When muscles no longer receive the messages from the motor neurons that they require to function, the muscles begin to atrophy or waste away. Limbs begin to look "thinner" as muscle tissue atrophies.

Although the cause of ALS is not completely understood, the 1990s have brought a wealth of new scientific understanding regarding the physiology of this disease.

In 1998, Hiroshi Mitsumoto, M.D., Cleveland Clinic ALSA Center and Chair of ALSA's Medical Advisory Committee, provided this perspective:

In a review of ALS published in the Archives of Neurology in 1988, I quote Lewis Thomas. 'The whole field of biomedical science is on the move as never before in the long history of medicine. I don't know what will happen over the next 20 years, but my guess is that we are on the verge of discoveries that will match the best achievement in infectious disease a generation ago.' In ten years - just half of Lewis' prediction - we now know the gene responsible for some familial ALS; we have the first drug we can prescribe for ALS; we have a real animal model for this disease and we have incredibly important knowledge on the cell death mechanisms of motor neurons in ALS. Yes, the progress still appears to be too slow for anyone waiting for a breakthrough, but we are truly on the verge of more exciting discoveries. We have solid reasons for strong hope in ALS.

At this time, there is no known cure for ALS.  However, there is hope . . . hope that through research, a cure will be found.  The hope and care that the Chapter provides helps individuals meet the daily challenge of living with ALS.