ALS Flashcards
What is the most common adult onset motor neuron disease?
ALS
What does ALS stand for?
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis
ALS is known as a _____ illness
Terminal
What does ALS cause?
Rapid progressive degeneration of both upper and lower nervous system motor neurons
ALS: Life Expectancy
3-5 years after symptoms appear
ALS: Etiology
Unknown
First Document of ALS
Jean-Marie Charcot (1874)
What is ALS also known as?
Lou Gehrig’s Disease
ALS affects what age group?
55-65
Possible Etiologies of ALS
- Genetic, environmental, and pathologic findings
- Smoking 4x increased risk
What career groups of people are more likely to be diagnosed with ALS? Why?
US veterans and athletes; may be related to trauma, including traumatic brain injury, or exposure to a toxin, such as pesticide or heavy metal
Risk Factors for ALS
Males>Females
Western Pacific
Possible Risk Factors for ALS
Vigorous physical activity
Neurotoxins
Electrical works and industrial occupations
High fat intake
ALS Pathophysiology
Messages from Upper motor neurons transmitted to motor neurons in the spinal cord and to lower motor neurons and from the spinal cord and motor nuclei of brain to a particular muscle or mucles.
ALS: What happens when UMN and LMN die?
Muscles don’t function, gradually weaken, and atrophy