ALS - The Facts
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurological disease of the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary muscle movement. Also called Lou Gehrig’s disease and motor neuron disease (MND), ALS is caused by progressive deterioration and death of motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness and paralysis.
Why is ALS such a complex disease?
ALS can affect anyone of any age, gender, or race.
ALS is not experienced in the same way among all diagnosed, and the manner and speed at which the disease moves throughout a person’s body can vary greatly. On average, people with ALS live for 3-5 years after they experience their first signs of disease, but improvements in multidisciplinary care may extend survival. The variable rate of disease progression makes prognosis difficult to predict and therapies challenging to develop.
ALS is a complex disease and there is still much that we don’t know. While there are currently no cure nor effective treatments for ALS, the ALS Therapy Development Institute (ALS TDI) is working hard to change that. Source: ALS-TDI
