The Lateral Sclerosis ( Als ) Is A Neurodegenerative...

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease that causes loss of motor neurons and progressive weakness including loss of speech(Wijesekera Leigh, 2009). Its onset typically occurs in the sixth decade of life but rare instances can happen earlier. It can begin as bulbar onset which affects the voice, breathing and speech patterns or limb onset which can begin in the arms or legs (Wijesekera Leigh, 2009). Roughly 90% of cases of ALS are sporadic and not linked to familial history of the disease(Wijesekera Leigh, 2009). Once ALS starts it almost always progresses, eventually taking away the ability to walk, dress, write, speak, swallow, and breathe and shortening the life span. There is no treatment or cure for ALS, however there are a few drugs which have been able to slow the progression of the disease in some patients. As a result affected individuals become â€Å"locked in† and unable to communicate. These patients can benefit greatly from the use of a brain computer interface (BCI)(Birbaumer, 2006; Coyle, Ward, Markham, McDarby, 2004). BCI can help individuals communicate without relying on muscular control, which is critical for clinical populations of neuromuscular disease patients, such ALS (Wolpaw, 2002). The use of BCI can enable communication and increase quality of life but to date the effects of mental fatigue have been ignored. However, the current state of BCI technology and overall usability is not advanced enough to replace moreShow MoreRelatedA Brief Note On Lou Gehrig, The Greatest New York Yankee Baseball1967 Words   |  8 Pageswith a â€Å"rare disease† – amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (Mitsumoto, 2001). Today ALS is no longer considered rare and is widely recognized as a relentless and devastating neurodegenerative disease. In recent years the media has covered ALS to promote awareness and support ongoing research to enhance diagnosis, treatment, and quality of life. Unfortunately, the disease is incurable and treatment options are currently limited. Epidemiology/Incidence There are 20,000 new cases of ALS diagnosedRead MoreHenry Louis Gehrig was a popular German-American baseball player. He was most known for several1400 Words   |  6 Pageswas diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis when he was 36. Sadly, within two years he had succumbed to the disease. Lou Gehrig was well known in his lifetime as a great baseball player but in his death he has been most noted for his diagnosis of ASL. Before the public announcement of the reasons for his retirement, many Americans had not heard of the disease. Because of this, his name is a trademark of its discovery. Theoretically, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ASL) is a disorder that affectsRead MoreA Brief Note On The Ice Bucket Challenge Essay1244 Words   |  5 Pagesawareness for the disease ALS. One would then nominate others to do the challenge as well, whilst giving a monetary donation of their choice to the ALS association for research funds thereafter. The challenge is basically broken down into three steps: accepting the challenge from nomination, uploading a video of the person doing the challenge, and giving a donation on that person s behalf. Even after the ice bucket challenge craze, many people nationwide are unaware of what the disease is actually aboutRead MoreKennedy s Disease : An Incurable Neuromuscular Disorder959 Words   |  4 PagesKennedy’s Disease is an Incurable Neuromuscular Disorder. What is Kennedy’s Disease? Kennedy’s disease is an inherited neurodegenerative disorder that affects both the spinal and bulbar neurons. KD is a lower motor neuron disorder because it interrupts the transmission of nerve cell signals in the brain and spinal cord. This interruption affects the spinal and bulbar neurons causing the major symptoms muscle atrophy, weakness, contraction fasciulations, and bulbar weakness. KD is the first of theRead MoreIntroduction Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a2200 Words   |  9 PagesIntroduction Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a neurodegenerative disease. Originally acknowledged by Jean-Marie Charcot in 1874, this disease kills over 140,000 people worldwide every year. The disease causes progressive paralysis and muscle weakness due to destruction of both upper and lower motor neurons. Due to its insidious nature and the irreversible negative effects on skeletal muscle innervation, ALS has a survival duration time of only 3 to 5 years (Rowland)Read MoreAthletes Essay1557 Words   |  7 Pagesthey will get hurt or develop a disease overtime, but still choose to participate because of the rush certain sports give. A disease associated with athletes is Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis (ALS) which is also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, it is a disorder in the nervous system that causes death of nerve cells and destroys Motor neurons. Another disease associated with many athletes is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) which is an irrev ersible brain disease caused by multiple hits to the headRead MoreAthletes Essay1617 Words   |  7 Pagesor more diseases that are coming from all the brain injuries involved that are leading to most of their deaths due to all their muscles weakening. A disease associated with athletes is Amyotrophic Lateral sclerosis (ALS) which is also known as Lou Gehrigs disease, it is a disorder in the nervous system that causes the death of nerve cells and destroys Motor neurons. Another disease associated with many athletes is Chronic Traumatic Encephalopathy (CTE) which is an irreversible brain disease causedRead More Amyotrophic Later Sclerosis Essay1987 Words   |  8 Pagesmany known diseases in the world that we live in today affecting a wide range of individuals of different ages, ethnicities, and genders. With each type of disease comes a diagnosis, prognosis, and potential for a cure from one of life’s many ailments. Over the course of time, technology has began to lead t he way in discovering as well as treating many disease in which doctors previously knew little about. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), often referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, was firstRead MoreLarge Animal Models For Neururodegenerative Diseases Case Study1695 Words   |  7 PagesLarge animal models for neurodegenerative diseases Numerous human genetic disorders, such as neurodegenerative diseases, occur because of genetic mutations in human cells. New genome editing tools – as of 2014 - such as transcription activator-like endonucleases (TALENs) or CRISPR/Cas9 further ease the precise generation of non-human primates (NHP) models for human diseases. Several of these NHP models displayed clinical manifestations like those of human disorders, in comparison with rodent modelsRead MoreThe Effects Of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis ( Als )2393 Words   |  10 PagesI. Introduction Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a late onset neurological disorder characterized by motor neuron degeneration in brain stem, spinal cord and primary motor cortex. There is no single gene strictly associated with all ALS cases, the disease is thought to be caused by the interaction of many genetic factors as well as environmental influences. Most of ALS patients have no family history of this disease, familiar form accounts for only 5 to 10% and seems to be dominant in most