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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ALS. Lou Gehrig's Disease. Lydia Beck. What is ALS? ... Harwood, Glenn. Facts About ALS. Oct. 2003. Muscular Dystrophy ... – PowerPoint PPT presentation

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Title: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis


1
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • ALS
  • Lou Gehrigs Disease

Lydia Beck
2
What is ALS?
  • Debilitating nerve and muscle disease
  • Progressive and non-contagious
  • Attacks motor neurons in brain and inhibits it
    from communicating with muscles throughout body

3
Symptoms
  • Muscle weakness
  • Cramping and twitching of muscles
  • Paralysis
  • Shortness of breath

4
Diagnosis/Treatment
  • Difficult to diagnose early because it can appear
    to be other diseases
  • Electric tests that are done to diagnose ALS are
    EMG and NCV
  • No treatment
  • A new drug, Riluzole? reduces damage to motor
    neurons

5
Things that are not affected
  • Senses
  • Sight
  • Hearing
  • Touch
  • Smell
  • Involuntary muscle movement
  • Mind
  • Memory
  • Thoughts
  • Learning
  • Personality

6
Living with ALS
  • Chuck Kennicott was diagnosed with ALS in 1994
  • Each day, he takes 7 different kinds of
    medication
  • He has to have 24-hour health care
  • There are ALS support groups in bigger cities for
    families to meet each other

7
Living with ALS
  • Chucks ways of mobility has progressed from
    having to use braces, a manual wheelchair, a
    motorized wheelchair, and now total bed
    confinement
  • His family has hired a nurse to be with him
    during the day, and his wife takes care of him at
    night
  • He likes being read to and watching his children
    in their various school activities

8
Statistics
  • 5,600 Americans are diagnosed with ALS each year
  • Most common among 40-70 year old males
  • 90-95 of all cases occur randomly
  • Longevity
  • 50 live at least 3-4 years after diagnosis
  • 20 live 5 or more years
  • 10 survive more than 10 years after diagnosis

9
Bibliography
  • Falcheck, Stephen, MD. Lou Gehrig\'s Disease
    (ALS). Jan. 2003. 14 June 2004
    html.
  • Harwood, Glenn. Facts About ALS. Oct. 2003.
    Muscular Dystrophy Association. 15 June
    2004 tml.
  • Kennicott, Kathi. Telephone interview. 14 June
    2004.
  • Understanding ALS. Dec. 2001. ALS Association. 14
    June 2004
    .
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