Overview of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most prevalent motor neuron disease and a progressive, invariably deadly neurological illness that there is no viable therapy or treatment to halt or reverse disease progression. The disorder has a global incidence of 2-3 per 10,000 people and a prevalence of 4-6 per 100,000 people. Every year, ALS affects approximately 350,000 people worldwide and kills over 100,000 people. It is named after the baseball star who contracted the disease in the 1930s, Lou Gehrig. For whatever reason, the disease's etiology has yet to be identified. ALS is a rare neurological illness that primarily affects nerve cells and is defined by progressive muscular paralysis caused by motoneurons degeneration in the motor cortex, brainstem, and spinal cord. Upper motor neurons (UMN) and lower motor neurons (LMN) both atrophy in ALS and stop transmitting messages to the muscles.