• Skip to primary navigation
  • Skip to main content
  • Skip to primary sidebar
  • Skip to footer
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube

International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations

  • Members' Login
  • Contact
  • Join the Alliance
  • Donate
  • What is ALS/MND
  • Find a Member Association
  • Support for PALS & CALS
    • Fundamental Rights of People with ALS/MND and Caregivers
    • Research
      • Open Science
      • Expanded Access
      • Understanding ALS/MND Research
      • Improving Regulatory Pathways
      • Right to Try
      • US FDA Orphan Drug Designation
      • Unproven (Off-Label) Treatments
      • Open Label Extension
    • Advocacy
      • Advocacy Toolkit
    • Clinical Care
      • Genetic Counselling & Testing
      • Mental Health Support
      • Nursing and Symptom Management
      • Nutrition and Swallowing
      • Occupational Therapy and Activities of Daily Living
      • Physiotherapy and Mobility
      • Respiratory Care
      • Speech Therapy and Communication
      • Support for Family & Caregivers
      • Technology
    • Drugs in Development
      • AB Science – Masitinib
      • Amylyx – AMX0035
      • Biogen – Tofersen
      • BrainStorm Cell Therapeutics – NurOwn
      • Clene Nanomedicine – CNM-Au8
      • Collaborative Medicinal Development – CuATSM
      • Cytokinetics – Reldesemtiv
      • Kadimastem – AstroRx
      • Mitsubishi Tanabe Pharma America – Oral Edaravone
      • Orphazyme – Arimoclomol
      • T Regulatory Cell Therapies
    • Approved Drugs
      • Radicava/Edaravone
      • Neudexta
      • Riluzole/Tiglutik
  • Support for Health Professionals
    • How to Break the News in ALS/MND
  • Events/Programs
    • Calendar of Events/Programs
    • Alliance Webinars
    • Alliance Meeting
    • Allied Professionals Forum
    • ALS/MND Connect
    • Global Day
    • March of Faces
    • International Symposium on ALS/MND
  • About
    • Who We Are
    • Board of Directors
    • Committees/Advisory Councils
      • Scientific Advisory Council
      • PALS and CALS Advisory Council
      • Innovation and Technology Council
      • Governance Committee
      • Budget and Finance Committee
    • Staff
    • History
    • Archives
      • Newsletters
      • Meetings
    • Awards
      • Student Award Nomination
      • Forbes Norris Award Nomination
      • Humanitarian Award Nomination
      • Allied Health Professional Award Nomination
  • Members
    • Member Registration
    • Forgot Password

What is ALS?

ALS, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. A-myo-trophic comes from the Greek language. “A” means no. “Myo” refers to muscle, and “Trophic” means nourishment – “No muscle nourishment.” When a muscle has no nourishment, it “atrophies” or wastes away. “Lateral” identifies the areas in a person’s spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As this area degenerates, it leads to scarring or hardening (“sclerosis”) in the region.

http://www.alsa.org/about-als/what-is-als.html

Language: English
Subject areas: What Is ALS/MND?

Primary Sidebar

Back to resources

Subscribe to our Bi-Monthly Newsletter

Fill out the form below to subscribe to the Alliance’s bi-monthly newsletter, packed with updates from members associations from around the world!

Footer

Keep in touch

Sign up to receive updates and to hear what's going on in the International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations.

"*" indicates required fields

 
This field is for validation purposes and should be left unchanged.
  • Email
  • Facebook
  • Instagram
  • Twitter
  • YouTube
Return to top of page

Contact | Disclaimer | Privacy Notice & Cookies | Sitemap

Copyright © 2023 The International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations. All rights reserved.


Registered in England: Charity Number 1079504 · Site built by graphics.coop · Powered by WordPress · Members' login