Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive and fatal neurodegenerative disease. ALS affects an estimated 350,000 people worldwide, with an average survival rate of three years. The degeneration of nerves leads to muscle weakness and impaired speaking, swallowing, and breathing, eventually causing paralysis and death. Currently, there is no cure.
What Is ALS/MND?
What is ALS?
In the U.S., someone is diagnosed with ALS every 90 minutes and every 90 minutes someone with ALS dies. ALS (Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis) is a rapidly progressive, terminal disease that causes muscle weakness, difficulty speaking and swallowing and, generally, complete paralysis.
À propos de la SLA
La sclérose latérale amyotrophique (également appelée SLA, maladie de Lou Gehrig ou maladie des motoneurones) est une maladie qui paralyse graduellement les personnes, car leur cerveau n’est plus en mesure de communiquer avec les muscles du corps qu’elles peuvent normalement bouger à leur guise. Au fil du temps, à mesure que les muscles du corps se détériorent, une personne vivant avec la SLA perd la capacité de marcher, de parler, de manger, d’avaler et, éventuellement, de respirer.
What is ALS?
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (also known as ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease, or motor neuron disease) is a disease that gradually paralyzes people because the brain is no longer able to communicate with the muscles of the body that we are typically able to move at will. Over time, as the muscles of the body break down, someone living with ALS will lose the ability to walk, talk, eat, swallow, and eventually breathe.
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.