...Professor Hommelson May 28, 2016 Lou Gehrig’s Disease Lou Gehrig’s disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is commonly known as ALS. It is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord (2016). The body’s motor neurons reach from the brain to the spinal cord then to the muscles throughout the body. In ALS the motor neurons slowly degenerate eventually leading to a person’s death. When the motor neurons die our brain loses the ability to initiate and control muscle movement. As the neurons die, a person’s body loses voluntary muscle action. This causes people to lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe. There are two different types of ALS, sporadic and familial. Sporadic is the most common form of the disease, with 90 – 95 percent of the cases (2016). Familial means the disease is inherited, accounting for 5 to 10 percent of the cases. According to The ALS Association a population study has show that a little over 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year (2016). 60% of the people with ALS are men and 93% are Caucasian. People usually develop ALS between the ages of 40 – 70, but has occurred when a person is in their twenties and thirties (2016). ALS is 20% more common in men than in women. Heredity is also a risk factor with 5 to 10 percent of people with ALS inheriting the disease (Mayo, 2014). A recent study has shown that people with familial ALS and non-inherited ALS have some of the same...
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...Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease) Dustin M. Sumner ITT- Technical Institute of Technology Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig’s disease) Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and the spinal cord. When 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. ALS is a disorder that affects the function of nerves and muscles. Based on U.S. population studies, a little over 5,600 people in the U.S. are diagnosed with ALS each year. (That’s 15 new cases a day.) It is estimated that as many as 30,000 Americans have the disease at any given time. According to the ALS Care Database, 60% of the people with ALS in the Database are men and 93% of patients in the Database are Caucasian. Most people who develop ALS are between the ages of 40 and 70, with an average age of 55 at the time of diagnosis. However, cases of the disease do occur in persons in their twenties and thirties. Generally though, ALS occurs in greater percentages as men and women grow older. ALS is 20% more common in men than in women. There are several research studies – past and present –investigating possible risk factors that may be associated with ALS. More work is needed to conclusively...
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...appendages that cannot be controlled and the itch that cannot be scratched. Now imagine not being able to communicate these feelings because the ability to speak has also been affected. This is the life of a patient with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and this late stage symptom is called “locked in”. The patient is conscious and aware of their surroundings, but cannot interact (Drury, May). Edvard Munch’s famous painting The Scream springs to mind at the incomprehensible mental anguish that must be suffered by patients with ALS. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, named for the famous baseball player who was diagnosed with the disease in 1939 (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 2011). ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that attacks and destroys nerve cells and pathways in the brain and spinal cord, insidiously robbing the patient of their ability to move. ALS affects 1 to 3 people per 100,000 and roughly 10 percent of these cases are hereditary (amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, 2011). The average age of onset has historically been 55 for both men and women. That number has changed however, as a greater incidence of young, fit, and lean males afflicted with ALS has been reported. This was the case for Gary Temoyan (Drury, 2011). Gary Temoyan was a 37 year old Lower Marion, Pennsylvania motorcycle cop, husband, and father of two small boys when one day in 2008 he heard the words that forever changed his life, “you have...
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...HCS245 TRACIE SHARP Disease in the new: Lou Gehrig's disease Due: Monday, October 1,2012 By: Gabrielle Reina Lou Gerhig’s disease, also known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a disease that affects the upper and lower neurons in the brain. This disease will lead to death and there is no known cure for it as of today. There are many treatment options for those who suffer with disease that may help in coping. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis had believed to be a disease that affected motor skills and to be a motor skills disorder but further testing on the disease have shown that disease also attacks the frontal and temporal regions on the brain and areas that do not affect the motor skills. ALS picked up the name Lou Gerhig’s disease after a very well known baseball player died from the disease after a seventeen year career. Along with there being no cure for the disease there has not been much to link the causes of the disease. When patients get a disease like cancer sometimes there are factors that show why and how they could have received this disease but with ALS there have been no shown reasons for why someone would get this disease. Most patients with ALS have no mental disability and fully understand that there is something no correct with how their body is acting. There are about fifteen new cases for Lou Gerhig’s disease a day. The symptoms associated with ALS are very wide ranged but the most common are muscle cramping, depression, and widespread pain...
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...Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis or Lou Gehrig’s Disease Frederick Aladad Abstract Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease is a neurodegenerative disease that portrays progressive muscle paralysis, and eventually ends with death. As many as twenty thousand to thirty thousand people in the United States have amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, and an estimated five thousand people in the United States are diagnosed with the disease each year (Shiel, 2012). The etiology of the disease is unknown, but it plays a genetic factor. Less than ten percent has been shown to be inherited in families. ALS begins with the client with muscle weakness, stiffness, eventually to paralysis, then death caused by respiratory failure. Dysphagia occurs at onset in about one third of case, although generally it occurs in later stage of the disease (Noh, 2010). The nursing diagnosis is risk for aspiration related to impaired swallowing. Intervention for the diagnosis includes positioning the client in a 90 degree angle while in bed, a wheel chair or a chair. There is no known cure for the disease, but symptoms can be treated. Riluzole is administered to slow the progression of the disease. Pathophysiology Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a neurodegenerative disease that begins with rapid, progressive muscle weakness. It attacks the neurons that are responsible for moving voluntary muscles. Once the person is diagnosed with the disease...
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...Journal of Medical Sciences Journal of Cancer Theranostics Journal of Genomics PubMed Central Indexed in Journal Impact Factor PDF Int J Biol Sci 2015; 11(5):546-558. doi:10.7150/ijbs.11084 Research Paper Evidence for Fungal Infection in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Brain Tissue from Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Ruth Alonso1, Diana Pisa1, Ana Isabel Marina1, Esperanza Morato1, Alberto Rábano2, Izaskun Rodal2, Luis Carrasco1 Corresponding address 1. Centro de Biología Molecular “Severo Ochoa”. c/Nicolás Cabrera, 1. Universidad Autónoma de Madrid. Cantoblanco. 28049 Madrid. Spain. 2. Department of Neuropathology and Tissue Bank, Unidad de Investigación Proyecto Alzheimer, Fundación CIEN, Instituto de Salud Carlos III, Madrid. Spain. How to cite this article: Alonso R, Pisa D, Marina AI, Morato E, Rábano A, Rodal I, Carrasco L. Evidence for Fungal Infection in Cerebrospinal Fluid and Brain Tissue from Patients with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Int J Biol Sci 2015; 11(5):546-558. doi:10.7150/ijbs.11084. Available from http://www.ijbs.com/v11p0546.htm Abstract Among neurogenerative diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal illness characterized by a progressive motor neuron dysfunction in the motor cortex, brainstem and spinal cord. ALS is the most...
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...Alzheimer’s affects the older generation with a gradual increase of symptoms, while ALS (Lou Gehrings Disease) usually affects adults between the ages of 40-60. In this paper you will learn information regarding the statistics, treatments, and survival rates of each of these chronic diseases. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis better known as ALS, I a serious neurological disease that causes muscle weakness, disability, and eventually death. Worldwide ALS occurs in 1 to 3 people per 100,000. In the vast majority of cases -90 to 95 percent- doctors don’t know yet why ALS occurs. About 5 to 10 percent of all ALS cases are inherited. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health Alzheimer’s disease is a progressive disease that destroys memory and other important mental functions. It is the most common cause of dementia –a group of brain disorders that result in the loss of intellectual and social skills. These changes are sever enough to interfere with day to day life. http://www.mayoclinic.com/health Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and Alzheimer’s are both neurological diseases that affect different parts of the body. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis affects the limbs, while Alzheimer’s affects are in the brain. Initial symptoms of ALS are obvious muscle weakness usually in the foot, leg, or arm, slurred speech, or trouble swallowing. These symptoms can be seen at the onset of ALS, whereas symptoms of Alzheimer’s often go unrecognized and undiagnosed in the early stages, because the first symptoms...
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...Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is a devastating disease that is caused by the degeneration of motor neurons that affect voluntary movement. This will cause paralysis as the disease progresses and eventually will lead to death. ALS is difficult to diagnose since it resembles many other neurological disorders. It is not known what causes ALS and as of now there is no cure and very limited medications and treatments for those diagnosed with the disease. ALS is a disease that will ultimately make you a prisoner in your own body, mentally alert but unable to move. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The body uses motor neurons to send information to and receive information from the Central Nervous System. They travel from the brain to the spinal cord and from the spinal cord to the muscles resulting in voluntary movement. ALS will cause these neurons to progressively degenerate. The neurons will no longer be able to send impulses to muscle fibers that normally cause muscles to function. Eventually the brain will lose its ability to communicate with the body and to control muscle movement. There are many types of nerves in the body. ALS only affects the nerves that are responsible for voluntary movements. These movements are mainly controlled by the muscles in the arms and legs. The heart and digestive system are also made of muscle but they under involuntary control. Everything that...
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...Even though Stephen has had a very rough path to get to where he is now after being diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) at twenty one, that has not stopped him from theorizing and changing the way we look at ourselves and the universe. On January 8th, 1942 in Oxford, England, Stephen William Hawking was born into a very educated family. Hawking’s father, Frank, managed The Division of Parasitology, and worked in Africa with this in the winter months. His mother, Isobel, went to Oxford University in the 1930s, when few women...
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...ASSISTIVE TECHNOLOGY Equipment Equipment CLIENT: 48-year-old Male CONDITION: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Freedom through a Single Switch Pearl Gryfe BSc, OT(c) CASE HISTORY: Mr. J.L. is a 48-year-old active male, who was a human resources executive, and was diagnosed with Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) in August of 1996. J.L. lived alone and was generally in good health until July of 1996 when he developed symptoms of twitching in his left hand. Within a year of diagnosis, J.L. was a complete quadriplegic and his speech was unintelligible. The client had 24 hour attendant care and a strong support network of friends; however, he wanted to feel in control of his environment and to communicate his wishes. J.L. was referred to our clinic by his neurologist to determine his assistive technology needs. CLINICAL CONSIDERATIONS: J.L.’s consistent motor access points consisted of four areas: bilateral hip ab/adduction(L2, L3) – manifested through his knees; right foot (L4, L5, S1); Tibialis Anterior, Extensor Hallicis, Gastrocnemius – manifested by dorsi/plantar flexion of the ankle and extension of the great toe, and head movement was intact. It was clear that J.L. had multiple motor points at the time of the initial assessment; however, as the pathology progresses, the OP and other team members have to take into consideration the possibility that those motor points will degenerate and prepare for the possibility of only one switch site. Thus, how and where the switch(es)...
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...sociology courses Morrie was teaching. Morrie Schwartz was Mitch Albom’s favorite college professor. At the start of the novel Albom recalls a memory from his college graduation day: he is saying goodbye to Morrie and gives him a tan briefcase with his initials on it. They hug and when Mitch steps back he sees that Morrie is crying. Mitch promises to stay in touch with Morrie but he never does after college. Since his graduation, Mitch has become a newspaper reporter and husband. He leads a very fast paced life and is constantly working and traveling. He has become so engrossed in his work that it consumes his life. The novel recommences about sixteen years after Mitch’s graduation day; Morrie has since been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS. Since Morrie’s diagnosis, he began jotting down ideas and thoughts onto scrap paper, yellow pads or even envelopes. He also wrote philosophies about living knowing death was very near. One of his friends was so taken with his writing; he sent them to the Boston Globe reporter, who wrote a feature story about Morrie. The story intrigued one of the producers of the show, “Nightline”, who then did a feature story about Morrie. Mitch happened to see the “Nightline” show and recognized his old professor. He called him to set up a visit. In reference to the relational leadership model, the meetings they have every Tuesday is the process in which Morrie sends a message to Mitch and gets him to understand the bigger picture...
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...Stephen Hawking is a Man of Courage Men and women across the globe have faced adversity; many have cowered in fear, while few have stood strong and demonstrated what can only be described as courage. Stephen Hawking has faced Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) with great courage to become one of today's brilliant scientific minds. His brain is the only muscle that has been unaffected by the ailment. This great metaphorical strength is the ideal definition of courage. ALS is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that normally result in muscle movement (www.biography.com). The disease is terminal, and has yet to have a cure. In Stephen’s case, he was diagnosed at age 21 while studying Cosmology at the University of Cambridge. Mr. Hawking’s parents, Frank and Isobel Hawking, pushed him to pursue medicine as his field of study. As a child he knew he often stared at the stars in wonder and went against his parent’s first choice. His educational achievements have been constant and prosperous. He currently holds a PhD in physics and 12 honorary degrees in theoretical cosmology and quantum gravity. Attaining such an education in the face of adversity shows his true strength and courage as a human being. Stephen’s long list of achievements, whether they be academic or scientific, are a display of great courage and mental strength that should be emulated...
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...itself with the express wish of a mentally competent person to die through the assistance of others. Voluntary euthanasia can further be divided into two categories: passive voluntary, which is the specifically requested withholding of unwanted medical treatment, and active voluntary which is the deliberate action of killing the patient at that patients informed request. Should dying human beings be made to suffer horribly during their last days in this world before looking forward to a painful and undignified death when they wish it to be otherwise? The answer is no. As such voluntary euthanasia should be legalized for the terminally ill patients. For many people, euthanasia is a preferable option to dependence and unbearable suffering. A study was conducted on patents’ assessment of states worse than death by Robert Pearlman, a physican specializing in geriatric care at the Seattle Veterans Heath Center. In depth interviews were held with 56 suffering from cancer, AIDS, or who had spent time in a coma from heart attacks. The results, published in the journal of Clinical Ethics, showed that 96% felt it was worse to be kept alive under hopeless circumstances with impending death than it would be to die. 82% felt that total loss of independence would be worse than death, and 73% were so averse to a life of unremitting pain and suffering that they would rather be dead. For patients suffering from...
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...1.1 Introduction Multiple sclerosis is a disease of the central nervous system, harms the brain's ability to send and receive signals. It is considered one of the common diseases of the central nervous system. It affects in most cases the children and people aged between 20-40 years. Multiple sclerosis (MS) is an inflammatory disease of the central nervous system. The central nervous system is made up of the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerves. The exact reason(s) for the inflammation that occurs in MS are not yet known, and this remains an active area of research. We do know that the inflammation damages both neurons and the myelin that protects neuronal processes (called axons). The effect of multiple sclerosis (MS) on the individual and...
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...This essay will demonstrate that it is not “always morally worse to kill than it is to let die”. It will be argued that passive euthanasia (i.e. letting someone die) is not morally wrong and that active euthanasia (i.e. accelerating their death) is no less moral. However, the many complications associated with the legalisation of active euthanasia (and euthanasia in general) must be identified and addressed. These identified complications may be eliminated with an appropriate regulatory regime. Assuming that identified complications can be overcome, and having established that it is not always morally worse to kill than to let die, it will be demonstrated that active euthanasia should not be banned. Morality, as defined by the Oxford Dictionary, is “principles concerning the distinction between right and wrong or good and bad behaviour”1. Hinde states that the principles are influenced and changed by one’s society and culture but also “based in human nature”2. As morality is influenced by society, public opinion is important when it comes to controversial issues. Morality differs from place to place and evolves over time. To compound this diversity, changes in medical treatment, and discoveries which enhance medical knowledge evolves rapidly and what was not even conceivable in some cultures or at certain points in history are now commonly accepted. Developments in end of life care fall within this category. With our increased ability to prolong life, arguments can now be made...
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