Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – Muscular Atrophy: An Annotated Bibliography
Essay title: Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – Muscular Atrophy: An Annotated Bibliography
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis – Muscular Atrophy: An Annotated Bibliography
Abramovitz, Melissa. “Lou Gehrigs Disease” p17-61. Treatment for ALS or Lou Gehrigs disease has found that Vitamin E and the drug known as Riluzole can help the progression of the disease. When taking the medication Riluzole it has shown to prolong survival in patients by two to three months and it has also delayed the use for breathing support. There is a few side effects to taking Riluzole, such as headache, dizziness, fatigue, and it has also shown that it can do damage to your liver and kidneys. There is no cure for ALS, but researchers are trying to find out what actually causes this disease and how they can cure it.
Aebisher, Patrick. “Playing Defense against Lou Gehrigs Disease” Scientific American, Nov2007: p86-93. Lou Gehrigs Disease which is a progressive neuromuscular disorder, which attacks nerve cells that lead from the brain and the spinal cord to muscles throughout the body. When motor neurons die, the brain can no longer control muscle movements; in the later stages of the disease, the patients become totally paralyzed. About 5000 people in the United States are diagnosed with ALS every year. It typically develops between ages 40 and 70, but it is known to strike younger and older patients as well. An unusual cluster of patients with the disorder are among those are veterans of the Persian Gulf war and residents of the island Guam.
ALS: Association Fighting Lou Gehrigs Disease 2004. Initial Symptoms of the Disease
< http//www.alsa.org >.This website is the national website for ALS. It discusses the initial symptoms of the disease and how to find out if you have the disease. It states “muscle weakness in one or more of the following: hands, arms, legs or the muscles of speech, swallowing or breathing”. Muscle weakness is one of the top symptoms with this disease. Association Mission statement is as follows, ” To lead the fight to cure and treat ALS through global, cutting-edge research and to empower people with Lou Gehrigs disease and their families to live fuller lives by providing them with compassionate care and support.”
“Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis”.2004. CNN Online.3Dec2004.
This article discusses that there are two ways you can get this disease it is either by Inherited ALS or Sporadic ALS. In all the articles that were read about this disease very few mentioned how this disease is contracted. Researchers say that 10 percent of cases of ALS appear to be inherited due to some form of gene mutation. Sporadic ALS , more than 90 percent of cases of ALS appear to occur randomly, with no identifiable risk factors. Majority of the articles say they dont know how this disease comes about and why people get it.
Encyclopedia Britannica 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 13 2007. Muscle disease: Muscle weakness, Classification of muscle weakness, and lower motor neuron disease>
This article seeks to define that diseases of the peripheral nerves can also produce symptoms similar to the motor neuron disease such as ALS. “Sensory disturbance due to involvement of the nerve fibres carrying sensory impulses is usually involve.” Affected individuals are between ages 50 to 70 years of age and have upper and lower motor neuron weakness. Paralysis progresses rapidly, and death often occurs with three years of diagnosis.
Encyclopedia Britannica 2007. Encyclopedia Britannica Online. 13 2007.”Amyotrophic