Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis / Disease

Diseases & Conditions

A B C D E F G H I J K L M N O P Q R S T U V W X Y Z

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Synonyms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

ALS
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Polyglucosan Bodies
Aran-Duchenne Muscular Atrophy
Gehrig's Disease
Lou Gehrig's Disease
Motor System Disease (Focal and Slow)

Disorder Subdivisions

Benign Focal Amyotrophy of ALS
Infantile Spinal Muscular Atrophy, ALS
Juvenile Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Included
Kugelberg-Welander Disease
Primary Lateral Sclerosis
Progressive Bulbar Palsy, Included
Spinal Muscular Atrophy, Type ALS
Upper Motor Neuron Disease
Werdnig-Hoffman Disease
Wohlfart-Disease

General Discussion
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is one of a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases. It is characterized by the progressive degeneration and eventual death of nerve cells (motor neurons) in the brain, brainstem and spinal cord that facilitate communication between the nervous system and voluntary muscles of the body. Ordinarily, motor neurons in the brain (upper motor neurons) sent messages to motor neurons in the spinal cord (lower motor neurons) and then to various muscles. ALS affects both the upper and lower motor neurons, so that the transmission of messages is interrupted, and muscles gradually weaken and waste away. As a result, the ability to initiate and control voluntary movement is lost. Ultimately, ALS leads to respiratory failure because affected individuals lose the ability to control muscles in the chest and diaphragm. ALS is often called Lou Gehrig?s disease.

Organizations related to Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

ALS Society of Canada
265 Yorkland Blvd
Ontario Intl M2J 1S5
Phone #: 416- 49-7 2267
800 #: 800- 26-7 4257
e-mail: susan@alsont.ca
Home page: http://www.alsont.ca
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Association
27001 Agoura Road
Calabasas Hills CA 91301-5104
Phone #: 818-880-9007
800 #: 800-782-4747
e-mail: als@alsa-national.org
Home page: http://www.alsa.org
Christopher Reeve Paralysis Foundation
500 Morris Ave
Springfield NJ 07081
Phone #: 973-379-2690
800 #: 800-225-0292
e-mail: info@crof.org
Home page: http://www.crpf.org,
Families of Spinal Muscular Atrophy
P.O. Box 196
Libertyville IL 60048
Phone #: 847-367-7620
800 #: 800-886-1762
e-mail: sma@fsma.org
Home page: http://www.curesma.com
International Alliance of ALS/MND Associations
None
Northampton None NN1 2PR
Phone #: N/A
800 #: --
e-mail: alliance@alsmndalliance.org
Home page: http://www.alsmndalliance.org/
Les Turner Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Foundation, Ltd.
5550 W. Touhy Avenue, Suite 302
Skokie IL 60077
Phone #: 847-679-3311
800 #: 888-257-1107
e-mail: info@lesturnerals.org
Home page: http://www.lesturnerals.org
MUMS (Mothers United for Moral Support, Inc) National Parent-to-Parent Network
150 Custer Court
Green Bay WI 54301-1243
Phone #: 920-336-5333
800 #: 877-336-5333
e-mail: mums@netnet.net
Home page: http://www.netnet.net/mums/
Muscular Dystrophy Association
3300 E. Sunrise Dr
Tucson AZ 85718
Phone #: 520-529-2000
800 #: 800-344-4863
e-mail: mda@mdausa.org
Home page: http://www.mdausa.org
National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS)
31 Center Drive
Bethesda MD 20892-2540
Phone #: 301-496-5751
800 #: 800-352-9424
e-mail: braininfo@ninds.nih.gov
Home page: http://www.ninds.nih.gov/
New Horizons Un-Limited, Inc.
811 East Wisconsin Ave
Milwaukee WI 53202
Phone #: 414-299-0124
800 #: N/A
e-mail: horizons@new-horizons.org
Home page: http://www.new-horizons.org
Scottish Motor Neurone Disease Association
76 Firhill Rd
Glasgow Intl G20 7BA
Phone #: 014-194-51077
800 #: N/A
e-mail: info@scotmnd.co.uk
Home page: http://www.scotmnd.org.uk
Spastic Paraplegia Foundation
11 Douglass Green
Woburn MA 01801
Phone #: N/A
800 #: 877-773-4483
e-mail: info@sp-foundation.org
Home page: http://sp-foundation.org
Stem Cell Research Foundation
22512 Gateway Center Drive
Clarksburg MD 20871
Phone #: 877-842-3442
800 #: N/A
e-mail: info@stemcellresearchfoundation.org
Home page: http://www.stemcellresearchfoundation.org
UCSF Memory and Aging Center
350 Parnassus Avenue
San Francisco CA 94117
Phone #: 415-476-6800
800 #: N/A
e-mail: N/A
Home page: http://memory.ucsf.edu

For a Complete Report

This is an abstract of a report from the National Organization for Rare Disorders, Inc. ? (NORD). A copy of the complete report can be obtained for a small fee by visiting the NORD website. The complete report contains additional information including symptoms, causes, affected population, related disorders, standard and investigational treatments (if available), and references from medical literature. For a full-text version of this topic, see http://www.rarediseases.org/search/rdblist.html