ALS is a progressive neuromuscular disease in which nerve cells die and leave voluntary muscles paralyzed. The senses are unimpaired and the intellect may remain unaffected. ALS can strike anyone, male or female, of any ethnic origin and of any age. Usual onset is in middle-age, but some have been diagnosed as teens.
Eighty per cent of those diagnosed will die within two to five years. Less than 10 per cent of cases are hereditary and are called familial ALS, 90 per cent of ALS cases have no known cause and are referred to as sporadic ALS. ALS is not contagious.
Approximately 3,000 Canadians live with ALS. ALS is the most common cause of neurological death in Canada.
ALS was first identified by French neurologist Dr. Jean-Martin Charcot in 1869.
ALS may also be called:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
Sclérose latérale amyotrophique (SLA)
Lou Gehrig's Disease
Motor Neuron Disease (MND)
Maladie de Charcot
The ALS Society of Canada raises funds for research into the cause and cure for ALS. It also works to raise public awareness and supports Provincial partners in the provision of quality care for those affected by ALS.
(read less)ALS is a progressive neuromuscular disease in which nerve cells die and leave voluntary muscles paralyzed. The senses are unimpaired and the intellect may remain unaffected. ALS can strike anyone, male or female, of any ethnic origin and of any age. Usual onset is in middle-age, but some have been diagnosed as teens.
Eighty per cent of those diagnosed will die within two to five years. Less than 10 per cent of cases are hereditary and are called familial ALS, 90 per cent of ALS cases have no...
(read more)
