Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), disease in which degeneration of motor neurons of the spinal cord and brain stem results in progressive muscular atrophy leading to total paralysis. Symptoms commonly first appear in middle to late adulthood; death usually ensues within two to five years. It is also called motor neuron disease and Lou Gehrig's disease (see GEHRIG, LOU). The cause is unknown, and there is no cure.
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis