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Central nervous system
Central nervous system
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Definition:
A disease of the motor nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, causing progressive loss of motor control.

Alternative Names:
Lou Gehrig's disease; ALS

Causes, incidence, and risk factors:

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis is caused by progressive loss of motor nerves in the spinal cord and brain. In about 10% of cases, ALS is caused by a genetic defect. In other cases, the cause of the nerve deterioration is unknown.

ALS affects approximately 1 out of 100,000 people.

Except for having a family member affected with the hereditary form of the disease, there are no known risk factors.



Review Date: 11/3/2002
Reviewed By: Joseph V. Campellone, MD; Division of Neurology, Cooper Hospital/University Medical Center, Camden, NJ. Review provided by VeriMed Healthcare Network.

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