Case Study: A thirty-six year old male developed severe muscle weakness throughout his body. The condition began fifteen months ago with a drop on his left foot and within a year he described difficulty speaking and swallowing, muscle twitching and cramping, and muscle atrophy in all upper and lower extremities. Over the past two months, her breathing has become more difficult and there has been a noticeable difference in her voice. Before fifteen months, he had few or no symptoms. The patient, a doctor, has a wife and two small children. What began as seemingly innocent muscle weakness and cramps led to this patient's fatal diagnosis. He is one of the 2.5 people in 100,000 worldwide who have been diagnosed with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and who will most likely die of respiratory failure within 2 to 3 years. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS is a highly degenerative disease that affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord that control voluntary movements. The disease is sometimes called Lou Gehrig, after the New York Yankees baseball player who was diagnosed with ALS in 1939. The disease causes degeneration of upper and lower motor neurons. These neurons connect the brainstem and spinal cord to muscle fibers and send electrical impulses to the muscles. Without proper communication, muscles begin to weaken and atrophy. Individuals with ALS will lose the ability to have voluntary muscle control. Usually, bladder and bowel control are spared, although this is not always the case. Cognitive functions and sensory nerves are also generally spared, but affected individuals may exhibit symptoms of dementia. Initial symptoms generally include muscle weakness… middle of paper… logical degeneration could occur so rapidly . I just hope that a better understanding of the causes of ALS can help find a cure. Works Cited ALS Info: Lou Gherig's Disease (ALS) [Internet]. 2011. Sanofi aventis US LLC; [last updated November 8, 2011; cited March 22, 2012]. Available from http://www.alsinfo.com/Hayes SM. 2001. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: update on anatomy, physiology, pharmacology and management. In: Riolo L, editor. Physical Therapy Topics: Neurology. American Physical Therapy Association. Lecture 9.McKinley MP, O'Loughlin VD. 2006. Nervous system disorders. In: Wheatley CH, editor. Human anatomy. 2nd ed. Boston (MA): McGraw-Hill Higher Education. p 431.Umphred DA. 2001. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. In: Allen A, Zipperlen R, editors. Neurological rehabilitation. 4th ed. St. Louis (MO): Mosby. P 363-385.