Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) and Related Motor Neuron Diseases: An Overview

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a progressive neurodegenerative motor neuron disease, resulting in the destruction and ultimate death of neurons that control muscles. ALS affects motor neurons in the brain, brainstem, and spinal cord (upper motor neurons, bulbar region of the brain, and lower motor neurons). ALS patients have an average life expectancy of 3-5 years, therefore, proper diagnosis, care, and treatment is essential in order to provide the best quality of life for these patients. A thorough understanding of the symptomatology, potential cause(s), progression, and treatment of ALS is essential to provide timely and high-quality patient care. Electrodiagnostic examination, specifically electromyography (EMG) and nerve conduction studies (NCS), is one of the key diagnostics of ALS.