10 Common Brain Diseases
Reviewed: Dr. Gromatzky
Brain Disease #2: Lou Gehrig’s Disease
In the 1930s, a famous baseball player by the name of Lou Gehrig became ill with a condition known as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). Since then it is commonly known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, after the famous player. It is a neurodegenerative disease that directly affects the spinal cord and the brain.
The disease specifically attacks the parts of the nervous system that are responsible for controlling the muscles. This leads to a lack of coordination and atrophy of the muscles. The most common form is sporadic ALS, which accounts for around 90% of all cases. Familial ALS is inherited and accounts for around 5-10% of all cases.
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