Disease ALS: causes, symptoms and course. Diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Modern medicine is constantly evolving. Scientists create all new medicines from incurable diseases. However, today specialists can not offer adequate treatment against all ailments. One of such pathologies is ALS disease. The causes of this disease are still unexplored, and the number of patients is increasing every year. In this article, we will take a closer look at this pathology, its main symptoms and methods of treatment.

general information

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Charcot's disease) is a serious pathology of the nervous system, in which the defeat of the so-called motor neurons in the region of the spinal cord, as well as in the cerebral cortex. This is a chronic and incurable disease, gradually leading to degeneration of the entire nervous system. At the last stages of the disease a person becomes helpless, but at the same time he retains mental clarity and mental health.

The disease of ALS, the causes and pathogenesis of which has not been fully studied, does not differ with specific methods of diagnosis and treatment. Scientists continue to actively study it today. Now it is precisely known that the disease develops mainly in people aged from 50 to about 70 years, but there are cases of an earlier defeat.

Classification

Depending on the location of the primary manifestations of the disease, specialists identify the following forms:

1. Lumbosacral form (there is a violation of the motor function of the lower limbs).
2. Bulbar shape (some nuclei of the brain are affected, which entails a central paralysis).
3. The cervicothoracic form (primary symptoms manifest themselves with a change in the habitual motor function of the upper limbs).

On the other hand, specialists distinguish three more types of ALS disease:

1. Marian form (primary signs appear very early, a slow course of the disease is observed).
2. Classical sporadic type (95% of all cases).
3. Family type (different late manifestation and hereditary predisposition).

Why is ALS a disease?

The causes of this disease, unfortunately, still remain poorly understood. Scientists now identify a number of factors, the existence of which the likelihood of becoming ill several times increases:

• Mutation of the ubiquin protein;
• Violation of the effect of the neurotrophic factor;
• Mutations of some genes;
• Increased free-radical oxidation in the cells of neurons;
• Presence of an infectious agent;
• Increased activity of so-called excitatory amino acids.

ALS disease. Symptoms

Photos of patients with this ailment can be seen in specialized reference books. All of them are united only by one - external symptoms of the disease in the late stages.

As for the primary clinical signs of pathology, they very rarely cause caution on the part of patients. Moreover, potential patients often explain their constant stress or lack of rest from working routine. Below we list the symptoms of an illness that appear in the early stages:

• Weakness in muscles;
• Dysarthria (difficulty in speaking);
• Frequent muscle spasms;
• Numbness and weakness of the limbs;
• Slight twitching of the muscles.

All these signs should alert everyone and become a reason for contacting a specialist. Otherwise, the disease will progress, which several times increases the likelihood of complications.

Course of the disease

How does BAS develop? The disease, the symptoms of which were listed above, initially begins with muscle weakness and numbness of the limbs. If the pathology develops from the feet, the patients may have difficulty walking, constantly stumbling.

If the disease manifests itself with disruption of the upper limbs, problems arise with performing the most elementary tasks (fastening the shirt, turning the key in the lock).

How else can one recognize the disease of ALS? The causes of the disease in 25% of cases are hidden in the defeat of the medulla oblongata. Initially, there are difficulties with speech, and then with swallowing. All this entails problems with chewing food. As a consequence, a person stops eating normally and loses weight. In this regard, many patients fall into a depressed state, since the disease usually does not affect cognitive functions.

Some patients have difficulty with the formation of words and even a normal concentration of attention. Insignificant violations of this kind are most often attributed to poor breathing at night. Medical workers already now have to tell the patient about the features of the course of the disease, the options for therapy, so that he can make an informed decision about his future in advance.

Most patients die from respiratory failure or pneumonia. As a rule, death occurs five years after the confirmation of the disease.

Diagnostics

Only a specialist can confirm the presence of this disease. In this issue, the primary role is given to a competent interpretation of the existing clinical picture in a particular patient. Differential diagnostics of ALS disease is extremely important.

1. Electromyography. This method allows us to confirm the presence of fasciculation at an early stage of its development. During this procedure, a specialist examines the electrical activity of the muscles.
2. MRI allows you to identify pathological foci and evaluate the functioning of all nerve structures.

What should be the treatment?

Unfortunately, medicine today can not offer effective therapy against this ailment. How can you overcome the disease of ALS? Treatment should be aimed primarily at slowing the course of pathology. The following activities are used for these purposes:

• Special massage of the limbs;
• If the respiratory muscles fail, artificial ventilation is prescribed;
• In the case of a depressive state, tranquilizers and antidepressants are recommended. In each case, the drugs are prescribed individually;
• Joint pains are stopped by non-steroidal anti-inflammatory drugs (Finlepsin);
• Today, specialists offer all patients the drug "Riluzol". It has a proven effect and is an inhibitor of the release of so-called glutamic acid. When ingested, the drug reduces neuronal damage. However, even this remedy can not completely cure the patient, it only slows the course of the ALS disease;
• To facilitate the movement of the patient, special devices (walking sticks, armchairs) and collars are used to completely fix the neck.

Treatment with stem cells

In many European countries, patients with ALS are now treated with their own stem cells, which also slows the development of the disease. This type of therapy is aimed at improving the primary functions of the brain. Stem cells transplanted into the area of damage restore neurons, improve the supply of oxygen to the brain and promote the appearance of new blood vessels.

Isolation of the stem cells themselves and their direct transplantation, as a rule, are carried out on an outpatient basis. After therapy, the patient remains in the hospital for another 2 days, where specialists monitor his condition.

During the procedure, the cells are injected into the cerebrospinal fluid by lumbar puncture. Outside the body, they are not allowed to multiply independently, and reimplantation is carried out only after detailed purification.

It is important to note that this type of therapy can significantly slow down the disease of ALS. Photo patients after 5-6 months after the procedure clearly demonstrate this statement. Getting rid of the disease completely will not help. Unfortunately, there are also cases when treatment does not have any effect at all.

Conclusion

The prognosis of this disease is almost always unfavorable. Progression of motor disorders inevitably leads to a fatal outcome (2-6 years).

In this article, we talked about what constitutes a pathology such as ALS. Disease, the symptoms of which may not appear for a long time, is currently impossible to cure to the end. Scientists around the world continue to actively explore this ailment, its causes and the speed of development, trying to find an effective drug.