They have some key differences, though. MS is an autoimmune disease that causes your body to attack itself. ALS, also called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a nervous system disorder that wears away nerve cells in your brain and spinal cord.
Both of these conditions affect the brain and the spine. However, in MS lesions can be seen in the brain and spine by MRI, while in ALS the neuronal damage is not able to be seen on imaging. In addition, the disease pathophysiology (biological changes) of the two conditions is completely different.
Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) (also known as Lou Gehrig's disease) often is mistaken for multiple sclerosis (MS). In fact, they share similar symptoms and features, such as scarring around the nerves (sclerosis), causing muscle spasms, difficulty in walking, and fatigue.
ALS often causes paralysis. This is rare with MS. ALS mainly affects physical functions, while MS can lead to problems with memory and thinking.
While most of the diagnostic tools used to determine a case of MG are used in ALS, one such test is only used for ALS, and that is a muscle biopsy, which is when a piece of muscle is removed and sent to a lab for closer examination.
During the exam, the neurologist will look for typical features of ALS that may include: Muscle weakness (which is often only on one side of the body, such as one arm or one leg) as well as changes in the character of the individual's voice (especially slurred words or slowness of speech).
Recent studies suggest that combining structural and functional MRI methods may help diagnose ALS. Other MRI techniques are also currently being developed to serve as biomarkers for an earlier and more accurate diagnosis of the disease.
There is no specific test to diagnose ALS. Your healthcare provider will consider your medical history and symptoms and will do certain tests to rule out other conditions including: Lab tests. These include blood and urine studies and thyroid functioning tests.
ALS often begins with muscle twitching and weakness in an arm or leg, trouble swallowing or slurred speech. Eventually ALS affects control of the muscles needed to move, speak, eat and breathe. There is no cure for this fatal disease.
Dozens of conditions can mimic ALS. Two of the most common are multiple sclerosis (MS) and Parkinson's disease. Like ALS, they are neurodegenerative disorders and have some of the same symptoms.
However, the effect of ALS on the eye movements system and ocular motor control centers has been recognized, and increasing saccadic latency, diminished Bell phenomena, smooth pursuit impairment, gaze fixation and stability, and eyelid apraxia have been reported.
The concurrence of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and multiple sclerosis (MS) is extremely rare.
ALS is a difficult disease to diagnose. There is no one test or procedure to ultimately establish the diagnosis of ALS.
MRI is considered the best test to help diagnose MS. However, 5% of people with MS do not have abnormalities detected on MRI; thus, a "negative" scan does not completely rule out MS. In addition, some common changes of aging may look like MS on a MRI. To track the progress of disease.
Blood tests may enable more accurate diagnosis of ALS at an earlier stage of the disease, which involves measuring the blood level of a substance that varies in concentration depending on the disease's variant.
It's not clear exactly what triggers motor neuron death in ALS, but a number of factors, including genetics, environmental exposures, and lifestyle choices, are thought to contribute to the disease's development.
And you're right; it takes on average about nine to 12 months for someone to be diagnosed with ALS, from the time they first began to notice symptoms. Getting the proper evaluation in a timely way is important, especially since we have a drug, Rilutek, which has been shown to help delay the progression of ALS.
First Signs of ALS
Changes in motor control of arms and hands: One hand or arm becomes weak, followed by the other a few weeks or months later. It may become more difficult to button a shirt or unlock a door. People may begin to drop things more often.
ALS twitching is characterized by a rapid and severe muscle twitching that is often accompanied by muscle weakness, cramping, and stiffness.
These persistent muscle twitches are generally not painful but can interfere with sleep. They are the result of the ongoing disruption of signals from the nerves to the muscles that occurs in ALS. Some with ALS experience painful muscle cramps, which can sometimes be alleviated with medication.
The main symptom is a loss of muscle strength and coordination that eventually gets worse. This loss of strength makes it hard for those with ALS to do routine tasks such as going up steps, getting out of a chair or swallowing. Weakness can first affect the arms or legs, or the ability to breathe or swallow.
The progressive loss of upper and lower motor neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) causes a rapidly advancing paresis and atrophy of skeletal muscles which is occasionally combined with spasticity. Pain has been considered relatively rarely in ALS, in particular in the early stages of the disease.
The speed at which amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) progresses can vary a lot from person to person, but typically the disease progresses quite rapidly. Most patients reach the late stage of ALS within two to three years after symptom onset, and the average survival time is about two to five years from onset.
Although some CIDP symptoms may appear similar to those of ALS, ALS does not cause numbness or tingling. Also, ALS commonly causes symptoms such as muscle twitching, weight loss, and muscle wasting as well as problems speaking, breathing, and swallowing.