Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Quiz

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Reviewed By:

Benjamin Kummer, MD

Benjamin Kummer, MD (Neurology)

Dr Kummer is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), with joint appointment in Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) at the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) as Director of Clinical Informatics in Neurology. As a triple-board certified practicing stroke neurologist and informaticist, he has successfully improved clinical operations at the point of care by acting as a central liaison between clinical neurology faculty and DTP teams to implement targeted EHR configuration changes and workflows, as well as providing subject matter expertise on health information technology projects across MSHS. | Dr Kummer also has several years’ experience building and implementing several informatics tools, presenting scientific posters, and generating a body of peer-reviewed work in “clinical neuro-informatics” – i.e., the intersection of clinical neurology, digital health, and informatics – much of which is centered on digital/tele-health, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He has spearheaded the Clinical Neuro-Informatics Center in the Department of Neurology at ISMMS, a new research institute that seeks to establish the field of clinical neuro-informatics and disseminate knowledge to the neurological community on the effects and benefits of clinical informatics tools at the point of care.

Shohei Harase, MD

Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)

Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.

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Content updated on Jan 19, 2024

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How Ubie Can Help You

With an easy 3-min questionnaire, Ubie's AI-powered system will generate a free report on possible causes.

  • Trained and reviewed by 50+ doctors, our AI Symptom Checker utilizes data from 1,500+ medical centers

  • Questions are customized to your situation and symptoms

  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) as well as similar diseases can be checked at the same time.

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Your personal report will tell you

✔︎  When to see a doctor

✔︎  What causes your symptoms

✔︎  Treatment information etc.

People with similar symptoms also use Ubie's symptom checker to find possible causes

  • Difficulty pronouncing words

  • Speech disorders

  • Trouble standing

  • Dysarthria

  • Motor speech disorder

  • Can't speak clearly

  • Problem standing up from a chair

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What is Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)?

Also known as ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease, or motor neuron disease, this progressive, degenerative condition affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. It results in loss of muscle control, eventually leading to difficulty eating, breathing, and speaking. The exact cause remains unknown and may be due to genetic, environmental, and lifestyle factors.

Typical Symptoms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

  • Difficulty pronouncing words

  • Slurred speech

  • Difficulty standing up from sitting position

  • Difficulty swallowing food or water

  • Weakness in arms or legs

  • Recent weight loss

  • Unable to speak or using incorrect words

  • Hands and legs became clumsy - I cannot do fine work with them

Doctor's Diagnostic Questionson Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Your doctor may ask these questions to check for this disease:

  • Do you struggle with pronouncing words correctly?

  • Is your speech slurred?

  • Is it hard for you to get up from a chair by yourself?

  • Is swallowing difficult for you (e.g. with food or water)?

  • Do your arms or legs feel weak?

Treatmentof Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

There is no cure for ALS. Medications can reduce symptom severity and slow progression. Physical, occupational, and speech therapy can help improve quality of life.

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View the symptoms of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

References

  • Hardiman O, Al-Chalabi A, Chio A, Corr EM, Logroscino G, Robberecht W, Shaw PJ, Simmons Z, van den Berg LH. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017 Oct 5;3:17071. doi: 10.1038/nrdp.2017.71. Erratum in: Nat Rev Dis Primers. 2017 Oct 20;3:17085. PMID: 28980624.

    https://www.nature.com/articles/nrdp201771

  • Kiernan MC, Vucic S, Cheah BC, Turner MR, Eisen A, Hardiman O, Burrell JR, Zoing MC. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Lancet. 2011 Mar 12;377(9769):942-55. doi: 10.1016/S0140-6736(10)61156-7. Epub 2011 Feb 4. PMID: 21296405.

    https://www.thelancet.com/journals/lancet/article/PIIS0140-6736(10)61156-7/fulltext

  • Hulisz D. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: disease state overview. Am J Manag Care. 2018 Aug;24(15 Suppl):S320-S326. PMID: 30207670.

    https://www.ajmc.com/view/amyotrophic-lateral-sclerosis-disease-state-overview

  • Grad LI, Rouleau GA, Ravits J, Cashman NR. Clinical Spectrum of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS). Cold Spring Harb Perspect Med. 2017 Aug 1;7(8):a024117. doi: 10.1101/cshperspect.a024117. PMID: 28003278; PMCID: PMC5538408.

    http://perspectivesinmedicine.cshlp.org/content/7/8/a024117

  • Brown RH, Al-Chalabi A. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. N Engl J Med. 2017 Jul 13;377(2):162-172. doi: 10.1056/NEJMra1603471. PMID: 28700839.

    https://www.nejm.org/doi/10.1056/NEJMra1603471

User Testimonials

Reviewed By:

Benjamin Kummer, MD

Benjamin Kummer, MD (Neurology)

Dr Kummer is Assistant Professor of Neurology at the Icahn School of Medicine at Mount Sinai (ISMMS), with joint appointment in Digital and Technology Partners (DTP) at the Mount Sinai Health System (MSHS) as Director of Clinical Informatics in Neurology. As a triple-board certified practicing stroke neurologist and informaticist, he has successfully improved clinical operations at the point of care by acting as a central liaison between clinical neurology faculty and DTP teams to implement targeted EHR configuration changes and workflows, as well as providing subject matter expertise on health information technology projects across MSHS. | Dr Kummer also has several years’ experience building and implementing several informatics tools, presenting scientific posters, and generating a body of peer-reviewed work in “clinical neuro-informatics” – i.e., the intersection of clinical neurology, digital health, and informatics – much of which is centered on digital/tele-health, artificial intelligence, and machine learning. He has spearheaded the Clinical Neuro-Informatics Center in the Department of Neurology at ISMMS, a new research institute that seeks to establish the field of clinical neuro-informatics and disseminate knowledge to the neurological community on the effects and benefits of clinical informatics tools at the point of care.

Shohei Harase, MD

Shohei Harase, MD (Neurology)

Dr. Harase spent his junior and senior high school years in Finland and the U.S. After graduating from the University of Washington (Bachelor of Science, Molecular and Cellular Biology), he worked for Apple Japan Inc. before entering the University of the Ryukyus School of Medicine. He completed his residency at Okinawa Prefectural Chubu Hospital, where he received the Best Resident Award in 2016 and 2017. In 2021, he joined the Department of Cerebrovascular Medicine at the National Cerebral and Cardiovascular Center, specializing in hyperacute stroke.

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