Myotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also referred to as Lou Gehrig’s disease, is a progressive motor neuron disease affecting the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Motor neurons are small bundles of nerves that run from the brain to the spinal cord, then from the spinal cord to the muscles throughout the body.
The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons causes them to die, and the brain loses the connection with the muscle. The result is a lack of muscle control. This “disconnection” then causes the muscle to lose neuron nourishment and stimulation, resulting in muscle atrophy (becoming smaller).
