ALS description?

ALS description?

• A. Autoimmune attack on myelin in CNS
• B. Acute hemorrhagic stroke
• C. Progressive neurodegenerative disease affecting nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord, with an unknown cause
• D. Demyelinating disease of the CNS

Answer: (C)

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that specifically targets motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, with the cause largely unknown. This description is distinct from autoimmune attacks on CNS myelin (as seen in multiple sclerosis), from an acute hemorrhagic stroke (a sudden vascular event), and from demyelinating diseases of the CNS that do not emphasize motor neuron degeneration. In ALS, degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons leads to progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, ultimately affecting respiratory muscles as the disease advances.

ALS is a progressive neurodegenerative disease that specifically targets motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord, with the cause largely unknown. This description is distinct from autoimmune attacks on CNS myelin (as seen in multiple sclerosis), from an acute hemorrhagic stroke (a sudden vascular event), and from demyelinating diseases of the CNS that do not emphasize motor neuron degeneration. In ALS, degeneration of both upper and lower motor neurons leads to progressive muscle weakness and atrophy, ultimately affecting respiratory muscles as the disease advances.