Could a Virus Cause Lou Gehrigs Disease?
Jan. 13, 2000 (Indianapolis) — Although amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s disease, has been described since the mid-1890s, its origin is still not known. The results from studying one possible scenario, infection by an enterovirus (EV), a type of virus, have lead to conflicting outcomes. Research published in the January edition of the journal Neurology rekindles the debate on persistent infection with EV and how it may be associated with ALS. ALS is a progressive disease that attacks the neurons controlling the movement of voluntary muscles such as the legs, arms, or the muscles used for speech. The neurons gradually disintegrate, preventing them from properly delivering their instructions to the muscles. ALS appears in either inherited or random forms. The inherited form accounts for only about 5% to 10% of all cases of ALS. “Although ALS is a clinically well-defined motor neuron disease (MND), little is known about [it],” writes lead author Bruno Lina,
