[Diagnosis and treatment of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis]

Like Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a neurodegenerative disease in which a very defined population of neurons selectively degenerates. Muscular atrophy and central paresis develop in ALS patients relatively quickly--usually within months to a few years. Bulbar symptoms such as swallowing disorders and dysarthria are frequently observed in the beginning. The disease progresses steadily and without remission. The average length of survival after diagnosis is two to three years. The diagnosis is made on the basis of a characteristic group of symptoms and confirmed or substantiated through additional clinical neurological tests. Currently, the cause of the disease cannot be treated. Treatment concentrates primarily on symptomatic measures and providing supportive devices.