what are the major differences between als and ms physiologically?
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MS is an autoimmune disease that causes the body to attack the myelin sheath that insulates nerve cell fibers in the brain and the spinal cord. In contrast, ALS is a motor neuron disease that mainly affects the actual motor neuron cells in the brain and spinal cord.
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Multiple sclerosis. In multiple sclerosis, the protective coating on nerve fibers (myelin) is damaged and may eventually be destroyed. Depending on where the nerve damage occurs, MS can affect vision, sensation, coordination, movement, and bladder and bowel control.
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Many people may have mild symptoms for years with periods of remission. In contrast, ALS destroys the nerve cells (neurons) so that the body cannot communicate with the brain. Symptoms of ALS progress continually, and result in paralysis, and death a few years after the initial diagnosis.
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Symptoms are generally more severe after an NMO attack than an MS attack. NMO rarely has a secondary progressive stage as in MS; disabilities accumulate from repeated acute attacks. NMO is present across the world, especially among non-Caucasians; MS has a higher incidence in temperate climates and Caucasians.
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Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS), commonly known as Lou Gehrig's disease, is a progressive neuromuscular disease. ALS is characterized by a progressive degeneration of motor nerve cells in the brain (upper motor neurons) and spinal cord (lower motor neurons).
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Although MS is primarily mediated by T lymphocytes and MG primarily involves the destruction of the neuromuscular junction by antibodies, there are evidences that support both cell-mediated and humoral immunity are involved in the pathogenesis of both diseases.
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AlS means Advance Life Support and BLS means Basic life Support. A BLS unit will have two Emergency medical Technicians. On the other hand, an ALS unit will have a paramedic apart from the Emergency medical Technician. ... The BLS providers cannot administer medicines.
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Sclerosis. Sclerosis in MS is caused by a breakdown in myelin. When demyelination occurs, signals from the brain to other parts of the body are interrupted. In ALS, sclerosis damages the motor neurons, causing the myelin sheath to become harder.
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Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease affecting particularly motor neurons for which no cure or effective treatment is available. Although the cause of ALS remains unknown, accumulative evidence suggests an autoimmune mechanism of pathogenesis.
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['Mobility is extremely limited, and help is needed in caring for most personal needs.', 'Poor respiration may cause fatigue, fuzzy thinking, headaches, and susceptibility to pneumonia. (Respiratory insufficiency is a leading cause of death in ALS.)', 'Speech, or eating and drinking by mouth, may not be possible.']
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ALS is a rapidly progressive and fatal neuromuscular disease. MS is a scarring and hardening of the sheath around the nerves in the brain, spinal cord, and optic nerve. MD is a muscular disorder with specific kinds of MD involving different muscles in the body. MD is almost exclusively hereditary.
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ALS is primarily diagnosed based on detailed history of the symptoms and signs observed by a physician during physical examination along with a series of tests to rule out other mimicking diseases. However, the presence of upper and lower motor neuron symptoms strongly suggests the presence of the disease.
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Summary: Medical researchers demonstrate that ALS -- known as Lou Gehrig's disease -- damages neurons in parts of the brain responsible for cognition and behavior. The scientists provide evidence that ALS affects more than just the motor cortex, the part of the brain responsible for motor function.
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The main difference between secondary-progressive MS (SPMS) and primary-progressive MS (PPMS) centers on the presence or absence of relapses. SPMS develops in patients who initially had relapsing-remitting MS (RRMS) as a secondary phase of that disease course.
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MS is a chronic disease that affects the central nervous system, while schizophrenia is primarily considered a psychiatric disease. Patients with MS are reported to be at an increased risk of developing schizophrenia and bipolar disorder.
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How does PLS differ from ALS? PLS affects the upper motor neurons alone, while ALS affects the upper and lower motor neurons. The nerve cell bod- ies of the upper motor neurons reside in the brain, where they control the activity of the lower motor neurons, which reside in the spinal cord.
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The test can also measure the ability of peripheral nerves to conduct impulses. EMG results are usually normal in multiple sclerosis (MS) patients, as MS doesn't affect the peripheral nervous system. EMG — See Electromyography.