Diseases

Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis

A degenerative disorder affecting upper MOTOR NEURONS in the brain and lower motor neurons in the brain stem and SPINAL CORD. Disease onset is usually after the age of 50 and the process is usually fatal within 3 to 6 years. Clinical manifestations include progressive weakness, atrophy, FASCICULATION, hyperreflexia, DYSARTHRIA, dysphagia, and eventual paralysis of respiratory function. Pathologic features include the replacement of motor neurons with fibrous ASTROCYTES and atrophy of anterior SPINAL NERVE ROOTS and corticospinal tracts. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1089-94)

National Library of MedicineMedical Subject Headings2026

Structured Summary

Abstract

A degenerative disorder affecting upper MOTOR NEURONS in the brain and lower motor neurons in the brain stem and SPINAL CORD. Disease onset is usually after the age of 50 and the process is usually fatal within 3 to 6 years. Clinical manifestations include progressive weakness, atrophy, FASCICULATION, hyperreflexia, DYSARTHRIA, dysphagia, and eventual paralysis of respiratory function. Pathologic features include the replacement of motor neurons with fibrous ASTROCYTES and atrophy of anterior SPINAL NERVE ROOTS and corticospinal tracts. (From Adams et al., Principles of Neurology, 6th ed, pp1089-94)

MeSH Record

Classification

Broader headings

Related Concepts

Knowledge Graph

Loading graph…

Drag nodes to rearrange; hover to trace links; click a node to open its page.

MeSH Record

Synonyms

22 entry terms
  • ALS - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • Charcot Disease
  • Gehrig's Disease
  • Lou Gehrig Disease
  • Lou Gehrig's Disease
  • Lou-Gehrigs Disease
  • Motor Neuron Disease, Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • ALS Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • Disease, Lou-Gehrigs
  • Gehrig Disease
  • Gehrigs Disease
  • Sclerosis, Amyotrophic Lateral
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis With Dementia
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Guam Form
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex of Guam
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis-Parkinsonism-Dementia Complex 1
  • Dementia With Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • Guam Disease
  • Guam Form of Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Parkinsonism Dementia Complex 1
  • Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis, Parkinsonism Dementia Complex of Guam
  • Disease, Guam

MeSH Record

Aspects Covered

35 allowable subheadings

Indexed with the subheadings blood, cerebrospinal fluid, chemically induced, classification, complications, congenital, diagnosis, diagnostic imaging, diet therapy, drug therapy, economics, embryology, enzymology, epidemiology, ethnology, etiology, genetics, history, immunology, metabolism, microbiology, mortality, nursing, parasitology, pathology, physiopathology, prevention & control, psychology, radiotherapy, rehabilitation, surgery, therapy, urine, veterinary, virology.

MeSH Hierarchy

Tree Numbers

  1. C10w.228w.854w.139w
  2. C10w.574w.562w.250w
  3. C10w.574w.950.050w
  4. C10w.668w.467w.250w
  5. C18.452w.845.800.050w

MeSH Record

NLM Classification

WE 552

AMA Style

References

  1. National Library of Medicine. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Medical Subject Headings (MeSH). 2026. Unique ID D000690. http://id.nlm.nih.gov/mesh/2026/D000690
  2. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In: Wikipedia. https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/ALS
  3. Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. In: Wikidata. https://www.wikidata.org/wiki/Q206901