Pathophysiology of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis

Introduction: Neurodegenerative diseases are hereditary or acquired pathologies that cause progressive dysfunction of the central nervous system. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis is the most important of the degenerative diseases that can affect motor neurons. The disease is inexorably progressive and leads to death by respiratory paralysis.Objective: To characterize the evolution and general features of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.Materials and methods: A search was conducted in Medline, Pubmed, and Google Scholar, limited to Spanish and English, and documents published mainly in the last five years were selected. However, due to their interest, several papers prior to the established time limit were included. Sixteen papers were included in the review, representing a 62.5% update.Development: In most patients, risk factors for this disease cannot be identified. Symptoms generally do not appear until after the age of 50. In diagnosing this disease, the neurologist must perform a clinical examination and a series of tests to rule out other diseases that mimic ALS. Although there is no cure, the symptoms can be treated to seek the best possible quality of life.Conclusions: Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis affects adults of any race or ethnicity. When the muscles of the diaphragm and chest wall fail, breathing becomes impossible without the aid of artificial ventilation. Treatment should be multidisciplinary, offering all patients the opportunity to receive riluzole.