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ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)

Compassionate, Expert Care for ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)

The Emory ALS Center provides comprehensive care for patients and families with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), or Lou Gehrig’s disease. We offer compassionate, forward-thinking treatment to help you maintain independence and quality of life for as long as possible.

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Why Choose Emory Healthcare?

The Emory ALS Center is part of the Emory Brain Health Center. It’s one of the largest medical centers for ALS in the United States.

Our dedicated doctors, nurses, therapists, social workers, research scientists and others work together to achieve our slogan, “Celebrate Life, Imagine a Cure.” We participate in many clinical trials to better understand ALS.

The Emory ALS Center is recognized as a Treatment Center of Excellence by the ALS Association (ALSA) and ALS United of Georgia. The Muscular Dystrophy Association (MDA) has also designated it a Certified ALS Center.

What is ALS (Lou Gehrig's Disease)?

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affects the nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. The disease causes weakness and stiffness of the muscles.

Over time, your muscles eventually stop working. You lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe.

Currently, there isn’t a cure for ALS. It is a terminal disease. But treatments can help you live longer and improve your quality of life.

Risk Factors for ALS

The causes of ALS are unknown, but some factors can increase your risk. Among them:

  • Age: 55-70 years old, though onset can occur at any age
  • Genetics: Family history of ALS
  • Occupation: Military veterans have a slightly increased risk for ALS
  • Sex: Men are slightly more affected than women

Symptoms of ALS

Symptoms of ALS start slowly and increase over time. They affect everyone differently.

Common signs may include:

  • Painless weakness and loss of muscle mass
  • Clumsiness or difficulty performing daily activities
  • Drooling
  • Falling or tripping
  • Fatigue
  • Muscle cramping, twitching and weakness in hands, arms or legs
  • Shortness of breath
  • Slurring speech or trouble swallowing

Jonathan Glass, MD
"Delivering expert care in an environment rich with opportunities for clinical and scientific research is what gets me up in the morning. This is the best way to find answers to the difficult questions around ALS while focusing on the most important task of taking care of people and families with ALS."

-Jonathan Glass, MD, Director of the Emory ALS Center

Diagnosing ALS

A physician makes a diagnosis based on the history of the symptoms and the physical examination. Your doctor may want to seek confirmation of ALS by referring you to a neurologist who specializes in this disease.

Your doctor will review your health history, discuss your symptoms and perform a physical examination. In some cases, additional tests may be done, though these tests are frequently not necessary:

  • Blood and urine tests to rule out other conditions
  • Genetic testing if you have a family history of ALS
  • Electromyogram to check muscle activity
  • Imaging tests like an MRI or CT scan of your brain and spinal cord
  • Muscle or nerve biopsy to check for other diseases
  • Nerve conduction study to look for nerve damage
  • Neurologic exam to check your strength, reflexes, sensation and coordination
  • Spinal tap to examine spinal fluid

ALS Treatments

We offer research-based treatments and compassionate care for ALS. We work to provide you with more comfort, independence and the best possible quality of life.

Find an Emory Doctor

Emory Healthcare doctors provide specialized treatment and research the latest advancements.

Explore our Network

To expand your options, explore our network of providers throughout Atlanta and the surrounding counties.
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Make an Appointment with Emory Neurology & Neurosurgery

Create a MyChart account to schedule online.

For the neurology department, call 404-778-3444.

For the neurosurgery department, call 404-778-5770.

network_intelligence

Make an Appointment with Emory Neurology & Neurosurgery

Create a MyChart account to schedule online.

For the neurology department, call 404-778-3444.

For the neurosurgery department, call 404-778-5770.