Second Opinion with Joan Lunden S09E09 - Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS),sometimes called Lou Gehrig's disease, is a rapidly progressive, invariably fatal neurological disease that attacks the nerve cells (neurons) responsible for controlling voluntary muscles. The disease belongs to a group of disorders known as motor neuron diseases, which are characterized by the gradual degeneration and death of motor neurons.