Causes and Treatments of ALS

Causes and Treatments of ALS What is ALS? Introduction ALS is not contagious and although life expectancy of a person with Amyotrophic Laterals Sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig’s Disease, averages between two to five years after diagnosis. Up to 10 percent will survive more than ten years and five percent will live for 20 years. Approximately over 5,000 people in United States will be diagnosed with ALS every year. ALS occurs throughout the world with no racial, ethnic or socioeconomic boundaries’ and can affect anyone. There can be significant cost associated for medical care, equipment, and home health care giving for this disorder. It is important to become knowledgeable about your health plan coverage and programs for which you may be eligible. Recently, my love was succumbed to this neurodegenerative disorder and after being diagnosed, he lived several months thereafter. It is because of our experience with his illness and this disease that I wanted to be the voice that he left behind. â€Å"He fought a good fight and ALS finished his course†. It is my mission to assist with the fight by bringing awareness through advocacy for those living with Lou Gehrig’s disease and their families that they can live fuller lives by accessing the resources available to them. Just What Is ALS? ALS is an incurable degenerative neurological disorder. The nerve cells of the brain and spinal cord, which control voluntary muscle movement, deteriorate – the muscles waste away leading to paralysis and eventually lead to death. In 1941, national attention was brought to the United States when a baseball player struggled with the disease called amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, or ALS, often called Lou Gehrig’s disease. Each year in the U.S., about 5,000 new cases are diagnosed each year. It is a rare disease and impact strikes those after the age of 40 and can affect more men than women. Lateral identifies the areas of the spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signals and control the muscles are located. As the area continues to degenerates, it can lead to both scarring and hardening (sclerosis) in the region. The progressive degeneration of the motor neurons in ALS can eventually lead to their demise. As the motor neurons die, the brain ability to initiate and control muscle movement is lost. You may lose the ability to speak, eat, move and breathe, and with ALS, the motor nerves affected are the motor neurons that provide our voluntary movements and muscle control. Forms of ALS There are three different types of ALS: Sporadic Familial Guamanian Sporadic is the most common form of the ALS disease and it affects between 90 and 95 percent of all the cases. Familial (FAL) means that the disease can be inherited and in these families, there are 50% chance that the offspring can inherit the genetic mutation and can develop the disease, and Guamanian is a high incidence of the ALS disorder that is observed in Guam and Trust Territories of the Pacific in the 1950’s. Causes of ALS ALS atrophy. Brain areas specifically affected in C9ORF72 cases (blue), in non-C9ORF72 cases (green), and all ALS cases (red). It has become clear that a number of defects can lead to motor neuron degeneration in ALS. In 2011, a researcher advance was made when scientists found that the defect in the C9orf72 gene is not only present in ALS patients but also in patients who suffer from a type of front temporal dementia (FTD). In searching for the cause of ALS scientists studies the role of environmental factors such as exposure to toxic or infections agents, as well as trauma or behavioral factors. Studies shows that during the 1991 war those deployed to the Gulf region were more likely to develop ALS compared to military personnel who were not in region. How is ALS treated? No cure has been found as of yet, but the Food Drug Administration (FDA) in 1995 approved the first drug treatment called Riluzole. Riluzole reduces the damage to the motor neurons by decreasing the release of glutamate. The clinical trials of ALS patients have shown that the drug Riluzole has prolonged their survival by months, mainly in the area of those who has difficulty in swallowing. Riluzole have extended the time before an individual has needed ventilation support. The drug has not reversed the damage done to motor neurons, and they must be monitored for damage to their lives and other side effects. However, this disease-specific therapy has offered hope that the progression of ALS maybe slowed with new medications of drugs. Other treatments for patients with ALS to improve the quality of life is best provided by a team of healthcare professionals such as physicians; pharmacists; physical, occupational, and speech therapists; social workers, home care, and hospice nurses. A physician prescribes the medication to ease fatigue while controlling spasticity, pharmacists monitor’s medication to avoid the risks of drug interactions. Physical therapy enhances their independence and help patients with their range of motion. The team of health professionals teaches ALS patients with the ability to help them speak louder and clearly. Nutritional support by a nutritionists helps them how to plan and prepare small meals that supply enough calories, fiber and how to avoid foods difficult to swallow. Intermittent positive pressure ventilation [IPPV] or bi-level positive airway pressure [BIPAP] is used to aid breathing during sleeping. The devices inflate their lungs from external sources when their muscles are no longer able to maintain normal oxygen and carbon dioxide levels the devices maybe used full time. The severity of ALS, the lack of effective treatments, and the progress in ALS research helps identify targets making it more tractable to develop therapies for ALS. ALS is linked to other neurodegenerative diseases like Alzheimer’s and Parkinson. Supporting People and Projects The ALS Association offers grants and awards to private industries and scientists to accelerate the developments of treatments and a cure for ALS disease. The Association administers, The Milton Safenowitz Post-Doctoral Fellowship for ALS Research, the only post-doctoral fellowship for ALS research, and the ALS Association’s Sheila Essay Award recognizes premier achievement in research of ALS disorders. ALS Association holds workshops each year, which brings together scientist researching ALS and other neurodegenerative diseases. All of the Association staff holds leadership positions on a national and international organization to assist with unlocking the mysteries of Amyotrophic Laterals Sclerosis (ALS). Public Policy Public efforts in Washington, D.C. has raised the profile of ALS in the White House, members of Congress, federal agencies, Centers for Medicare Medicaid (CMS), and including the National Institutes of Health. One of the signature accomplishments of the Public Policy Department is by eliminating the 24 months waiting period for those disabled with ALS and had to wait before they could begin receiving Medicare benefits. ALS is one of two diseases where the waiting period does not apply, and the waiver for ALS is the only change Congress made to the waiting period since it first began. Through public outreach, social media and the internet, The Association will continually raise awareness about ALS and the search for a cure. References Koroshetz, W. (June 2013). Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Fact Sheet. NINDS, (No. 13-916). Retrieved from http://www.ninds.nih.gov.com Madsen, A. (2010, March 29). The National Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Registry. Retrieved from http://www.cdc.gov.al.com Madsen, A. (2012, February 14). Lou Gehrig’s disease Info. Retrieved from http://www.diseaseinfosearch.org/LouGehrig.com ALS Association (2010). Retrieved from http://www.alsa.org/ Project ALS (2012). Retrieved from http://www.projectals.org/ Image courtesy of Bede P. Bokde A.L., Byrne S. Elamin M. McLaughlin R.L., Kenna K. Fagan A.J., Pender N. Bradley D.G., Hardiman O. Multiparametric MRI study of ALS stratified for the C9orf72 genotype. Neurology. 81 (published online ahead of print) p.4.

Business Management Motivation

Motivation is the willingness to exert high levels of effort toward organizational goals, conditioned by the effort's ability to satisfy some individual needs (Robbins, 168). For some business analysts, employee motivation is a good way to increase productivity in an organization. When people get motivated, they will have a reason to put more efforts on what they are doing. Motivation is a crucial management tool in lifting the organization's work force's ability. There are many different ways to motivate employees. Employers can motivate their workers as individuals, groups, teams, or the organization as a whole. Motivation takes forms like offering rewards, improving working conditions, or employee recognition. However, which approach should employers try? Team-based reward systems have been raised as an issue in work management areas. Many people prefer team-based reward systems to an individual approach. San Diego Business Journal, issued on Oct. 6, 1997, published an article titled â€Å"Team-Based Productivity Incentive System.† This article summarized the ideas that supported the team-based approach. The author, Bob Harrington, opposed the individual reward system. As he stated, individual reward systems create unnecessary competition and reduce cooperation between employees. It also reduces creativity because employees will only do what is necessary to get rewarded. Moreover, Harrington said team-based incentives influence individuals to work well together and cooperate with one another. No longer are employees and management measured purely against financial information. Instead, outstanding performance is based on a combination of items that measure the strategic objectives of the corporation. This paper will see if the team-based incentive systems are the best approach for business environments as Harrington discussed. Medical insurance and educational opportunities, among others are all common benefits in compensation programs for many manufacturers. Many people argued that these benefits attract and retain employees, but have little to do with work performance. Some also believe that if these benefits are spread out among workers in general, these kinds of work incentives will not guarantee good performance. Well Pay vs. Sick Pay is an example of how an incentive program reinforces wrong behavior and reduces productivity. Manufacturers with incentive systems that reward employees for achievements and growth can increase their competitiveness and profitability in today's global market. Yes, it is true that organizations need to have incentive systems to satisfy their work force. Team-based incentive systems such as gain sharing, profit sharing, etc., become increasingly popular in work environments. People now are required to work as a team, and altogether help each other to achieve an objective. Your work is my work, and your responsibility is mine. People will become more cohesive as working in a group or a team. Team-based incentives offer several advantages. However, I do not totally agree with Harrington that individual incentive systems do not have any good influence over workers' performance. Some people are extremely successful when they work on their own. People, who are raised in an individualistic culture, might not benefit from working in a group. So, individual incentive systems do play an important role in increasing a work force's productivity as long as the employers know how to use this reinforcement system properly. If organizations set a standard to measure individual achievement and reward that individual on what he (she) perform, then, the individual incentive system might work as well as the team-based one. Moreover, managers need to realize that team-based incentive systems might cause Social Loafing effect in the work force – the tendency for individuals to expend less effort when working collectively than when working individually (Robbins, 260). Motivations are necessary in a working environment to increase the productivity of the work force. Reward systems must create a win-win situation for employees and employers. Team-based incentive systems might work very well and are a preferred process for many organizations in today's work market; however, managers should adopt individual incentive systems in many cases, when employees are more skillful, efficient, and effective as working individually. The major purpose of the incentive system is to motivate and organize employees.

College Success Essays - 1891 Words

College Success What does it mean to be successful? Many people look at the word success from different views. The dictionary defines success in two ways: the accomplishment of one’s goals and then the attainment of wealth or position. I believe you can be successful in two ways as well: you can be successful in your career and you can be successful by doing what makes you happy and living a fulfilling life to your standards. You don’t have to have a huge mansion on top of a private hill looking over the ocean to be defined as successful. When asked what it takes to be successful in college, that’s a different story. To be successful in college is to reach your academic goals in a productive way. I am in college to obtain a†¦show more content†¦Another vital skill that will help me to succeed in college is to have good communication with professors. I chose this skill because your instructors are your most important resource through your college years. Mastering this s kill will help me with just about anything; keeping up with grades, going over questions that I have on the homework assignment so that I don’t make the same mistake on the test. Professors can be your friend if you let them. They really are there to help you succeed. In â€Å"Student Guide to First-Year Composition† Sugie Goen-Salter writes, â€Å"When you are a student in a first-year composition course, your instructor is your most important resource.†(50) Goen-Salter is saying that you have many resources in college but your main one will be your instructor. You can use them as a learning tool or even as someone to just talk to. I’d much rather my professors be my friend or at least know me by name and face rather than not know who I am. I will talk to my professors about anything; the weather, how their day is going, what they had for breakfast, etc. The purpose of your instructor is to be your guide along this journey of life. If I keep in good cont act with my professors I will never be unsure about what is being asked of me. Sugie Goen-Salter also writes, â€Å"Office hours and your instructor’s office location will be listed on your syllabus, and your instructor will post her office hours outside herShow MoreRelatedPersonal Responsibility Is the Fuel for College Success1154 Words   |  5 Pagesfuel for college success XXXX GEN/200 XXXX Instructor: XXXX Personal Responsibility is the Fuel for College Success Although many people attend universities and colleges, not everyone has a successful college experience. Success in collegeRead More College Success Essay1135 Words   |  5 PagesSkills That Are Important For College Success University Of Phoenix Gen 300 Skills For Professional Development nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;nbsp;It seems in the society we live in today, having a college degree is a necessity. 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