This is an exciting time in the scientific community, and we are urging them on and helping to finance them in their important work. Two famous men with ALS Myo refers to muscle. Atrophy is a medical term used when something becomes smaller or weakens. Amyotrophic refers to weak muscles that have become smaller due to death of the lower motor neurons. When the upper motor neurons die, they leave behind a scarred area on the lateral portions of the spinal cord.
Sclerosis is a general medical term that means hardening and scarring.
Therefore, lateral sclerosis refers to scarring along the sides of the spinal cord caused by the death of the upper motor neurons. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis means muscular weakness and degeneration of nerves. It is a progressive disease which results in the death of motor nerve cells in both the brain and spinal cord. This loss may lead to paralysis of all muscles under voluntary control, including those of the face, mouth, arms, legs, back and breathing. Causes ALS is not a disease with a single cause.