Gradual Freeze — Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Artist: ir
Artwork Description:
Through gradually frozen limbs and lucid eyes, this artwork reveals the degeneration of motor neurons in ALS, highlighting the rupture between what the brain commands and what the body can execute.


Disease Introduction:
Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS)
Type: Neurological disorder
Affected System: Central Nervous System (CNS)

Symptoms:
Early signs include muscle twitching (fasciculations), cramps, and stiffness (spasticity) in arms, legs, shoulders, or tongue. Weakness in limbs, difficulty walking, frequent tripping, and loss of dexterity in hands. Difficulty speaking (dysarthria), swallowing (dysphagia), and breathing; Emotional lability such as uncontrolled laughing or crying; Some patients show cognitive or behavioral changes, with frontotemporal dementia in some cases.

Cause / Risk Factors:
Degeneration and death of both upper motor neurons (brain to spinal cord) and lower motor neurons (spinal cord to muscles). About 10% of cases are genetic or hereditary, while most are sporadic. Age is a strong risk factor, with incidence increasing after 55 years and peaking between 60 and 75 years. Other possible factors include exposure to environmental toxins like lead, smoking, military service, repeated head trauma, and certain viral exposures.


Treatments:
Medications that can slow progression include Riluzole, which reduces glutamate excitotoxicity and may extend survival, and Edaravone (Radicava), an antioxidant that slows functional decline in some patients.
Tofersen (Qalsody) is used in patients with confirmed SOD1 gene mutations to reduce toxic protein accumulation.
Supportive treatments include physical therapy to maintain mobility, occupational therapy with assistive devices to preserve daily function, and speech therapy for communication and swallowing difficulties.
Respiratory support such as non-invasive ventilation or tracheostomy is used in advanced stages.
Nutritional management includes feeding tubes when swallowing becomes unsafe and monitoring for weight loss.
Diagnostic and monitoring tools include electromyography, nerve conduction studies, MRI or CT scans to rule out other conditions, and blood tests like serum neurofilament light for early detection or tracking progression.