Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis Symptoms & Diagnosis

Symptoms

Symptoms include:

• Progressive weakness in arms and legs (at first often on only one side) over weeks to months without changes in sensory abilities.
• Initial presentation may be a wrist or foot drop
• Trouble holding things without dropping them
• Frequent tripping while walking
• Shrunken muscles
• Twitchy muscles
• Unpredictable changing emotions
• Clumsiness
• Overactive reflexes
• Slurred speech
• Hoarseness
• Trouble chewing and swallowing, resulting in frequent choking and gagging
• Weight loss due to trouble eating
• Trouble breathing
• Excess salivation, drooling
• Cognition is intact
• Sensation is intact
• Trouble coughing, resulting in development of pneumonia

Diagnosis

The doctor will ask about your symptoms and medical history, and perform a physical exam. There are no tests that definitively diagnose ALS, but tests may be used to rule out other medical conditions.

Tests may include:

• Electromyogram (EMG) —to look for progressive muscle weakness and twitching
• CT Scan —a type of x-ray that uses a computer to make pictures of the structures inside the head
• MRI Scan —a test that uses magnetic waves to make pictures of the structures inside the head
• Blood tests—to rule out metabolic, heavy metal exposure, or rarely infections such as lyme disease or HIV
• Lumbar puncture —a procedure to collect cerebrospinal fluid (CSF)
• Urine tests