What happens in the body with lou gehrig's disease?

Loss of muscle: This disorder presents with muscle weakness and wasting. It is caused by a dysfunction of motor neurons in the brain and in the extremities. The patient loses slowly the ability to move, walk, swallow, breath. The mind stays for a long time clear (some memory problems occur). For more information look up http://www.Nlm.Nih.Gov/medlineplus/amyotrophiclateralsclerosis.Html.

Bad stuff: Lou gehrig's disease is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a genetically determined disorder in which motor nerves in the brain and spinal cord deteriorate progressively leading to paralysis and death. No cure is known. Stephen hawking, renounced physicist has survived quite a while with this condition although severely debilitated--he's still a genius. The mind is not affected usually.

Nerve damage: The disease attacks the motor nerve cell in brain and spinal cord leading to weakness, muscle atrophy, flickering of muscle fibers, tongue atrophy with speech and swallowing problems, and eventual breathing difficulties. We have limited clues to causation, and only one modestly valuable drug, Riluzole.