ALS stands for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. ALS is sometimes called Lou Gehrig's Disease, or Motor Neurone Disease. The prevalence of these terms varies regionally.
ALS is a motor neuron disease; these neurons are found in the brain and spinal cord and are responsible for voluntary and involuntary muscle movements throughout the body. Symptoms of ALS include muscle weakness and atrophy, fasciculations (twitching), and other symptoms, most of which are a direct consequence of muscle atrophy. Diagnosing ALS is difficult as there are many similar diseases with similar early symptom presentation.
ALS cannot be stopped or reversed, however, there are treatments that may slow down disease progression. Researchers are actively looking for better ways to both diagnose and treat ALS.