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ALS stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. It’s also called Lou Gehrig’s disease. ALS attacks motor neurons, the nerve cells responsible for regulating “voluntary” muscles that we’re aware of controlling, such as those in our arms, legs, and face. As these motor neurons degenerate or die, they stop sending signals to muscles. Unable to function, the muscles gradually weaken and waste away.

The ATSDR National ALS Registry contributes to a better understanding of ALS and helps create a better future for the next generation of persons living with ALS. Learn more about ALS and the ALS Registry at www.cdc.gov/als. If you have ALS, make a difference in ALS research by participating in the ALS Registry.

It’s been over one year since the incredible Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis (ALS) Ice Bucket Challenge. Not since Lou Gehrig made his famous “Luckiest Man on Earth” speech in 1939 has so much public attention been focused on ALS. The Ice Bucket Challenge returned this past August and will every year thereafter until a cure is found.