Compared to diseases such as cancer or heart disease, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) affects very few people, only about 20,000-30,000 in the United States (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, 2013) and 2,500-3,000 in Canada (ALS Canada, 2013). It is responsible for approximately 2 deaths per 100,000 people. However, ALS, often referred to as Lou Gehrig's disease, is relatively well understood among the population. Why? One reason certainly has to do with the name Lou Gehrig, a famous baseball superstar who had to suddenly retire in 1939 due to ALS and then died shortly after. But, another reason why ALS is so well known is undoubtedly due to the fact that it is a particularly devastating disease with terrible effects and no known cure despite years of research. History While recorded reports of symptoms that appear to be those of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis date back as far as 1824, the first description in the scientific literature was by a French neurologist named Jean-Marie Charcot. Charcot published his findings on the characteristics of ALS in 1869 (Yale, 2013). But it was not until Lou Gehrig's landmark announcement in 1939 that there was widespread public recognition of the disease, especially in the Western world. ALS is one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide and people of all races and ethnicities are affected. On average, approximately one to three people in 100,000 develop ALS each year (Kinsley & Siddique, 2013). ALS is usually diagnosed in people between the ages of 40 and 60, but young and old people can also develop the disease. Men are affected slightly more often than women (National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke, June 2013)Causes......middle of article......tterson, D.,Figlewicz, DA, Sapp, P ., Hentati, A.,... & Brown, R.H. (1993). Mutations in the Cu/Zn superoxide dismutase gene are associated with familial amyotrophic lateral sclerosis. Nature, 362(6415}, 59-62. Talbot, K. (2011). Familial versus sporadic amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a false dichotomy? Brain 134 {12): 3429-3434.doi: 10.1093/brain/awr296Valdes, EG, & Garbuzova-Davis, S. (2013). Brain and spinal cord trauma as a risk factor for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: a mini-review. Open Journal of Neuroscience, 3(1). http://rossscience.org/o jns/arti cles/2075-9088 -3-4.pdfWicklund,MP (2005}. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis: possible role of environmental influences. Neurological clinics, 23(2), 461- 484 .Yale School Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis. Retrieved December 4, 2013, from http://medicine.yale.edu/neurology/divisions/neuromuscular/als.aspx.