Currently, there are few treatments for Lou Gehrig’s disease. An overview with Dr. Emilien Bernard, neurologist.
The editorial staff of Allo Docteurs
Written on 09/09/2024
What treatments for Charcot’s disease? — Le Mag de la Santé – France 5
How are patients with Charcot’s disease treated? In different ways, explains Dr. Emilien Bernard, neurologist. “We offer patients support from a multidisciplinary team, who will try to help with a whole range of symptoms.”
“What makes Charcot’s disease serious is the risk of respiratory damage. Therefore, patients with respiratory symptoms are offered non-invasive ventilation. This is the treatment that increases life expectancy the most, sometimes by several years.”he said.
Also read: These products that you have in your garage promote Charcot’s disease
Numerous therapeutic trials
“From a medicinal point of view, there has been treatment for 30 years”continues the specialist. This is the Riluzole. “It has the benefit of increasing the life expectancy of patients but only by 10%, it is better than nothing but largely insufficient”he laments.
“We also offer patients the opportunity to participate in research. There have never been so many therapeutic trials for this disease, since the pharmaceutical industry has become interested in Charcot’s disease with resources that academic research does not have.”explains Dr.
What are the first signs of the disease?
Charcot’s disease can begin in three ways, explains Dr. Emilien Bernard.
“One in three cases, the disease begins with a deficiency of the hand, with difficulties with fine dexterity”explains the specialist. “Another one in three cases, the condition begins with walking problems with difficulty lifting the foot.”
Finally, for the last remaining third, these are “problems with speech or swallowing” which are the first symptoms.
Two forms of Charcot’s disease
Lou Gehrig’s disease, or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), is a neurodegenerative disease that affects nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. But how can we explain that the first symptoms differ depending on the patient?
In reality, the disease can take two forms: spinal forms which begins with limb involvement, with muscle weakening and involuntary muscle twitches, and the bulbous shape which begins with damage to the muscles of the mouth, with a change in voice which becomes weaker and nasal and difficulty in articulating.
These two forms can occur in succession or develop simultaneously. Eventually, the disease progresses to a complete form that combines both.
