A. No. A test would suppose that we know the precise cause of this disease, and unfortunately, we do not.
Lou Gehrig's Disease is otherwise known as AMYOTROPHIC LATERAL SCLEROSIS, or ALS for short. It is a chronic and progressive disease affecting the nerves, and by extension the muscles they serve, of the motor system of the body (as opposed to the sensory system).
ALS usually presents around age 55, is seen more often in men than women (1.5 times), and in only 5% of the cases does it seem to run in the family. More statistics on ALS are available.
What people notice first is a weakness in their muscles affected, and also an atrophy or wasting/shrinking of that muscle. There is no pattern as to which muscle(s) may be affected first, and it may be first noticed in hands, legs, arms, or rarely the muscles used to breathe. Cramps are a common problem, followed by a twitching of the affected muscles. The unfortunate part of this disease is its progresive nature. It progresses to include more and more muscles with time, in no set or predictable pattern.
On an historical note, a court case involving ALS made recent headlines in British Columbia, Canada, where a woman named Sue Rodriguez had asked her physician to assist her, when she felt the time was appropriate, to terminate her life with dignity, in a setting and a manner in which she had chosen. As assisted suicide remains an offence, the physician refused. She took her case to the Supreme Court of Canada. Mrs. Rodriguez lost her battle, both in the courts and with ALS. The debate over physician assisted suicide heightened by her plea, however, goes on.
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