Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), also known as Lou Gehrig's disease or motor neuron disease, has caught worldwide attention this year because of the "Ice Bucket Challenge," which not only raised awareness about the disease, but also raised funds for research in the fight against it.

Despite ALS being an obscure disease, scientists at the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute have been studying it, to know the cause and the possible cure for the condition, Dumb Out reported.

Initially, there have been studies which revealed that brain damage could begin earlier than what was originally believed.

But for the new study, the researchers were able to show the "exact progression of ALS in animals that have an inherited form of the disease."

After establishing when the condition begins in the body, the scientist exposed the brain's role in the progression of ALS, which was originally thought to have originated in the spinal cord, according to Clive Svendsen, the lead author of the study and a professor and director of the Cedars-Sinai Board of Governors Regenerative Medicine Institute.

Svendsen added that the procedure included the isolation of the disease-causing gene from the brains of ALS-infected animals.

It was then discovered that the gene mutation itself played a significant role in the initiation and progression of the condition, and its removal could prevent the condition.

The study revealed that the spinal motor neurons, which are the cells controlling muscle functions, start to die even before symptoms of the disease begin to show and before any damage in the spinal cord and muscles takes place.

In conclusion, the lead author of the study revealed that the spinal motor neurons death initially occurs in the spinal cord, and expands to the brain and muscles over time.

The brain and its motor functions are not lost until the final stages of the disease, but during earlier stages, it already starts to show minor dysfunction.

Meanwhile, a separate article written in Healing Chronicles, revealed that keeping a healthy nerve environment may be beneficial to prevent the development ALS.

The article said that ALS begins to manifest in people who has a poor nerve condition, and in order to prevent it, there must be a "healthy gene expression or nerve situation."

Additionally, it pointed out that stress and too much work plays a significant role in the manifestation of the disease.

In order to address the issue that could lead to having ALS, people are encouraged to properly handle their internal issues and have a positive and assertive attitude towards life.