FAST FACTS: ALS and the ice bucket challenge

Not all those who join the video challenge know what ALS is, or what the video is all about. Here are some facts you
need to know about the disease and the ice bucket challenge.
MANILA, Philippines You've definitely seen at least one of those viral ice bucket challenge videos.
These viral videos are the latest craze on the Internet. The New York Timesreported that more than 1.2 million
videos were shared on Facebook between June 1 and August 13, and that the challenge was mentioned on Twitter
more than 2.2 million times since July 29 this year.
These viral videos try to raise awareness about a disease called ALS. And it helped that even big personalities have
taken part in not just making the disease known, but also donating for this cause. (READ: Zuckerberg, Timberlake,
Fallon take on ice bucket challenge)
Not all those who have joined the video challenge actually know what ALS is, or what the video is all about.
Here are some facts you need to know about the disease and the ice bucket challenge.
What does ALS mean? ALS stands for Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, a disease that affects nerve cells in the
brain and the spinal cord. A-myo-trophic is from the Greek language that means "no muscle nourishment" "A"
means no or negative, "myo" means muscle, and "trophic" means nourishment. "Lateral" refers to the areas in the
spinal cord where portions of the nerve cells that signal and control the muscles are located. As the lateral
degenerates, it leads to scarring or hardening (or sclerosis) in the affected part.
What does ALS do to the body? ALS causes the progressive degeneration of the motor neurons, which control
muscle movements. As motor neurons degenerate, they can no longer send impulses to the muscle fibers that
normally result in movement. When muscles no longer receive messages from the motor neurons, they begin to
shrink. Dead motor neurons make the brain lose its ability to initiate and control muscle movement, affecting the
action of voluntary muscles which could lead to total paralysis.
What are the symptoms of ALS? To be diagnosed with ALS, patients must have signs and symptoms of both
upper and lower motor neuron damage.
Body parts affected by early ALS symptoms depend on which motor neurons in the body are damaged first. About
75% of patients first experience "limb onset" symptoms in the arms (difficulty in arm activities such as writing)
or legs (awkwardness when walking or running, tripping or stumbling, etc) while about 25% experience "bulbar
onset" (difficulty in speaking clearly or swallowing.)
Upper motor neuron degeneration leads to tight and stiff muscles and exaggerated reflexes, while lower motor
neuron degeneration causes muscle weakness and atrophy, muscle cramps, and twitches of muscles.
In later stages, lung and eye functions may be affected. Most people with ALS die from respiratory failure, usually
within 3 to 5 years from the onset of symptoms. However, about 10% of those with ALS survive for 10 or more
years.
What causes ALS? The cause of ALS is not yet completely known. But scientific researches have found that ALS
may have some genetic links.
In 1993, scientists discovered that mutations in the gene that produce SOD1 enzyme are associated with some
cases of ALS. Also, in 2011, scientists found that a defect in the C9orf72 gene is present in both ALS and
frontotemporal dementia (FTD) patients, revealing that these disorders may be related.
In 90 to 95 percent of all ALS cases, the disease occurs randomly, with no clear factor or cause.
Environmental factors such as exposure to toxic or infectious agents, physical trauma, and behavioral and
occupational factors are also being studied to see whether they also cause ALS.
Who gets ALS? ALS is considered to be one of the most common neuromuscular diseases worldwide. In 90 to 95%
of all ALS cases, the disease occurs randomly, with no clear factor or cause.
In the US, there are 3.9 cases per 100,000 persons. ALS is said to be more common among white males, non-
Hispanics, and persons aged 6069 years, but younger and older people can also develop the disease.
About 5 to 10% of all ALS cases are inherited. (READ: ALS: The silently slow killer)
How is ALS treated? There is no cure yet for ALS. But in 1995, the US Food and Drug Administration (FDA)
approved the use of riluzole, which is believed to reduce damage to motor neurons. This drug prolongs survival by
several months, but does not repair already-damaged motor neurons.
Also, physical therapy and special equipment can enhance an individuals independence and safety throughout the
course of ALS.

What is the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge? Participants who accept the challenge (mostly those who've been tagged
or mentioned by challengers) have to record a video of themselves pouring ice-cold water on their head. They have
to state that they choose to participate to raise awareness of ALS, and that they have to accomplish it within 24
hours after they are identified by a challenger.
Those who are challenged but choose not to accept it will have to donate $100 to an ALS association of his or her
choice. However, most of those who accepted the challenge, particularly big personalities, still pledged to donate.
How did the Ice Bucket Challenge begin? The idea of dousing cold water on one's head to raise money has early
origins, and they are not exclusive to ALS awareness.
The exact date of its origin is unclear. A Slate report says that a search of the hashtag #icebucketchallenge on
Instagram indicates that video challenges began as early as 2013, with most of them being done just for fun.
But the ALS reference in ice bucket challenge videos reportedly began in a video posted on July 15, 2014 by golfer
Chris Kennedy. He tagged and challenged his cousin in New York, whose husband has had ALS for 11 years.
The feeling of ice-cold water over the body is said to be similar to the numbing effect of ALS.
Since then, the video challenge has spread on the Internet.
How much has been raised? The ALS Association in the US has reportedly received $41.8 million in donations
between July 29 and August 21, 2014. This is a big jump compared to just $2.1 million received during the same
time period last year.
The ALS Therapy Development Institute, also in the US, has reported a big jump in the amount of donations it has
received after the viral video challenge.
Critics, however, point out that most participants focus mainly on the fun act of doing the challenge rather than
actually donating or raising awareness of ALS. (READ: Why I refuse to join the ALS Ice Bucket Challenge).

Dog won't stop barking at the mailman? Just press pause.

Could you ever love a robot pet the same way you love your dog? Most of us are hardwired to love animals.
And I'm not talking about the kind of love we have for Dr. Who. Although I have plenty of that too.

I'm talking about the kind of love we have for other people. Playing with pets is already known to release the
hormone oxytocin, aka the "cuddle chemical." This is the molecule we associate with romantic love and
parental nurture. Plus, playing with pets can lower your stress level or your cholesterol or ever your blood
pressure. The need for pet companionship is a fundamental part of being human, and that's not going
anywhere. But I'm beginning to wonder, in the future is a robot pet even possible?

We already have a couple of really cute examples. Like Paro the robotic harp seal. This is a therapeutic robot
animal that's used in nursing homes and hospitals and has been on the market for years. Or Pleo and Pleo rb,
the robotic dinosaurs that have lifelike movements and facial expressions and react positively to being played
with and petted. Future upgrades could include things like realistic furs, simulated body heat, maybe even
artificial intelligence so it reacts in a reciprocal way with human interaction.

And these future animals may not just be useful from a pet companionship aspect. For example, Boston
Dynamics' line of four-legged robots. These robots can run on four legs and they'll even stumble to maintain
their balance if you push them. So it doesn't take a lot of imagination to envision them running and romping
and playing like a golden retriever, except this particular robot will be able to follow you wherever you go with
complete dedication, even across a burning desert or in deep heavy snow.

Now, no one has bothered to give it fur or facial expressions or a cuddle instinct, but why not? I mean a robot
pet with GPS could lead you to unknown destinations. Or maybe it could carry really heavy loads on your
behalf, or even provide personal defense!

Ok, imagine this. You're going on a midnight jog and then once again you're pursued by clone velociraptors.
Happens to me all the time. Well, then your robot pet leaps to your defense! I mean, the Boston Dynamics
robot can throw cinder blocks! Pretty sure this pet's got your back.

It might be hard to imagine loving a robot the same way you love your living dog or cat, but research shows
that we already make emotional attachments with robots, whether they're robot vacuums or bomb disposal
units.

A robot pet also would have advantages over other pets. I mean, you don't have to walk a robot dog or feed it
or scoop up after it. Plus, robot pets could go places that living pets might not be able to go, like on board an
airplane. So if you have a phobia, you could have your robot pet there to reduce your stress levels. And even
if robots never replace the flesh and blood cats and dogs we love, maybe they'll still be in the pet ownership
picture. But instead of replacing the dog or cat, they replace YOU!

A 2013 study found that dogs would react positively with a telepresence robot - which was basically a screen
and some robotic hands - as long as the robot displayed social behavior. Which means these robots could
provide companionship and stimulation to your pet while you're busy at the office.