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MND impacts nerve cells located in the cerebrum and spine, that instruct your muscle tissue what to do.

This leads them to weaken and become rigid over time and usually affects how you walk, speak, consume food and respire.

This is a relatively rare disease that is most frequent in people over 50, but grown-ups of any age can be affected.

A person's chance in their life of contracting MND is one in 300.

About 5,000 people in the UK will have the disease at any given moment.

Scientists are not sure what causes MND, but it is probable to be a mix of the genetic material - or inherited characteristics - you inherit from your parents when you are born, and other environmental influences.

For up to 10% of people with MND, particular genetic factors play a much larger role.

There is usually a hereditary background of the illness in such instances.

What are the Early Symptoms of the Disease?

MND impacts each person uniquely.

Not all individuals has the identical signs, or experiences them in the identical sequence.

The disease can advance at different speeds too.

Among the most frequent indicators are:

• loss of muscle strength and muscle spasms
• stiff joints
• difficulties in how you speak
• complications involving swallowing, eating and drinking
• reduced cough reflex

Is There a Treatment?

No definitive treatment, but there is optimism stemming from therapies targeted at different forms of MND.

MND is not a single illness - it is actually multiple that culminate in the death of motor neurones.

An innovative medication known as tofersen works in only one in 50 individuals, however it has been demonstrated to decelerate - and in some cases even undo - a portion of the manifestations of MND.

It has been referred to as "absolutely groundbreaking" and a "real moment of hope" for the whole disease.

Even though the medication has recently received approval in the EU, it is not currently accessible in the UK.

There is only one drug presently approved for the treatment of MND in the UK and endorsed by the NHS.

Riluzole could decelerate the advancement of the disease and prolong life by a few months, but it cannot repair damage.

Determining Life Expectancy for MND?

Certain individuals can live for many years with MND, including renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed at the age of 22 and lived to 76.

But for the majority, the illness advances rapidly and life expectancy is only several years.

According to the charity MND Association, the condition claims the lives of a one-third of individuals within a year and over 50% within 24 months of identification.

As the nerve cells stop working, swallowing and respiration become more challenging and many people need nutritional support or breathing apparatus to help them stay alive.

Are Athletes At Greater Risk to Receive a Diagnosis?

The exact cause has not been identified, but elite athletes seem disproportionately affected by MND.

A pair of research projects from 2005 and 2009 indicated that soccer players have an elevated chance of developing MND.

A 2022 study by the Glasgow University involving 400 former Scotland rugby union players concluded they had an higher likelihood of acquiring the disease.

Researchers also found that rugby athletes who have experienced multiple concussions have physiological variations that may make them more susceptible to contracting MND.

The MND Association recognizes there is a "correlation" between contact sports and MND.

It noted that while the sportspeople studied were had a greater chance to develop MND, it did not prove the sports directly caused the condition.

The charity also emphasises that "documented MND cases in this research is still relatively low, and so determining there is a certain elevated chance could be misunderstood if this is simply a grouping due to random chance".

Several prominent sports figures have been identified with the disease in recent years.

These include ex- rugby union players, soccer players, and cricketers.

In the United States, baseball player Lou Gehrig died from the disease aged 39.