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Motor neurone disease affects nerve cells located in the cerebrum and spine, which tell your muscle tissue what to do.

This leads them to weaken and become rigid gradually and typically impacts how you walk, speak, eat and breathe.

This is a relatively rare disease that is most common in individuals over 50, but adults of any age can be affected.

A person's chance in their life of developing MND is 1 out of 300.

Approximately five thousand adults in the UK are living with the condition at any one time.

Scientists are uncertain what causes MND, but it is likely to be a mix of the genes - or biological traits - you get from your parents when you are delivered, 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 disease in such instances.

What are the Early Symptoms of the Disease?

MND affects everyone differently.

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

The condition can advance at different speeds too.

Among the most common indicators are:

• loss of muscle strength and cramps
• rigid articulations
• problems with your speech
• issues with ingesting, consuming food and taking fluids
• weakened coughing

Is There a Cure?

No cure, but there is hope stemming from therapies focused on different forms of MND.

MND is not one disease - it is actually several that result in the death of nerve cells.

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

It has been referred to as "truly remarkable" and a "real moment of optimism" for the entire condition.

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

Just one pharmaceutical presently approved for the management of MND in the UK and endorsed by the NHS.

Riluzole could decelerate the progression of the disease and prolong life by a few months, but it does not reverse damage.

Determining Survival Rate for MND?

Certain individuals can survive for decades with MND, such as renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed at the twenty-two years old and survived until 76.

But for the majority, the disease advances rapidly and survival time is just a few years.

According to the non-profit MND Association, the condition kills a one-third of individuals within a year and more than half within 24 months of diagnosis.

As the neurons stop working, ingestion and respiration become increasingly difficult and many people need nutritional support or respiratory aids to help them stay alive.

Do Sports Professionals More Likely to Be Diagnosed?

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

A pair of research projects from 2005 and 2009 showed that soccer players have an increased risk of developing MND.

A 2022 study by the Glasgow University including 400 ex- Scotland rugby union players concluded they had an increased risk of acquiring the disease.

Researchers additionally discovered that rugby athletes who have suffered multiple concussions have biological differences that could render them more susceptible to developing MND.

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

It added that while the sportspeople researched were had a greater chance to develop MND, it did not prove the sports directly led to the disease.

The organization also stresses that "reported MND cases in this research is still relatively low, and so determining there is a definite increased risk could be misunderstood if this is simply a cluster due to random chance".

Several high-profile sports figures have been diagnosed with the condition in recent years.

This encompasses former rugby players, soccer players, and cricket athletes.

In the United States, baseball player Lou Gehrig died from the disease at the age of 39.