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MND affects nerve cells located in the brain and spinal cord, that instruct your muscles what to do.

This causes them to lose strength and become rigid over time and typically impacts how you walk, talk, eat and breathe.

It is a relatively rare disease that is most frequent in people over 50, but grown-ups of all ages can be impacted.

An individual's chance in their life of contracting MND is 1 out of 300.

Approximately five thousand adults in the UK will have the disease at any given moment.

Scientists are uncertain what causes MND, but it is likely to be a combination of the genetic material - or biological traits - you inherit from your parents when you are born, and additional lifestyle factors.

For up to one in 10 people with MND, specific genes play a much larger role.

Typically there is a family history of the disease in such instances.

Identifying the Early Symptoms of the Disease?

MND impacts each person uniquely.

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

The condition can progress at varying rates too.

Among the most common indicators are:

• muscle weakness and cramps
• stiff joints
• problems with how you speak
• complications involving swallowing, consuming food and drinking
• weakened coughing

Does There Exist a Cure?

No cure, but there is optimism coming from therapies targeted at different forms of MND.

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

A new drug known as tofersen is effective in just 2% of patients, however it has been shown to decelerate - and in some cases even undo - some of the symptoms of MND.

It has been described as "absolutely groundbreaking" and a "real moment of optimism" for the whole disease.

Although the drug has recently received approval in the European Union, it is not yet available in the UK.

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

Riluzole could decelerate the progression of the disease and increase survival by a few months, but it cannot repair damage.

Determining Life Expectancy for MND?

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

But for the majority, the disease progresses quickly and survival time is only several years.

Based on the charity MND Association, the disease kills a third of individuals within a twelve months and over 50% within 24 months of identification.

As the nerve cells cease functioning, swallowing and breathing become more challenging and many people need feeding tubes or respiratory aids to help them remain living.

Do Sports Professionals More Likely to Be Diagnosed?

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

Two studies from 2005 and 2009 indicated that soccer players have an increased risk of developing MND.

Research from 2022 by the Glasgow University including four hundred ex- Scotland rugby athletes determined they had an increased risk of acquiring the disease.

Scientists additionally discovered that rugby athletes who have suffered multiple concussions have physiological variations that may make them more prone to developing MND.

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

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

The charity also stresses that "reported MND instances in these studies is still relatively low, and so concluding there is a definite increased risk could be misinterpreted if this is merely a grouping due to statistical coincidence".

Multiple prominent sports figures have been identified with the disease in the past few years.

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

Across the Atlantic, MLB athlete Lou Gehrig died from the disease at the age of 39.