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MND impacts nerves located in the cerebrum and spine, which tell your muscles what to do.

This leads them to weaken and stiffen gradually and typically impacts your walking, talk, eat and breathe.

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

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

About five thousand people in the UK will have the condition at any one time.

Researchers are not sure what causes MND, but it is likely to be a combination of the genetic material - or inherited characteristics - you get from your parents when you are delivered, and other environmental influences.

In as many as 10% of individuals with MND, specific genes play a much larger role.

There is usually a family history of the disease in these cases.

Identifying the First Signs of the Condition?

MND impacts each person uniquely.

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

The condition can advance at different speeds too.

Among the most frequent signs are:

• loss of muscle strength and cramps
• rigid articulations
• difficulties in your speech
• issues with ingesting, consuming food and taking fluids
• reduced cough reflex

Is There a Cure?

There is no cure, but there is hope coming from therapies focused on various types of MND.

MND is not one disease - it is really several that culminate in the demise of motor neurones.

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

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

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

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

Riluzole may slow down the advancement of the condition and prolong life by a few months, but it cannot repair harm.

Determining Survival Rate for MND?

Some people can live for many years with MND, such as renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed at the age of 22 and lived to 76.

But for the majority, the disease advances rapidly and life expectancy is just a few years.

According to the charity MND Association, the disease claims the lives of a one-third of people within a twelve months and more than half within 24 months of diagnosis.

As the neurons stop working, swallowing and respiration become increasingly difficult and many people need nutritional support or respiratory aids to help them remain living.

Are Athletes At Greater Risk to Receive a Diagnosis?

The precise reason has not yet been found, but top-level sportspeople appear overrepresented by MND.

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

A 2022 study by the University of Glasgow involving 400 former Scotland rugby union players determined they had an increased risk of acquiring the condition.

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

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

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

The organization also stresses that "documented 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 statistical coincidence".

Multiple prominent athletes have been diagnosed with the disease in recent years.

This encompasses ex- rugby union players, footballers, and cricketers.

Across the Atlantic, baseball player Lou Gehrig died from the disease at the age of 39.