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MND affects nerves found in the brain and spine, that instruct your muscle tissue what to do.

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

This is a quite uncommon condition that is most common in individuals over 50, but grown-ups 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 will have the condition at any given moment.

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

For up to 10% of people with MND, specific genes are far more significant.

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

What are the First Signs of the Disease?

MND affects everyone differently.

Not everyone has the same symptoms, or encounters them in the same order.

The condition can progress at different speeds too.

Some of the most frequent signs are:

• muscle weakness and cramps
• stiff joints
• problems with how you speak
• issues with swallowing, eating and taking fluids
• reduced cough reflex

Does There Exist a Cure?

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

MND is not a single illness - it is actually several that culminate in the demise of nerve cells.

A new drug called tofersen works in only one in 50 patients, however it has been shown to decelerate - and in some cases even reverse - some of the manifestations of MND.

It has been described as "absolutely groundbreaking" and a "significant point of hope" for the whole disease.

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

Just one drug currently licensed for the treatment of MND in the UK and endorsed by the NHS.

Riluzole may slow down the progression of the condition and increase survival by several months, but it does not reverse damage.

Determining Survival Rate for MND?

Certain individuals can survive for decades with MND, including renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who was identified at the age of 22 and survived until 76.

But for most, the illness progresses quickly and life expectancy is just a few years.

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

As the neurons cease functioning, ingestion and breathing become increasingly difficult and numerous individuals need nutritional support or respiratory aids to help them stay alive.

Do Sports Professionals More Likely to Be Diagnosed?

The exact cause has not yet been found, but elite athletes appear disproportionately affected by MND.

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

A 2022 study by the University of Glasgow involving 400 ex- Scotland rugby athletes determined they had an increased risk of acquiring the disease.

Researchers additionally discovered that rugby athletes who have experienced repeated head injuries have biological differences that may make them more susceptible to developing MND.

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

It noted that while the athletes researched were more likely to acquire MND, it did not show the sports directly led to the condition.

The charity also stresses that "documented MND instances in this research is remains quite small, and so concluding there is a certain elevated chance could be misinterpreted if this is merely a cluster due to random chance".

Multiple prominent sports figures have been diagnosed with the condition in recent years.

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

In the United States, MLB athlete Lou Gehrig died from the disease aged 39.