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MND affects nerve cells found in the brain and spine, which tell your muscle tissue what to do.

This causes them to weaken and stiffen over time and typically impacts how you walk, speak, eat and breathe.

It is a quite uncommon condition that is most common in people above age fifty, but adults of any age can be impacted.

A person's lifetime risk of developing MND is one in 300.

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

Researchers are uncertain the cause of 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, particular genetic factors play a much larger role.

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

Identifying the First Signs of the Condition?

MND affects everyone differently.

Not all individuals has the identical signs, or encounters them in the same order.

The condition can advance at varying rates too.

Among the most common signs are:

• loss of muscle strength and muscle spasms
• stiff joints
• problems with how you speak
• complications involving swallowing, eating and taking fluids
• reduced cough reflex

Is There a Treatment?

No definitive treatment, but there is hope stemming from treatments focused on various types of MND.

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

A new drug called tofersen works in just 2% of patients, however it has been demonstrated to decelerate - and in some cases even undo - a portion of the symptoms of MND.

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

Even though the drug has recently received approval 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 could decelerate the progression of the condition and increase survival by several 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 identified at the age of 22 and survived until 76.

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

Based on the charity MND Association, the condition kills a one-third of people within a year and over 50% within 24 months of identification.

As the neurons cease functioning, swallowing and respiration become increasingly difficult and many people need nutritional support or breathing apparatus to help them stay alive.

Are Athletes More Likely to Be Diagnosed?

The exact cause has not been identified, but top-level sportspeople appear overrepresented by MND.

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

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

Scientists additionally discovered that rugby athletes who have experienced repeated head injuries have biological differences that could render them more prone to contracting MND.

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

It noted that while the athletes researched were more likely to develop MND, it did not prove the sports directly caused the disease.

The charity also emphasises that "documented MND instances in this research is still relatively low, and so concluding there is a certain elevated chance could be misinterpreted if this is simply a cluster due to random chance".

Several high-profile athletes have been identified with the disease in the past few years.

These include former rugby players, footballers, and cricket athletes.

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