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Motor neurone disease impacts nerve cells located in the brain and spinal cord, that instruct your muscle tissue how to function.

This causes them to lose strength and stiffen gradually and usually affects how you walk, speak, eat and respire.

This is a relatively rare condition that is most common in individuals above age fifty, but adults of all ages can be affected.

An individual's lifetime risk of contracting MND is one in 300.

About five thousand adults in the UK are living with the disease at any one time.

Scientists 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 born, and other environmental influences.

For up to 10% of people with MND, particular genetic factors play a much larger role.

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

Identifying the Early Symptoms of the Condition?

MND impacts each person uniquely.

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

The condition can advance at varying rates too.

Among the most common indicators are:

• loss of muscle strength and cramps
• rigid articulations
• difficulties in how you speak
• complications involving ingesting, eating and drinking
• reduced cough reflex

Does There Exist a Treatment?

No cure, but there is optimism stemming from treatments focused on different forms of MND.

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

An innovative medication called tofersen works in just 2% of patients, however it has been shown to slow - and in certain instances even undo - a portion of the symptoms of MND.

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

Even though the medication has recently received approval in the EU, it is not yet available in the UK.

There is only one drug currently licensed for the management of MND in the UK and endorsed by the NHS.

Riluzole may slow down the advancement of the disease and increase survival by several months, but it cannot repair damage.

Determining Survival Rate for MND?

Some people can survive for decades with MND, such as renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who was identified at the age of 22 and survived until 76.

But for most, the disease advances rapidly and survival time is only several years.

Based on the non-profit MND Association, the condition kills a one-third of people within a twelve months and over 50% within two years of identification.

As the neurons cease functioning, swallowing and respiration become more challenging and numerous individuals need feeding tubes or respiratory aids to help them stay alive.

Are Athletes At Greater Risk to Be Diagnosed?

The exact cause has not been identified, 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 contracting MND.

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

Researchers also found that rugby players who have suffered repeated head injuries have physiological variations that could render them more prone to contracting MND.

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

It added that while the athletes researched were more likely to develop MND, it did not show the athletic activities directly caused the condition.

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

Several high-profile sports figures have been identified with the condition in the past few years.

These include former rugby union players, soccer players, and cricketers.

Across the Atlantic, MLB athlete Lou Gehrig succumbed to the disease at the age of 39.