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Motor neurone disease affects nerves located in the cerebrum and spine, which tell your muscle tissue how to function.

This leads them to lose strength and become rigid over time and usually affects how you walk, speak, eat and breathe.

This is a quite uncommon condition that is most frequent in individuals over 50, but adults of any age can be impacted.

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

About five thousand people in the UK will have the disease at any given moment.

Scientists are not sure what causes MND, but it is likely to be a mix of the genes - or biological traits - you inherit from your parents when you are delivered, and additional environmental influences.

In as many as 10% of individuals with MND, particular genetic factors play a much larger role.

Typically there is a hereditary background of the disease in these cases.

Identifying the First Signs of the Condition?

MND impacts each person uniquely.

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

The condition can advance at different speeds too.

Some of the most common indicators are:

• loss of muscle strength and cramps
• stiff joints
• problems with how you speak
• issues with ingesting, eating and taking fluids
• reduced cough reflex

Is There a Treatment?

No definitive treatment, but there is hope stemming from therapies focused on different forms of MND.

MND is not a single illness - it is really multiple that result in the demise of nerve cells.

A new drug known as tofersen works 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 "significant point of hope" for the whole disease.

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

There is only one pharmaceutical currently licensed for the treatment of MND in the UK and approved by the NHS.

Riluzole may slow down the advancement of the disease and prolong life by several months, but it does not reverse harm.

Determining Life Expectancy for MND?

Some people 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 advances rapidly and life expectancy is just a few years.

According to the non-profit MND Association, the condition kills a third of people within a year and over 50% within 24 months of diagnosis.

As the nerve cells stop working, swallowing and respiration become increasingly difficult and many people need feeding tubes or respiratory aids to help them stay alive.

Are Athletes More Likely to Receive a Diagnosis?

The precise reason 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 increased risk of developing MND.

A 2022 study by the Glasgow University involving 400 former Scotland rugby union players determined they had an higher likelihood of developing the condition.

Researchers also found that rugby players who have experienced multiple concussions have physiological variations that may make them more susceptible to contracting MND.

The MND Association recognizes there is a "correlation" between contact 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 "documented MND cases in these studies is still relatively low, and so determining there is a definite increased risk could be misinterpreted if this is merely a cluster due to random chance".

Multiple high-profile athletes have been diagnosed with the disease in recent years.

This encompasses ex- rugby union internationals, soccer players, and cricketers.

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