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

This leads them to weaken and stiffen over time and typically impacts how you walk, talk, consume food and breathe.

This is a quite uncommon disease that is most frequent in people above age fifty, but grown-ups of all ages can be impacted.

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

About 5,000 people in the UK are living with the disease at any one time.

Researchers are uncertain the cause of MND, but it is likely to be a combination of the genetic material - or inherited characteristics - you inherit from your mother and father when you are delivered, and other lifestyle factors.

For up to 10% of people with MND, particular genetic factors are far more significant.

There is usually a family history of the disease in such instances.

What are the First Signs of the Disease?

MND affects everyone differently.

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

The disease can advance at varying rates too.

Some of the most frequent indicators are:

• muscle weakness and muscle spasms
• stiff joints
• problems with how you speak
• complications involving swallowing, eating and drinking
• reduced cough reflex

Does There Exist a Treatment?

There is no cure, but there is optimism coming from therapies targeted at different forms of MND.

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

A new drug known as tofersen works in only one in 50 individuals, 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 entire condition.

Although the medication has recently been approved in the EU, it is not yet available in the UK.

Just one pharmaceutical presently approved for the management of MND in the UK and endorsed by the NHS.

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

What is Life Expectancy for MND?

Some people can survive for decades with MND, including theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who was identified at the twenty-two years old and survived until 76.

But for the majority, the disease progresses quickly and survival time is just a few years.

According to the charity MND Association, the disease kills a one-third of people within a twelve months and more than half within two years of diagnosis.

As the nerve cells cease functioning, swallowing and respiration become more challenging and numerous individuals need feeding tubes or respiratory aids to help them remain living.

Do Sports Professionals More Likely to Receive a Diagnosis?

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

Two studies from 2005 and 2009 showed that professional footballers have an elevated chance of developing MND.

Research from 2022 by the Glasgow University including four hundred former Scotland rugby union players concluded they had an higher likelihood of acquiring the disease.

Researchers additionally discovered that rugby players who have suffered repeated head injuries have biological differences that could render them more prone to developing MND.

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

It added that while the athletes studied were had a greater chance to acquire MND, it did not show the athletic activities directly caused the disease.

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

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

This encompasses former rugby internationals, footballers, and cricket athletes.

In the United States, MLB athlete Lou Gehrig died from the condition at the age of 39.