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MND affects nerves located in the brain and spinal cord, which tell your muscles what to do.

This leads them to weaken and become rigid gradually and usually affects how you walk, talk, consume food and breathe.

It is a quite uncommon condition that is most common in individuals over 50, but adults of all ages can be impacted.

A person's chance in their life of contracting MND is 1 out of 300.

About 5,000 adults in the UK are living with the condition at any given moment.

Researchers are not sure what causes MND, but it is probable to be a combination of the genetic material - or inherited characteristics - you get from your mother and father when you are born, and other lifestyle factors.

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

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

Identifying the Early Symptoms of the Condition?

MND affects everyone differently.

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

The condition can progress at different speeds too.

Among the most common signs are:

• loss of muscle strength and muscle spasms
• stiff joints
• difficulties in how you speak
• complications involving ingesting, consuming food and taking fluids
• reduced cough reflex

Does There Exist a Cure?

There is no definitive treatment, but there is hope coming from therapies focused on various types of MND.

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

A new drug called tofersen is effective in only one in 50 individuals, however it has been demonstrated to slow - and in certain instances even undo - a portion of the manifestations of MND.

It has been referred to as "truly remarkable" and a "significant point of hope" for the entire condition.

Although the drug has recently been approved in the EU, it is not currently accessible in the UK.

Just one drug presently approved for the treatment of MND in the UK and endorsed by the NHS.

Riluzole could decelerate the progression of the condition and prolong life by several months, but it does not reverse harm.

What is Survival Rate for MND?

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

But for most, the illness progresses quickly and survival time is just a few years.

According to the charity MND Association, the disease claims the lives of a one-third of people within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis.

As the nerve cells stop working, ingestion and breathing become increasingly difficult and numerous individuals 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 elite athletes seem disproportionately affected by MND.

A pair of research projects from 2005 and 2009 indicated that soccer players have an elevated chance of contracting MND.

A 2022 study by the Glasgow University including four hundred ex- Scotland rugby union players concluded they had an higher likelihood of developing the disease.

Researchers also found that rugby players who have experienced multiple concussions have physiological variations that could render them more prone to contracting MND.

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

It noted that while the athletes researched were had a greater chance to acquire MND, it did not prove the sports directly led to the disease.

The organization also stresses that "documented MND instances in this research is remains quite small, and so determining there is a certain elevated chance could be misinterpreted if this is simply a grouping due to random chance".

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

These include former rugby players, footballers, and cricketers.

Across the Atlantic, baseball player Lou Gehrig succumbed to the condition aged 39.