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MND affects nerve cells found in the cerebrum and spine, that instruct your muscle tissue how to function.

This leads them to weaken and become rigid over time and usually affects your walking, speak, eat and breathe.

It is a quite uncommon disease that is most frequent in people over 50, but grown-ups of all ages can be impacted.

An individual's lifetime risk of contracting MND is 1 out of 300.

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

Researchers are uncertain what causes MND, but it is likely to be a mix of the genetic material - or biological traits - you inherit from your mother and father when you are delivered, and other lifestyle factors.

For up to one in 10 individuals with MND, particular genetic factors play a much larger role.

Typically there is a hereditary background of the disease in such instances.

Identifying the First Signs of the Condition?

MND impacts each person uniquely.

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

The disease can advance at varying rates too.

Among the most common indicators are:

• loss of muscle strength and cramps
• rigid articulations
• difficulties in your speech
• issues with swallowing, eating and taking fluids
• reduced cough reflex

Does There Exist a Cure?

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

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

A new drug known as tofersen works in just 2% of patients, however it has been shown to decelerate - and in certain instances even undo - some of the symptoms of MND.

It has been described as "truly remarkable" and a "real moment of optimism" for the whole disease.

Even though the medication has recently been approved in the European Union, it is not yet available in the UK.

There is only one drug presently approved for the management of MND in the UK and approved by the NHS.

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

What is Survival Rate for MND?

Some people can live for many years with MND, including renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who was identified at the twenty-two years old and survived until 76.

But for the majority, the illness progresses quickly and life expectancy is only several years.

According to the charity MND Association, the condition claims the lives of a one-third of individuals within a twelve months and more than half within two years of identification.

As the neurons cease functioning, ingestion and respiration become increasingly difficult and numerous individuals need nutritional support or breathing apparatus to help them stay alive.

Are Athletes At Greater Risk to Be Diagnosed?

The precise reason has not been identified, but elite athletes seem disproportionately affected by MND.

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

A 2022 study by the University of Glasgow involving 400 ex- Scotland rugby athletes concluded they had an higher likelihood of developing the disease.

Scientists additionally discovered 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 contact sports and MND.

It noted that while the sportspeople researched were more likely to acquire MND, it did not prove the sports directly led to the disease.

The charity also stresses that "documented MND cases in these studies is still relatively low, and so determining there is a certain elevated chance could be misunderstood if this is simply a cluster due to random chance".

Several prominent sports figures have been identified with the disease in the past few years.

This encompasses former rugby union players, soccer players, and cricketers.

Across the Atlantic, baseball player Lou Gehrig succumbed to the condition at the age of 39.