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Motor neurone disease affects nerves found in the cerebrum and spinal cord, which tell your muscle tissue what to do.

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

It is a quite uncommon condition that is most frequent in individuals over 50, but grown-ups of all ages can be affected.

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

About five thousand people in the UK are living with the condition at any given moment.

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

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

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

What are the First Signs of the Condition?

MND impacts each person uniquely.

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

The condition can progress at varying rates too.

Some of the most frequent signs are:

• loss of muscle strength and cramps
• stiff joints
• problems with how you speak
• complications involving swallowing, eating and drinking
• reduced cough reflex

Is There a Cure?

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

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

A new drug known as tofersen is effective in only one in 50 patients, however it has been demonstrated to slow - and in certain instances even reverse - some of the symptoms of MND.

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

Even though the drug has recently received approval in the European Union, it is not currently accessible in the UK.

There is only one pharmaceutical 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 a few months, but it does not reverse damage.

What is Survival Rate for MND?

Certain individuals can live for many years with MND, including renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who was identified at the age of 22 and survived until 76.

But for most, the illness progresses quickly and life expectancy is just a few years.

Based on the non-profit MND Association, the disease claims the lives of a one-third of people within a twelve months and more than half within 24 months of diagnosis.

As the nerve cells cease functioning, ingestion and respiration become increasingly difficult and many people need nutritional support or breathing apparatus to help them stay alive.

Do Sports Professionals More Likely to Be Diagnosed?

The precise reason has not yet been found, but elite athletes appear overrepresented by MND.

Two studies from 2005 and 2009 indicated that soccer players have an increased risk of contracting MND.

Research from 2022 by the University of Glasgow involving four hundred ex- Scotland rugby athletes determined they had an higher likelihood of acquiring the disease.

Researchers additionally discovered that rugby athletes who have experienced repeated head injuries have biological differences that could render them more susceptible to contracting MND.

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

It added that while the sportspeople researched were had a greater chance to acquire MND, it did not show the athletic activities directly led to the condition.

The charity also stresses 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 merely a cluster due to random chance".

Several prominent sports figures have been diagnosed with the condition in recent years.

These include ex- rugby union internationals, footballers, and cricketers.

Across the Atlantic, baseball player Lou Gehrig died from the disease aged 39.