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Motor neurone disease affects nerves located in the cerebrum and spine, which tell your muscles what to do.

This leads them to weaken and become rigid gradually and usually affects how you walk, speak, eat and respire.

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

A person's lifetime risk of developing MND is one in 300.

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

Researchers 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 other environmental influences.

In as many as one in 10 individuals with MND, specific genes play a much larger role.

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

What are the First Signs of the Condition?

MND impacts each person uniquely.

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

The condition can advance at different speeds too.

Some of the most common signs are:

• loss of muscle strength and muscle spasms
• stiff joints
• difficulties in your speech
• issues with swallowing, consuming food and drinking
• reduced cough reflex

Does There Exist a Cure?

No definitive treatment, but there is optimism stemming from treatments targeted at various types of MND.

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

An innovative medication called tofersen is effective in only one in 50 patients, however it has been demonstrated to slow - and in some cases even undo - some of the manifestations of MND.

It has been referred to as "absolutely groundbreaking" and a "significant point of hope" for the whole disease.

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

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

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

Determining Survival Rate for MND?

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

But for most, the disease advances rapidly and survival time is just a few years.

Based on the charity MND Association, the disease kills a one-third of people within a twelve months and over 50% within 24 months of diagnosis.

As the nerve cells stop working, swallowing and breathing become more challenging and many people need nutritional support or respiratory aids to help them stay alive.

Do Sports Professionals More Likely to Receive a Diagnosis?

The exact cause has not been identified, but elite athletes seem disproportionately affected by MND.

A pair of research projects from 2005 and 2009 showed that professional footballers have an elevated chance of contracting MND.

Research from 2022 by the Glasgow University including four hundred former Scotland rugby athletes determined they had an increased risk of acquiring the condition.

Scientists also found that rugby athletes who have suffered multiple concussions have physiological variations that may make them more prone to contracting MND.

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

It noted that while the sportspeople studied were had a greater chance to develop MND, it did not show the athletic activities directly led to the condition.

The organization also stresses that "reported MND cases in this research is remains quite small, and so determining there is a certain elevated chance could be misunderstood if this is merely a grouping due to statistical coincidence".

Several high-profile athletes have been diagnosed with the condition in the past few years.

These include ex- rugby union players, soccer players, and cricket athletes.

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