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

This leads them to weaken and stiffen over time and usually affects how you walk, speak, consume food and respire.

This is a quite uncommon condition that is most common in people over 50, but adults of any age can be impacted.

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

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

Scientists are uncertain the cause of MND, but it is probable to be a mix of the genes - or inherited characteristics - you inherit from your parents when you are born, and other lifestyle factors.

In as many as one in 10 individuals with MND, particular genetic factors are far more significant.

There is usually a family history of the illness in these cases.

What are the Early Symptoms of the Disease?

MND impacts each person uniquely.

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

The disease can advance at different speeds too.

Among the most common signs are:

• muscle weakness and cramps
• stiff joints
• problems with how you speak
• complications involving swallowing, eating and taking fluids
• reduced cough reflex

Is There a Cure?

No definitive treatment, but there is optimism stemming from treatments focused on different forms of MND.

MND is not one disease - it is really multiple that result in the demise of motor neurones.

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

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

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

There is only one drug currently licensed for the treatment of MND in the UK and endorsed by the NHS.

Riluzole could decelerate the progression of the condition and increase survival by a few months, but it does not reverse harm.

What is Life Expectancy for MND?

Some people can survive for decades 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 advances rapidly 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 individuals within a year and more than half within two years of diagnosis.

As the nerve cells stop working, swallowing and breathing become more challenging and many people need feeding tubes or breathing apparatus to help them stay alive.

Do Sports Professionals More Likely to Receive a Diagnosis?

The precise reason has not yet been found, but top-level sportspeople seem disproportionately affected by MND.

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

A 2022 study by the University of Glasgow including 400 ex- Scotland rugby union players concluded they had an increased risk of acquiring the disease.

Scientists additionally discovered that rugby players who have experienced multiple concussions have biological differences that may make them more susceptible to contracting MND.

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

It added that while the athletes researched were more likely to develop MND, it did not prove the sports directly caused the disease.

The charity also emphasises that "reported MND instances in these studies is remains quite small, and so concluding there is a definite increased risk could be misinterpreted if this is simply a grouping due to random chance".

Several prominent athletes have been identified with the condition in the past few years.

These include former rugby union internationals, soccer players, and cricketers.

Across the Atlantic, MLB athlete Lou Gehrig died from the condition aged 39.