What is Motor Neurone Disease and Do Sportspeople At Higher Risk to Be Diagnosed?

Motor neurone disease affects nerve cells located in the cerebrum and spine, that instruct your muscle tissue what to do.

This leads them to lose strength and stiffen over time and usually affects how you walk, talk, eat and respire.

It is a relatively rare disease that is most frequent in people over 50, but adults of all ages can be impacted.

A person's lifetime risk of developing MND is 1 out of 300.

Approximately 5,000 adults in the UK will have the condition at any given moment.

Researchers are not sure what causes MND, but it is probable to be a combination of the genes - or biological traits - you get from your parents when you are born, and additional lifestyle factors.

For up to one in 10 people with MND, particular genetic factors are far more significant.

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 all individuals has the identical signs, or experiences them in the same order.

The condition can advance at different speeds too.

Among the most frequent signs are:

• muscle weakness and muscle spasms
• stiff joints
• problems with how you speak
• issues with ingesting, eating and taking fluids
• reduced cough reflex

Is There a Cure?

There is no definitive treatment, but there is optimism stemming from treatments focused on various types of MND.

MND is not one disease - it is actually multiple that result in the death of nerve cells.

A new drug known as tofersen works 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 "absolutely groundbreaking" and a "real moment of optimism" for the entire condition.

Even though the drug has recently received approval in the EU, it is not yet available in the UK.

Just one pharmaceutical presently approved for the management of MND in the UK and approved by the NHS.

Riluzole could decelerate the progression of the condition and prolong life by a few months, but it cannot repair harm.

Determining Life Expectancy for MND?

Some people can survive for decades with MND, such as renowned scientist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed at the twenty-two years old and survived until 76.

But for the majority, the disease advances rapidly and life expectancy is just a few years.

According to the charity MND Association, the disease claims the lives of a one-third of individuals within a year and more than half within 24 months of identification.

As the nerve cells cease functioning, ingestion and breathing become increasingly difficult and numerous individuals need feeding tubes or respiratory aids to help them remain living.

Do Sports Professionals At Greater Risk to Be Diagnosed?

The exact cause has not been identified, but top-level sportspeople appear overrepresented by MND.

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

Research from 2022 by the Glasgow University including 400 former Scotland rugby union players concluded they had an increased risk of acquiring the condition.

Researchers also found that rugby players who have suffered multiple concussions have biological differences that could render them more susceptible to developing MND.

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

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

The organization also stresses that "reported MND cases in these studies is still relatively low, and so concluding there is a definite increased risk could be misunderstood if this is simply a grouping due to random chance".

Multiple prominent athletes have been identified with the condition in recent years.

This encompasses ex- rugby union internationals, footballers, and cricket athletes.

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