Typically, the longer you live, the more likely you are to develop the condition. If you have a parent with MND with no other family history of the disease, you're at a slight increased risk of MND of about 1.4%. The risk to the general population of MND is about 0.3%.
Motor neurone disease is an uncommon condition that mainly affects people in their 60s and 70s, but it can affect adults of all ages. It's caused by a problem with cells in the brain and nerves called motor neurones. These cells gradually stop working over time. It's not known why this happens.
exposure to viruses. exposure to certain toxins and chemicals. genetic factors. inflammation and damage to neurons caused by an immune system response. nerve growth factors.
Lifestyle and environment
These studies have found possible links between MND and: mechanical and/or electrical trauma. military service. high levels of exercise.
There is strong evidence that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of motor neurone disease (MND).
Lifestyle causes
Certain dietary factors, such as higher intake of antioxidants and vitamin E, have been shown, at least in some studies, to decrease the risk of MND. Interestingly, increased physical fitness and lower body mass index (BMI) have been shown to be associated with a higher risk of MND.
In 1 out of 4 cases, the first MND symptoms will affect the muscles used for speaking and swallowing. These problems might initially affect the muscles used for speech and swallowing. Increasingly slurred speech (dysarthria) is usually the first sign of this type of MND. It might be misdiagnosed as a stroke.
Many of the people we talked to had been experiencing symptoms for months or even years before finally getting a diagnosis. Some lived with their symptoms for a long time before deciding to go to their GP, perhaps putting them down to stress, old age, or injury. (See 'First symptoms of MND').
A person with MND will usually die between two to three years after diagnosis, but this can vary from person to person.
The different types of MND cause similar symptoms and have three stages: early, middle, and advanced. The diseases progress at different speeds and vary in severity.
Understanding Multiple Sclerosis and Motor Neuron Disease
These muscles are responsible for performing movements under one's will and thus, motor neuron diseases affect one's ability to perform voluntary movements. Multiple Sclerosis (MS) is a chronic inflammatory condition of the central nervous system.
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare, degenerative nervous system condition that affects approximately 1 in 11,434 Australians.
There is no single diagnostic test for MND. Diagnosis is based on features in the clinical history and examination, usually accompanied by electrophysiological tests, which will include EMG and nerve conduction studies. Other tests may include: MRI scanning of the brain and spinal cord.
Inherited MND affects up to 1 in 10 people with MND and means they probably have a family history of the disease. Where this is the case, it is impossible to predict when or if a family history means MND will happen. Other triggers may still be needed for the disease to begin.
However, blood tests might be performed to look for evidence of damage to the muscle (called CK, or creatine kinase), to look for causes of inflammation in the spinal cord (such as vitamin B12 levels) or to look for supportive evidence of damage to the motor nerves (such as anti-ganglioside antibodies).
A cure for the genetic forms of MND is close, probably 3 years away, and we are hoping for a cure for the sporadic form (90% of patients) within the decade.” Judy, who has been part of the trial for 12 months, does not know if she was on the active arm of the trial or the placebo arm for the first nine months.
MND is not a common disease. It affects adults and sometimes younger adults. You are likely to be more than 40 years old at diagnosis, and most people with MND are aged between 50 and 70. Men are affected almost twice as often as women, but this varies.
Motor neurones do not transmit or modify pain signals, so the disease itself is not inherently painful. 2 However, pain may be experienced as the disease progresses. Pain may occur at any stage of MND, including early on, with no relationship between pain intensity and length of time since diagnosis.
Living With a Motor Neuron Disease
Some are milder and progress more slowly than others. Although there is no cure for motor neuron diseases, medicines and therapy can ease symptoms and improve your quality of life.
For many people with MND, as the disease and consequent muscle weakness progresses, they experience problems that disrupt their sleep3, 6. Waking up frequently or having trouble getting to sleep then creates other sorts of strains and pressures, adding to the burden of the disease4.
B Vitamins (Folic Acid, B6, B12)
Individuals with MND have elevated levels of homocysteine, which is involved in the formation of free radicals and oxidative stress. Folic acid and vitamin B12 convert homocysteine into methionine, while vitamin B6 converts it into sulfur amino acids, reducing homocysteine levels.
This study confirms that in some people, frequent strenuous exercise leads to an increase in the risk of MND. “It is important to stress that we know that most people who undertake vigorous exercise do not develop MND. Sport has a large number of health benefits and most sportsmen and women do not develop MND.
Symptoms can be present at birth or appear in early childhood. In adults, MNDs are more likely to be sporadic, meaning the disease occurs with no family history. Symptoms typically appear after age 50, though onset of disease may occur at any age. Some MNDs are inherited, but the causes of most MNDs are not known.