The outlook is different for each type of 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.
MND can be hard to diagnose when the symptoms first appear. Your symptoms may be mild and non-specific and could be related to other conditions. It is important to see a doctor if your symptoms don't get better.
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare condition that progressively damages parts of the nervous system. This leads to muscle weakness, often with visible wasting. Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is the most common form of MND.
MNDs are classified according to whether the loss of function (degeneration) is inherited (passed down through family genetics); sporadic (no family history); and whether they affect the upper motor neurons, lower motor neurons, or both.
Unlike UMNs, LMN lesions present with muscle atrophy, fasciculations (muscle twitching), decreased reflexes, decreased tone, negative Babinsky sign, and flaccid paralysis.
The symptoms of MND begin gradually over weeks and months, usually only on one side of the body initially, and get progressively worse.
What is the life expectancy of someone with motor neurone disease? A person with MND will usually die between two to three years after diagnosis, but this can vary from person to person. Some people live many years after their diagnosis.
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.
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').
The first signs of MND vary from person to person. Some people we talked to first noticed weakness or stiffness in their legs or feet, while others found their arms or hands were affected. These symptoms are typical of the most common form of MND, amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).
As the disease progresses, the symptoms worsen. Over time, weakness progresses to total lack of control over movement. People with MND lose the ability to walk, talk, and look after themselves without considerable help and support.
Misdiagnosis is more common when the symptoms affect only the LMN, with a diagnostic error rate for MND approaching 20%.
There is strong evidence that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of motor neurone disease (MND).
Symptoms. 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.
Nutrients. There is some evidence that motor neurones become more likely to develop MND because of a lack of nutrients. One form of such nutrients is a group of chemicals called 'neurotrophic factors' (meaning 'nerve nourishing factors').
It may be reassuring to know that MND itself does not directly impact sensation, sexual function, arousal, fertility or the ability to have an erection or orgasm.
Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a rare, incurable and invariably fatal condition. Many would consider it worse than cancer.
It can affect adults of any age, but is more likely to affect people over 50. We provide further statistics if you would like more detail, but please be aware these contain sensitive content. As motor neurone disease is not common, general health and social care professionals may not see many cases.
All patients with MND will benefit from palliative care and all involved in patient care should be able to provide a palliative care approach – listening to the patient and family and assessing and managing issues – physical, psychosocial and spiritual.
Fatigue is common with MND. Factors that may lead to fatigue include immobility, overexertion, sleep disruption, pain, weakened breathing, stress, anxiety, smoking, alcohol and some medications. Symptoms of fatigue include slower speech and movement, shortness of breath and lack of interest in daily planning.
The MRI scan cannot diagnose motor neurone disease but can look for evidence of other causes of a patient's symptoms such as damage to the spinal cord in the neck (upper motor neurone) and the nerves that leave the neck to supply the muscles (lower motor neurone) caused by 'wear and tear' changes.
botulism, polio, and cauda equina syndrome; another common cause of lower motor neuron degeneration is amyotrophic lateral sclerosis.