There is a 1 in 300 risk of getting MND across a lifetime. 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.
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.
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').
Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare, degenerative nervous system condition that affects approximately 1 in 11,434 Australians.
Because there is no known cause of MND, there is nothing you can to do prevent it.
Frequent strenuous exercise increases the chance of developing MND in genetically at risk individuals. A new study has found frequent strenuous exercise increases the risk of developing motor neurone disease (MND) in certain people.
NZ has highest rate of motor neurone disease of any country in the world | 1 News Now – NZ MND Research Network.
Researchers have hypothesized that vigorous physical activity might increase exposure to environmental toxins, facilitate the transport of toxins to the brain, increase the absorption of toxins, or increase the athlete''''s susceptibility to motor neuron disease through added physical stress.
There is strong evidence that oxidative stress plays an important role in the pathogenesis of motor neurone disease (MND).
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 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.
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.
Motor neurone disease (MND) affects around 5,000 people in the UK every year. There is currently no cure. An international clinical trial led by Professor Dame Pamela J Shaw in the UK has been shown to slow down progression of a type of motor neurone disease and could be a turning point for patient care.
Genetic testing is only available to those over the age of 18 and the result has huge implications. You may find that you do not carry the faulty gene and the threat of disease will no longer hang over you. However, it is equally possible that you find out that you do carry an MND-causing gene.
MND is uncommon but not rare. Recent statistics estimate there are over 2,000 people in Australia currently diagnosed with MND and every day 2 Australians are diagnosed with MND. The average age of onset is 50.
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.
“The hypothesis we're working on is that head injury exposure in sport increases the risk of neurodegenerative diseases and we're finding that over and again,” he said. “The story we're getting from all evidence is that exposure to head injuries is a risk we need to do something about.
The lifetime risk of MND, adjusting for competing causes of death, was 1 in 472 (2.1 per 1000) in women and 1 in 350 (2.9 per 1000) in men. No increase in MND incidence over time was apparent.
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.
However, people living with MND can tire very easily and find they need to conserve energy, so strenuous exercise is not normally recommended. Several people had found physiotherapy and gentle exercise helpful, including hydrotherapy or swimming.
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.