What is MND and are athletes more likely to be diagnosed?

Motor neurone illness (MND) affects nerves recovered successful nan encephalon and spinal cord, which show your muscles what to do.

This leads them to weaken and stiffen complete clip and usually affects really you walk, talk, eat and breathe.

World Cup-winning erstwhile England rugby national world Lewis Moody, 47, is nan latest erstwhile jock to beryllium diagnosed pinch nan disease.

It is simply a comparatively uncommon information that is astir communal successful group complete 50, but adults of immoderate property tin beryllium affected.

A person's life consequence of processing MND is 1 successful 300.

About 5,000 adults successful nan UK will person nan illness astatine immoderate 1 time.

Scientists are not judge what causes MND, but it is apt to beryllium a operation of nan genes - aliases biologic traits - you get from your parents erstwhile you are born, and different manner factors.

For up to 1 successful 10 group pinch MND, circumstantial genes play a overmuch larger role. There is usually a family history of nan illness successful these cases.

MND affects everyone differently.

Not everyone has nan aforesaid symptoms, aliases experiences them successful nan aforesaid order.

The illness tin advancement astatine different speeds too.

Some of nan astir communal signs are:

There is nary cure, but location is dream coming from treatments targeted astatine different forms of MND.

MND is not 1 illness - it is really respective that culminate successful nan decease of centrifugal neurones aliases nervus cells.

A caller supplier called tofersen useful successful only 1 successful 50 patients, nevertheless it has been shown to slow - and successful immoderate cases moreover reverse - immoderate of nan symptoms of MND.

It has been described arsenic "truly remarkable" and a "real infinitesimal of hope" for nan full disease.

Although nan supplier has precocious been approved successful nan European Union, it is not yet disposable successful nan UK.

There is only 1 supplier presently licensed for nan curen of MND successful nan UK and approved by nan NHS.

Riluzole whitethorn slow down nan progression of nan illness and summation endurance by respective months, but it does not reverse damage.

Some group tin unrecorded for galore years pinch MND, including theoretical physicist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed astatine nan property of 22 and lived to 76.

But for most, nan illness progresses quickly and life expectancy is conscionable a fewer years.

According to nan kindness MND Association, nan illness kills a 3rd of group wrong a twelvemonth and much than half wrong 2 years of diagnosis.

As nan nervus cells extremity working, swallowing and breathing go much challenging and galore group request feeding tubes aliases breathing servants of nan state to thief them enactment alive.

The nonstop origin has not yet been found, but elite athletes look disproportionately affected by MND.

Two studies from 2005 and 2009 showed master footballers person an accrued consequence of processing MND.

A 2022 study by nan University of Glasgow involving 400 erstwhile Scotland rugby national players concluded they had an accrued consequence of processing nan condition.

Researchers astatine Durham University besides recovered rugby players who person suffered aggregate concussions person biologic differences that whitethorn make them much prone to processing MND.

The MND Association acknowledges location is simply a "correlation" betwixt interaction sports and MND. It added that while nan athletes studied were much apt to create MND, it did not show nan sports straight caused nan condition.

The kindness besides emphasises that "reported MND cases successful these studies is still comparatively low, and truthful concluding location is simply a definite accrued consequence could beryllium misinterpreted if this is simply a cluster owed to random chance".

Moody had a distinguished rugby national profession - playing an integral domiciled astatine flanker and coming disconnected nan chair to thief England triumph nan 2003 World Cup successful Australia.

He started for England successful nan 2007 World Cup last conclusion earlier going connected to skipper nan squad astatine nan 2011 tournament.

His test is nan latest successful nan athletics aft erstwhile Scotland rugby national world Doddie Weir and ex-England rugby convention prima Rob Burrow.

Moody's Leicester Tigers team-mate Ed Slater was diagnosed pinch MND successful 2022, aged 33, pursuing six months of testing.

Former Liverpool and Bradford City defender Stephen Darby was besides diagnosed pinch nan information aged conscionable 29.

David 'Syd' Lawrence - who was nan first British-born achromatic cricketer to correspond England - died successful 2025 conscionable a twelvemonth aft receiving his diagnosis.

In nan United States, shot subordinate Lou Gehrig died from nan information aged 39.

This article is nan latest from BBC Sport's Ask Me Anything team.

A type of this article was first published by BBC News successful June 2024.

Moody's extended question and reply connected MND diagnosis

Ask Me Anything is simply a work dedicated to answering your questions.

We want to reward your clip by telling you things you do not cognize and reminding you of things you do.

The squad will find retired everything you request to cognize and beryllium capable to telephone upon a web of contacts including our experts and pundits.

We will beryllium answering your questions from nan bosom of nan BBC Sport newsroom, and going down nan scenes astatine immoderate of nan world's biggest sporting events.

Our sum will span nan BBC Sport website, app, societal media and YouTube accounts, positive BBC TV and radio.