Motor neurone disease

Motor neurone disease is a progressive fatal condition that causes muscle wastage.
It is most common among people aged 50 to 70, and tends to affect men slightly more than women.

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What is motor neurone disease?

Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a group of related diseases affecting the motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord.Motor neurones are the nerve cells along which the brain sends instructions, in the form of electrical impulses, to the muscles.

Degeneration of these cells leads to weakness and wasting of muscles.Some groups of muscles are more affected than others.

What are the symptoms?

The symptoms are usually first apparent in the arms or legs. Initially, they tend to be mild, and can include stumbling and difficulty holding objects.

Weakness and wasting in the muscles supplying the face and throat can also lead to problems with speech and difficulty chewing and swallowing.

In the advanced stages of the disease, a patient may become almost totally immobile. The rate of progression of the disease, however, varies enormously from patient to patient.

On average the disease takes three to four years to run its course.

Some surveys indicate that 50% of MND patients may be living three years after diagnosis, 10% after 10 years and some live for more than 20 years.

There are no remissions but people may experience a "plateau" lasting weeks or months while no deterioration occurs.

MND usually has no impact at all on intellect or memory.

The disease also has no impact on the five senses of sight, hearing, taste, smell and sensation.The bowels and bladder are not affected by the disease, but diet and exercise should be carefully monitored.

What causes MND?
The cause of the disease remains a mystery.

How is it diagnosed?

The disease is often difficult to diagnose.

It may be necessary to review patients for some time before diagnosis becomes relatively certain.

A GP may suspect the neurological problem, but confirmation of the diagnosis by a neurologist is necessary.

A range of tests are needed to rule out other conditions.

Often an Electromyograph (EMG) is used, in which a needle is inserted into various muscles to measure their electrical activity. Sometimes a muscle biopsy will be carried out so that a small sample of muscle can be examined under a microscope.

Can it be treated?

At present there is no cure.

However, a great deal can be done to improve the comfort and well being of people who have MND.