Motor neurone disease (MND) is a rare neurological disorder which progressively damages parts of the nervous system, particularly the motor neurons that control muscle activities such as gripping, walking, speaking, swallowing and breathing.
MND occurs when motor neurones in the brain and spinal cord stop working properly and die prematurely in a process referred to as neurodegeneration, resulting in muscle weakness, often with visible wasting.
It’s not clear why this happens.
Causes of Motor neurone disease (MND)
While there is no known cause for MND, genetic mutation is linked to 20% of cases.
Although not all people with the genetic mutation will develop MND, the likelihood of developing MND increases with advancement in age.
Children born to a parent with MND-related genetic mutation have a 1 in 2 chance of inheriting that MND-related genetic mutation.
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Half of genetic cases will be in people who have a family history of MND (familial MND) while the other half of genetic cases will occur in those without a family history.
Common MND symptoms begin as mild weakness in the lower body that worsens over time and spreads to the upper part of the body, causing paralysis and breathing difficulties.
Symptoms of Motor neurone disease (MND)
According to healthdirect.gov.au, first symptoms of MND can be mild such as:
Stumbling because of weakness in your leg muscles
Difficulty holding and gripping objects because of weakness in your hand muscles
Slurred speech and swallowing difficulties because of weakness of your tongue and throat muscles
Cramps and muscle twitching
As the disease progresses, symptoms that start on one part of the body spread around other parts, becoming worse with patients developing:
Difficulty breathing because your breathing muscles are getting weaker
Fatigue caused by muscle tiredness, reduced lung capacity, weight loss, reduced food intake and changes to your metabolism
Insomnia caused by discomfort and pain
Mild changes in your cognitive skills and changes to your typical behaviour and mood
Some pain and discomfort
Upon diagnosis with MND and with progression in symptoms, medical professionals may recommend changes to the patients such as the use of mobility aid devices including wheelchairs, communication devices, feeding tube and non-invasive ventilation.
Treatment, Prevention and cure of Motor neurone disease (MND)
There is no known cure for MND, with medical treatment focusing on managing the symptoms and improving the quality of life for patients.
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Treatment is often administered by a multidisciplinary team of healthcare professionals to help relieve the symptoms.
While MND is more common in people over 50 years old, younger people too can be diagnosed with MND.
Currently, there is no means of preventing MND with recent research discovering the genes associated with MND raising the possibility of gene therapy in the future.
Healthdirect.gov.au notes that most people with MND die within 2 to 3 years of developing the condition, with some living longer with the condition.