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
In motor neurone disease (MND), motor nerves become damaged and eventually stop working. Therefore, the muscles that the damaged nerves supply gradually lose their strength. There are various ‘sub-types’ of MND. In each type, symptoms tend to start in different ways. However, as the disease progresses, the symptoms of each type of MND tend to overlap. So, symptoms in the later stages of each type of MND become similar. The main types of MND are: • Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS). This is the ‘classical’ MND and the most common type. About 7 in 10 people with MND have this type. Symptoms tend to start in the hands and feet. The muscles tend to become stiff as well as weak at first. • Progressive bulbar palsy. About 2 in 10 people with MND have this type. The muscles first affected are those used for talking, chewing, and swallowing (the bulbar muscles). • Progressive muscular atrophy is an uncommon common form of MND. The small muscles of the hands and feet are usually first affecte
