What Does It Affect?
MND is a devastating, progressive disorder that destroys the muscle-controlling nerve cells in the brain and spinal cord. Symptoms usually develop very gradually, manifesting themselves at first in feelings of tiredness, clumsy fingers and a weak grip. After a while simple actions like turning a door handle can become increasingly difficult and problems with swallowing and speech can soon follow. As MND progresses the chest muscles can also become affected, making breathing difficult. However, intellect, memory, the senses, sexual function, and bladder and bowel control normally remain completely unaffected.
Diagnosis
Motor Neurone Disease can be extremely difficult to diagnose for several reasons.
- It is a comparatively ‘rare’ disease.
- The early symptoms can be quite slight, such as clumsiness, mild weakness or slightly slurred speech, all of which can be attributed to other reasons. It can be some time before someone feels it necessary to see his or her GP.
- The disease affects each individual in a different way; there is no definitive symptom, which would immediately indicate diagnosis.
There is no test available to diagnose MND; it is a case of eliminating other potential conditions.
Fortunately, the disease is relatively rare and according to the Motor Neurone Disease Association charity there are currently about 5,000 sufferers in the UK. Although it can affect adults at any age, it most commonly develops between the ages of 50 and 70. Sadly many sufferers die from the disease within two to five years following a diagnosis, although it’s important to be aware that this prognosis is not set in stone and the rate of decline can vary greatly from one individual to another.
For example, the famous physicist, Professor Stephen Hawking, developed the disease more than 40 years ago and his condition is currently stable. He takes several vitamins and minerals each day, which he believes are responsible for helping to manage his symptoms. In a recent interview for the British Medical Journal, Professor Stephen Hawking spoke about Motor Neurone Disease (MND), saying: ‘I have been lucky that my condition has progressed more slowly than is often the case. But it shows that one need not lose hope’ (BMJ 2002; 324: 1478).
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