Motor Neurone Disease (MND) is a progressive neurological condition in which the nerves that control voluntary muscles stop working.
It is a very challenging condition that attacks the motor neurones, or nerves, in the brain and spinal cord. This means messages gradually stop reaching muscles, which leads to weakness and wasting. MND is progressive and debilitating disease for which there is no cure.
The disease is at the forefront of people's minds after RTE legend Charlie Bird told how he has been shocked by a recent diagnosis.
He told Ryan Tubridy that he cries “every day” and recently shed tears watching Ireland play the All Blacks recently as he heard Ireland’s Call playing, thinking it could be his last time to hear the song.
However, he said that the support he has received from people across Ireland since he revealed his diagnosis has “uplifted” him.
“All my friends and everybody in this country who has contacted me has kept me going,” he said. “I get uplifted with the letters and texts and emails.”
For anyone wondering about the disease, these are the types of symptoms that people start to experience - from the MND association.
Muscle twitching (known as fasciculation)
Twitching or a sensation of rippling under the skin can happen with MND, but also with tiredness, stress, viral infection or general ill health. Sometimes one area of the body twitches, or several areas can twitch at once. Often there is no apparent reason and many people live with twitches for much of their life. Twitching is not usually associated with a neurological condition like MND unless other symptoms are also present.
Tingling or pins and needles
Tingling or pins and needles are associated with some neurological conditions, but not MND. If these sensations are a constant problem, your GP may still refer you to a neurologist if needed, as there could be other reasons why this is happening.
Numbness in hands, feet or limbs
Numbness is associated with some neurological conditions, but not MND. Your GP may still refer you to a neurologist, but there could be a number of other causes.
Fatigue or extreme tiredness
If tiredness is your only symptom, it is unlikely to be due to MND. While MND can make you feel very tired and lethargic, this usually only happens when other MND symptoms have become more obvious.
Tripping, with one or both legs getting thinner
When a muscle gets weaker, it usually reduces in size (known as wasting). If your muscles in your feet, ankles or legs grow weak and waste, this can cause tripping or falls. With MND, 'foot drop' can be an early symptom, where one foot sometimes feels weak or drags. However, this could also be due to an injury or another condition. If you have seen your GP about this already, and it does not get better or gets worse, then ask for another examination.
Dropping things due to weak or stiff hands
If you tend to drop things or find it harder to grip, this may indicate a neurological problem, but weak or stiff hands can also be caused by increasing age and joint problems. This can also happen with a trapped nerve.
Slurred or faint speech
Slurred speech tends to happen with weakness in muscles of the face, mouth, tongue or throat. Faint speech tends to happen if you feel a little breathless and cannot support the volume of your speech. MND can affect speech and communication in these ways, but other conditions can cause these effects too. With these problems, your GP may refer you to a speech and language therapist.
Swallowing difficulties
If swallowing food, drink or saliva starts to cause coughing or gagging, it's particularly important to get this checked. It may or may not be caused by MND, as this symptom can happen with various conditions, but it can impact on your general health. If you find it harder to eat or drink you could become undernourished and lose weight, or dehydrated. You may also get bits of food or drink 'going down the wrong way' into your lungs, which can cause chest infections. Do see your GP if your swallowing problems keep happening, as specialist help is available. You may be referred to a speech and language therapist for a swallowing assessment and a dietitian for advice on nutrition.
Breathing problems
MND can affect breathing, but doesn't usually happen as the first symptom. Many other conditions can also cause breathlessness or affect the way your lungs and breathing muscles work. You may be referred to a respiratory team to test your breathing.
Emotional outbursts (known as emotional lability)
Unpredictable emotional responses may be due to a symptom called emotional lability. This could result in uncontrollable laughing when upset or crying when happy. It can feel distressing, as it may happen at inappropriate times. If you have this symptom, do get it checked. Emotional lability can affect some people with MND, but is also linked to other conditions. Whatever the cause, there are ways to ease this, including medication and this symptom is often temporary.
Changes to thinking and behaviour
Up to half of those diagnosed with MND experience some changes to thinking and behaviour with MND, and the number affected increases as MND progresses. This is known as cognitive change. However, the effects are usually mild and do not impact heavily on daily life. 1 in 10 people with MND may have a more severe form, which needs extra support.
Sometimes other people notice these changes before the person who has the symptoms. However, these changes happen for other reasons too, such as stress or tiredness, so this does not necessarily indicate a diagnosis of MND. A screening test can help diagnose if there is a problem, which can be done by a neurologist, neuro-psychologist or other health professional trained in cognitive screening.
