The precise trigger has not but been discovered, however elite athletes seem disproportionately affected by MND.
Two research from 2005 and 2009 confirmed skilled footballers have an elevated danger of creating MND.
A 2022 examine by the College of Glasgow involving 400 former Scotland rugby union gamers concluded that they had an elevated danger of creating the situation.
Researchers at Durham College additionally discovered rugby gamers who’ve suffered a number of concussions have organic variations that will make them extra vulnerable to creating MND.
The MND Affiliation acknowledges there’s a “correlation” between contact sports activities and MND. It added that whereas the athletes studied had been extra more likely to develop MND, it didn’t present the sports activities instantly triggered the situation.
The charity additionally emphasises that “reported MND circumstances in these research continues to be comparatively low, and so concluding there’s a particular elevated danger may very well be misinterpreted if that is merely a cluster resulting from random probability”.
Moody had a distinguished rugby union profession – enjoying an integral function at flanker and coming off the bench to assist England win the 2003 World Cup in Australia.
He began for England within the 2007 World Cup remaining defeat earlier than happening to captain the crew on the 2011 event.
His prognosis is the most recent within the sport after former Scotland rugby union worldwide Doddie Weir and ex-England rugby league star Rob Burrow.
Moody’s Leicester Tigers team-mate Ed Slater was recognized with MND in 2022, aged 33, following six months of testing.
Former Liverpool and Bradford Metropolis defender Stephen Darby was additionally recognized with the situation aged simply 29.
David ‘Syd’ Lawrence – who was the primary British-born black cricketer to characterize England – died in 2025 only a 12 months after receiving his prognosis.
In america, baseball participant Lou Gehrig died from the situation aged 39.
This text is the most recent from BBC Sport’s Ask Me Something crew.
A model of this text was first revealed by BBC Information in June 2024.
About the Author
