Red flags for MND - can you spot it?

Motor neurone disease tends to progress quickly with 50% of people dying within 2.5 years of first experiencing symptoms. However, researchers have found that it takes more than a year, on average, for someone to be diagnosed with MND from first noticing symptoms, and that the majority of this time is after presenting to a doctor (Aoun 2015; Donaghy 2008).

MND Association's standards of care set out the importance of an early and accurate diagnosis to ensure people with MND and their families have access to supportive services from the earliest point possible.

Papers seeking to understand the experiences of people with MND around their diagnosis, and subsequently their control over their lives, decision-making, and their sense of self also highlight how important assessment and diagnosis is (Remm 2019; Harris 2023).

The MND Association and the Royal College for GPs produced a helpful downloadable guide (see below) to red flags in MND to support primary care in identifying potential MND in individuals, encouraging swift referral to a neurologist if this is suspected.

The colourful 2-page overview can be easily shared, printed or kept on a desktop and summarises common respiratory, bulbar, cognitive and limb features a combination of any of which may indicate MND.