Health

MND: DON’T CONFUSE WITH STROKE

Wednesday, 9 November 2022
By Suhanna Iskandar

Numerous individuals were puzzled when talking about what Motor Neuron Disease (MND) truly stands for and what kind of disease it is.

Loss of function of the motor nerve resulting in muscle weakness affecting the individual’s ability to move, speak, swallow, perform daily activities and breathe, makes motor neuron disease, mentioned as MND, rather difficult to verify and some even think it was a stroke.

Up until now, researchers all over the world are still in their study to find the cure.

One of the patients diagnosed with MND in early 2021, his daughter, Yi Ling shared his father's experience when he first encountered this disease, and the first thing he thought of was having a stroke because he suddenly could not lift his leg.

Chow Kor, MND Patient since 2021.

“Initially, the doctor thought my father had suffered a mini-stroke and sent him down to the Accident and Emergency department so he could get checked out properly. But after having done every test, they could not find any evidence of a stroke, so my father was sent home,” said Yi Ling.

According to Yi Ling, after meeting the neurologist, her father received the shocking news that he had MND which he never expected to hear since he knew it was a disease that has no cure and even a life expectancy.

Understanding peoples’ unawareness about MND, Consultant Neurologists from University Malaya Medical Centre (UMMC), Professor Dr Nortina Shahrizaila yearn for spreading knowledge about MND towards Malaysians.

Prof Dr Nortina Shahrizaila (left) speaks regarding MND.

(Sources: New Straits Times)

“One to two people per 100 thousand each year are diagnosed with MND worldwide and it also happened in Malaysia, where there are almost 600 new cases of MND. There might even be others who still do not have a clue about this existing disease.

“Since MND patient lifespan is between two to five years, we cannot easily identify each patient's progress whether slow or fast since it depends on the individual,” she said.

MND might not be common and people might not know about it since not every hospital has the facility and knowledge. Due to this matter, some people are unaware they actually have this disease.

She added, it can be said that it was a disease that happened because of family history, but only 10 percent of people were believed to have it based on lineage. Nevertheless, it can happen to anyone.

Dr Nortina stated that, when MND began to receive its attention, it was their biggest achievement as neurologist experts on this disease, since it was not impossible to have this kind of institution in Malaysia. For instance, in the United Kingdom, there are neurologist institutions dedicated solely to the treatment of MND patients.

“It will be such a great thing if there are more resources about this disease and volunteers that can assist to help maintain track of the patients in Malaysia,'' she said.

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