(MND)
a progressive degenerative disease of the motor system occurring in middle age and causing muscle weakness and wasting. It primarily affects the cells of the anterior horn of the spinal cord, the motor nuclei in the brainstem, and the corticospinal fibres. There are three clinically distinct forms: amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS, Lou Gehrig's disease), progressive muscular atrophy, and progressive bulbar palsy. Some forms of MND are familial (inherited). The drug riluzole has been licensed for the treatment of MND with upper motor neurone involvement, but its benefits are limited.
Medical dictionary. 2011.