Horrific news. Is there a link between MND and Athletes?
It's not something that i've known anyone to have beyond Joost VdW, Doddie and now Ed.
There seems to be some similarities between Alzheimer's and MND - they have found copper is an important thing as it is found on the neurons of patients of both, they just don't know if it is there as a cause or precursor, or there as a result of the disease. Given that MND is such a rare disease in the general population, and the prevalence of brain related injuries in contact sports I think it is certainly an area worth exploring.
The really sad thing is that there have been no effective treatments for decades now, and although there have been some breakthroughs in recent years there is still nothing on the horizon. The best treatment available merely delays death by a month or 2 (if you are really really lucky).