Ed Slater: Statement

21 July 2022

Doddie and everyone at My Name'5 Doddie Foundation are very sorry to hear that Gloucester Rugby's Ed Slater has been diagnosed with motor neuron disease (MND). We send our best wishes to Ed and his family and will support them in any way we can.

Each year around 1,100 people in the UK are told they have MND.  We are committed to doing all we can to support the MND community and will continue to invest in vital research to help find meaningful treatments and better understand this devastating disease.

We recognise the increased attention surrounding potential links between head injury and neurological disease, but there is currently not enough definitive research on which to draw conclusions about potential links with motor neuron disease (MND).

Whilst the evidence around a link between head trauma and dementia seems to be gaining momentum, we cannot imply the same for MND; these diseases have different causes and underlying factors.

MND is a complex disease and, although we now have a much greater understanding of the genetics involved, the link between genes, environmental and lifestyle factors is not well understood.  Further research is critical to unravelling these details. One aspect that is being explored further is the link between athleticism and MND, as indications suggest that strenuous physical activity could potentially play a role in the development of some forms of MND where the individual carries a pattern of risk genes for MND, although this is unlikely to be the only contributing factor.

My Name’5 Doddie Foundation continues to commit significant funds into MND research that will help us to understand its causes, including further knowledge of the role of strenuous physical activity. Understanding the causes of MND is crucial to achieving our vision of a world free of MND, and we will leave no stone unturned in our quest to do so.

If you would like further information please read these blogs from our friends at MND Association:

https://mndresearch.blog/2014/12/06/the-causes-of-mnd-what-about-head-injury/

https://mndresearch.blog/2019/03/08/professional-football-and-mnd-looking-at-the-evidence/

https://mndresearch.blog/2021/11/03/do-lifestyle-and-environment-play-a-part-in-mnd/