What is ALS? The symptoms of MND explained after Sandra Bullock’s partner Bryan Randall dies aged 57

Bryan Randall, the long-term partner of Hollywood actress Sandra Bullock, died at the age of 57 after suffering from amyotrophic lateral sclerosis for three years.

Mr Randall, a photographer, chose to keep his diagnosis private. He first met Bullock in 2015 when he photographed her daughter’s birthday.

In a statement, his family said: “We are immensely grateful to the tireless doctors who navigated the landscape of this illness with us and to the astounding nurses who became our roommates, often sacrificing their own families to be with ours.

“At this time we ask for privacy to grieve and to come to terms with the impossibility of saying goodbye to Bryan.”

Here’s what we know about the disease and its symptoms:

What is ALS?

ALS, which stands for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis, is the most common form of motor neurone disease (MND).

It is sometimes known as Lou Gherig‘s disease after the New York Yankees’ player who was forced to retire after suffering from the condition.

The illness can cause problems with breathing, walking, and speaking, gradually gets worse over time, and is life-threatening. It presents itself in different ways and can affect brain capacity.

Motor neurons – a diverse group of cells located in the brain and spinal cord – carry movement instructions throughout the body. When a person develops MND, messages from the motor neurons stop reaching the body’s muscles, leading them to weaken, stiffen and waste.

According to the NHS, 90 per cent of people who have MND have a mixed form of ALS, meaning they are commonly used to describe the same thing. MND is the umbrella term of the condition.

There is no cure for ALS, but symptoms can be managed and many people with the disease can lead normal lives over several years.

How common is ALS?

There is a 1 in 300 risk of getting MND across a person’s lifetime and it affects up to 5,000 people in the UK at any one time.

It can affect people of any age but is more common in people over the age of 50.

What are the symptoms of ALS?

Symptoms of MND affect people differently and at different speeds, but some symptoms include:

• Weakness in your ankle or leg that may make it harder to climb stairs, or that result in tripping
• A weak grip which may make it difficult to open jars, do up buttons or use a mobile phone
• Muscle cramps, twitches or spasms
• Weight loss – your arms or leg muscles may become thinner over time
• Speech and communication problems
• Difficulties swallowing, making eating or drinking difficult

What are the causes of ALS and MND?

It is not clear why MND, or ALS, happens.

An error in genes, is one known cause, with 20 per cent of cases of MNS linked to genetic causes.

Not everyone with a genetic mutation will develop MND.

If you have a parent with MND with no other family history of the disease, there’s a slightly increased risk of MND of about 1.4 per cent. The risk to the general population of MND is about 0.3 per cent.

Researchers have said that having a family history of frontotemporal dementia could also increase the. risk of developing MND.