Motor neurone disease is one of the most difficult conditions to manage medically and socially. Clinicians have traditionally been reluctant to reveal the diagnosis to sufferers or their families and the condition has become known as one of the best kept secrets in medical practice. However, a number of organizations have been set up which support sufferers and their carers and consequently, the public profile of the disease has changed. This text is a guide to the medical facts relating to the condition and considers the psychosocial effects on sufferers and those who care for them. It is intended for doctors, nurses, social workers and therapists as well as sufferers, their families and carers.