Dentists and GPs will now be trained to spot early and little-known signs of deadly motor neurone disease.
The first programme of its kind in the UK will offer the guidance to UK healthcare professionals, helping them to look out for hidden symptoms like difficulty swallowing and changes to the tongue muscles.
The charity behind the initiative says it could prompt earlier diagnosis, allowing more time for disease-slowing treatments to take action.
Speedier diagnosis also means families have extra time to make adjustments to living arrangements, such as disability adaptations, before a patient becomes severely unwell.
Motor neurone disease is caused by damage to the nerves in the brain and spinal cord that control movement, speech, swallowing and breathing.
As the nerves stop working, the muscles become weak and waste away, leading to paralysis and, eventually, death.
Some 2,200 Britons are diagnosed with the condition every year, but it is more often than not picked up at later stages, when symptoms have become debilitating.
Dentists and GPs are being offered training to spot the first signs of life-wrecking MND
The majority of patients live for two to three years after diagnosis, studies show.
But the new extra training for clinicians – called Race to Diagnose – could potentially change this, say the charity, My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
‘The early signs of motor neurone disease vary considerably,’ says Jessica Lee, director of research at the My Name’5 Doddie Foundation.
‘There is no single test that tells you conclusively that someone has it. That means people can move between different parts of the healthcare system before they reach the right specialist.
‘Race to Diagnose gives professionals practical guidance on what to look for, how to assess what they are seeing and when to make an urgent referral.
‘As treatments begin to emerge, reaching people earlier in the course of the disease may be critical to giving those treatments the best possible chance of having an effect.’
Early damage to the nerves that control the face can sometimes be detected in changes to the tongue, experts say.
For instance, patients may have difficulty moving the tongue in and out of the mouth or a dentist may notice involuntary muscle twitches under the tongue when it is relaxed.
Speech may also become slightly slurred, less clear, or slower with sounds that need precise tongue movement harder to pronounce.
Physicist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with a form of motor neurone disease in 1963, aged just 21
Other early signs of the disease include difficulty swallowing, muscle cramping and problems with walking and using stairs.
As well as spotting early signs, the new training programme shows professionals how to explain an urgent referral to a neurologist without causing unnecessary alarm.
It is thought that around one in 10 cases of motor neurone disease (MND) are inherited from relatives. The cause of the remainder is unknown.
However, a growing body of research suggests lifestyle factors may play an important role.
Smoking has been heavily investigated as a possible trigger for MND.
Some studies suggest those who have ever smoked may be 20 to 40 per cent more likely to develop it than those who have never smoked, although scientists stress the evidence remains mixed.
Research indicates that smokers diagnosed with MND typically experience the onset of symptoms at a younger age than non-smokers.
Some studies have suggested women who smoke may face a particularly elevated risk, especially after the menopause.
The most famous sufferer was physicist Stephen Hawking, who was diagnosed with a form of MND in 1963, aged just 21.
Doctors initially gave him only a few years to live, but he survived for more than five decades – becoming one of the world’s most recognisable scientists.
