Subscribe now

PEOPLE hurt by lightning or large electric shocks may be more likely to
develop motor neuron disease, according to William Camu at the Hospital Gui de
Chauliac in Montpellier.

Camu and his team studied six patients with motor neuron disease who had
suffered an electric shock, on average three and a half years before developing
the illness. In each case, the disease started where the shock entered or exited
the body.

“Although rare, electrical trauma should be more often considered as a
possible cause of motor neuron disease,” Camu’s team say in the Journal of
Neurology, Neurosurgery and Psychiatry (vol…

Sign up to our weekly newsletter

Receive a weekly dose of discovery in your inbox. We'll also keep you up to date with New Scientist events and special offers.

Sign up

To continue reading, subscribe today with our introductory offers

Popular articles

Trending New Scientist articles

Piano Exit Overlay Banner Mobile Piano Exit Overlay Banner Desktop