A social media craze that swept the world two years ago has helped to fund a medical breakthrough for those living with motor neurone disease (MND) in Australia.

In 2014, videos of the "ice bucket challenge" – which consisted of people being filmed while they were drenched with icy water – raised $3 million in Australia and more than $220 million around the world.

That money helped Australian scientists research the disease, which currently has no effective treatments, and discover three new genes which increase the risk of developing the most common form of MND.

Researchers at the University of Queensland were involved in the international data analysis of more than 30,000 people with MND, also known as Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis or ALS.