Lesions to brain areas in people exhibiting criminal behavior all fall within a particular brain network involved in moral decision-making, new research suggests. Previous studies have shown that the brains of some criminals exhibit abnormalities, but in most cases, it is unclear whether these abnormalities are the cause of, effect of, or simply coincide with…
Category: Neurology
Antisense Therapy A Promising New Approach To Neurological Disease
A new treatment for Huntington’s disease – a deadly brain disorder – has successfully completed first-in-human trials. The drug lowered levels of the harmful huntingtin protein in the spinal fluid of patients who took part in the trial. Huntington’s disease is caused by a mutation in the gene that makes a protein called huntingtin. The…
Molecular Chaperone Complex Suppresses Huntington’s Fibril Formation
A natural mechanism, which not only suppresses the build-up of pathogenic amyloid fibrils in Huntington’s disease, but also disaggregates them, has been uncovered by a team of scientists in Germany. The newly discovered molecular chaperones could soon be crucial parts of new therapy approaches. As of today, Huntington’s disease, like the neurodegenerative diseases named after…
Parkinson’s Progression Decreased By High Intensity Exercise
A new phase 2, multi-site trial led by Northwestern Medicine and University of Denver scientists has found that high-intensity exercise three times a week is safe for individuals with early-stage Parkinson’s disease, and decreases worsening of motor symptoms. It previously had been believed high-intensity exercise was too physically stressful for individuals with Parkinson’s disease. Parkinson’s…
Brain Urea Buildup Found To Be A Major Cause Of Dementia
The build-up of urea in the brain to toxic levels can cause brain damage, and eventually dementia, an international team of scientists has discovered. The finding, of a major cause of dementia, has important implications for possible treatment and diagnosis. The work follows on from earlier studies, led by professor Garth Cooper from The University…
Education Level May Help Reduce Alzheimer’s Risk
Each additional year of education is associated with around an 11% reduction in the risk of Alzheimer’s disease, a new study found. The work examined the genetic make-up and modifiable risks of around 17,000 people with Alzheimer’s, the most common form of dementia. Researchers assessed 24 risk factors for dementia and found that education showed…
Taurine Enhances Remyelination In Multiple Sclerosis Damage
Taurine helps spark a process called remyelination, which is crucial to repairing the nerve cells damaged in multiple sclerosis, new research from scientists at The Scripps Research Institute has found. The results suggest that administering taurine, a molecule naturally produced by human cells, could boost the effectiveness of current multiple sclerosis therapies. “Remission of MS…
Boosting Mitochondrial Stress Response Could Delay Alzheimer’s
Boosting mitochondrial defences against a particular form of protein stress, enables them to not only protect themselves, but to also reduce the formation of amyloid plaques, new research from Ecole Polytechnique Federale de Lausanne has found. Alzheimer’s disease is the most common form of dementia and neurodegeneration worldwide. A major hallmark of the disease is…
High-Fat ‘Binge-Eating’ Worsens Stroke Outcome
It is well known that obesity and a poor diet leads to an increased risk of stroke and cardiovascular disease, but the effect of acute changes in diet remain largely unknown. A research group from the University of Manchester have established that high-fat ‘binge-eating’ can significantly worsen the damage caused by stroke. The group fed…