A special type of neuron that could potentially repair spinal cord injuries has been created by scientists at the Gladstone Institutes. The cells, called V2a interneurons, transmit signals in the spinal cord to help control movement. When the researchers transplanted the cells into mouse spinal cords, the interneurons sprouted and integrated with existing cells. “Interneurons…
Category: Neurology
Endoplasmic Reticulum Plays Role In Multiple Sclerosis Progression
A new cellular mechanism that may cause multiple sclerosis has been discovered by researchers. The finding represents a major new discovery towards finding the cause of multiple sclerosis (MS), potentially paving the way for research to investigate new treatments. Multiple sclerosis affects around 2.5 million people around the world. Typically, people are diagnosed in their…
Identifying Faulty Brain Circuits In Alzheimer’s Disease With NPTX2
Individuals with Alzheimer’s disease experience memory loss, and find it difficult to make decisions and learn new things. These cognitive impairments begin in the early stages of the disease and are the result of changes to neurons and the connections between them. Accumulating evidence suggests that these changes involve inhibitory interneurons, which normally shape and…
Diet Soda Drinking Associated With Higher Dementia & Stroke Risk
A pair of new research studies are adding to the growing body of evidence that sugary soda drinks pose a health risk. The first study discloses that excess sugar, particularly the added fructose in sugary drinks, might damage your brain. Researchers looked at data from the Framingham Heart Study (FHS) and found that people who…
Human Umbilical Cord Blood Rejuvenates Old Mice’s Impaired Learning
Umbilical cord blood from human newborns boosts the brain function and cognitive performance of old mice, a new study shows. The findings could lead to new treatments for age-associated declines in mental ability. Researchers identified a protein, abundant in human cord blood but decreasingly so with advancing age, that has the same effect when injected…
Prevention, Not Cure, May Be Key To Stopping Alzheimer’s
29 nations now have an average life expectancy of 80 years of age or older, 111 years after German psychiatrist Alois Alzheimer publically reported the case of Auguste D., the first person described with what is now called Alzheimer’s disease. David Geldmacher, M.D., the director of the Division of Memory Disorders in the Department of…
Antisense Oligonucleotide Therapy Shows Promise In Treating ALS
A drug engineered to combat the gene that causes spinocerebellar ataxia type 2 (SCA2) might also be used to treat amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS), researchers showed in two mice studies. There are currently no disease-modifying treatments for any adult human neurodegenerative disease. Stefan M. Pulst, M.D., Dr. Med., University of Utah, professor and chair of…
Astrocyte Reprogramming Therapy Shows Promise For Parkinson’s
Using mice with Parkinson’s disease, researchers have reprogrammed cells to replace the nerves lost in the condition. These nerves produce the messenger chemical dopamine, and help to coordinate body movements. Researchers hope their methods could eventually be used to treat humans with Parkinson’s. Parkinson’s is a neurological condition, of unknown cause, where there is a…
Can Alzheimer's Disease Steal One's Consciousness?
Alzheimer’s disease (AD) has been characterized as a “complete loss of self.” Early on when memory begins to fade, the victim has difficulty recalling names, their grocery list or where they put their keys. As the disease progresses, they have trouble staying focused, planning and performing basic daily activities. From the exterior, dementia appears to…