Research gauges neurodegeneration tied to FXTAS by measuring motor behavior
Researchers used a grip-force test to analyze sensorimotor function in people with the FMR1 premutation, with the aim of determining FXTAS risk and severity.
Read moreParkinson’s
Hormone therapy associated with improved cognition
Estrogen has a significant role in overall brain health and cognitive function. That's why so many studies focused on the prevention of cognitive decline consider the effect of reduced estrogen levels during the menopause transition. A new study suggests a cognitive benefit from a longer reproductive window complemented with hormone therapy.
Read moreChanges associated with Alzheimer's disease detectable in blood samples
Researchers have discovered new changes in blood samples associated with Alzheimer's disease. A new international study was conducted on disease-discordant Finnish twin pairs: one sibling suffering from Alzheimer's disease and the other being cognitively healthy. The researchers utilised the latest genome-wide methods to examine the twins' blood samples for any disease-related differences in epigenetic marks which are sensitive to changes in environmental factors. These differences between the siblings were discovered in multiple different genomic regions.
Read moreRare sleep disorder common among veterans with PTSD
Military veterans with post-traumatic stress disorder or concussion suffer from a thrashing form of sleep behavior at a rate that is far higher than the general population, according to a new study. Researchers next want to probe whether the sleep disorder might provide an early signal of the development of neurodegenerative conditions such as Parkinson's disease.
Read moreDeciphering the early stages of Parkinson's disease is a matter of time
Researchers haveidentified for the first time the initial steps of alpha-synuclein protein aggregates related to early onsets of hereditary Parkinson cases. The results may help the understanding of the early stages of the disease and how it develops over time.
Read moreHow neuronal migration and outgrowth shape network architecture
Neurons are not randomly arranged in the human brain. In the cortex, they are organized in interconnected clusters with high intrinsic connectivity. This modular connectivity structure, in which clusters eventually serve as functional units, is formed in early phases of development. The underlying self-organization process is regulated by neuronal activity but the detailed mechanisms are still poorly understood. Based on in vitro studies and computational modeling, neuroscientists have now made an important contribution to the understanding of brain networks and their development: in their current study, they show how neuronal outgrowth and migration interact in shaping network architecture and the degree of modularity in mature networks.
Read moreHow can ultrasonic brain stimulation cure brain diseases?
Scientists found a calcium channel expressed in astrocytes in the brain to be a highly sensitive target for LILFU-induced neuronal activity in the motor cortex, such as tail movement.
Read moreParkinson's disease is also present in the blood
The behavior of immune cells in the blood is so different in patients with Parkinson's disease that it advocate for a new type of supplementary medicine, which can regulate the immune system and thus inhibit the deterioration of the brain.
Read moreGenetic markers linked to the start of symptoms of Parkinson's disease
Researchers have identified a group of genetic variants related to the starting point of Parkinson's disease. These results, published in the journal Movement Disorders, will enable delimiting the research on new therapeutic targets, and could have implications in the diagnosis of the disease.
Read more'Relaxed' enzymes may be at the root of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
Treatments have been hard to pinpoint for a rare neurological disease called Charcot-Marie-Tooth, in part because so many variations of the condition exist. So far, mutations on more than 90 genes have been positively linked to the disorder; a patient needs just one of those mutations for the disease to emerge. Scientists just moved a step closer to finding a possible root cause.
Read more