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New approach shows promise for treating fragile X syndrome

Building on more than two decades of research, a study by MIT neuroscientists at The Picower Institute for Learning and Memory reports a new way to treat pathology and symptoms of fragile X syndrome, the most common genetically-caused autism spectrum disorder.

20 Feb 2025

First prenatal treatment for spinal muscular atrophy shows promising results

Spinal muscular atrophy (SMA) is a progressive neurodegenerative disorder set in motion before birth. Scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital led the first in uterotreatment of SMA with the orally administered drug risdiplam.

20 Feb 2025

Cholesterol metabolite linked to Parkinson's disease development in mice

Researchers led by Zhentao Zhang at Wuhan University, China have discovered a cholesterol metabolite that plays a critical role in the development of Parkinson's disease in mice.

18 Feb 2025

SwRI develops computational method to track brain cell development

A team led by Southwest Research Institute (SwRI) developed a computational method to improve techniques to track brain cell development over time.

18 Feb 2025

First insights into familial ALS in Egypt reveal genetic variations and disease progression

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a devastating neurodegenerative disease characterized by the progressive degeneration of motor neurons, leading to muscle weakness and eventually death.

18 Feb 2025

Human-specific gene variant may hold key to evolution of language

The origins of human language remain mysterious. Are we the only animals truly capable of complex speech? Are Homo sapiens the only hominids who could give detailed directions to a far-off freshwater source or describe the nuanced purples and reds of a dramatic sunset?

18 Feb 2025

Gene therapy breakthrough offers hope for severe Dravet syndrome cases

AAV-Navβ1 gene therapy effectively reduces seizures and prolongs life in a mouse model of SCN1B-linked Dravet syndrome, paving the way for future treatments.

18 Feb 2025

Chronic stress rewires the brain, dulling sound perception

Repeated stress disrupts auditory processing, making sounds seem quieter over time, as shown in a new study on mice.

17 Feb 2025

Groundbreaking ALS platform trial accelerates research and drug testing

Amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) is a fatal neurodegenerative disease with few treatment options. Since 2018, the Sean M. Healey & AMG Center for ALS at Massachusetts General Hospital (MGH), a founding member of the Mass General Brigham healthcare system, has been working with national and international stakeholders to accelerate ALS research by launching the first platform trial in ALS to simultaneously test multiple drugs using shared trial infrastructure and placebo data.

17 Feb 2025

MARBLE algorithm decodes brain activity to identify universal mental patterns

In the parable of the blind men and the elephant, several blind men each describe a different part of an elephant they are touching – a sharp tusk, a flexible trunk, or a broad leg – and disagree about the animal's true nature.

17 Feb 2025

Gene therapy shows promise in treating SCN1B-linked epileptic encephalopathies

Dravet syndrome and other developmental epileptic encephalopathies are rare but devastating conditions that cause a host of symptoms in children, including seizures, intellectual disability, and even sudden death.

14 Feb 2025

Researchers uncover the brain mechanism behind ketamine's action

Ketamine has received a Hollywood makeover. It used to be known as a rave drug (street name special K) and cat anesthetic.

14 Feb 2025

Harvard researchers map 70,000 synaptic connections in rat brain

Harvard researchers have mapped and catalogued more than 70,000 synaptic connections from about 2,000 rat neurons, using a silicon chip capable of recording small yet telltale synaptic signals from a large number of neurons.

14 Feb 2025

How immune cells and neurons secretly shape brain health, behavior, and disease

Scientists explore how the immune and nervous systems constantly communicate, influencing brain diseases, behavior, and repair while shaping responses to environmental factors like sleep, diet, and pollution.

13 Feb 2025

Breakthrough discovery reveals key role of ovoid cells in object recognition memory

Take a look around your home and you'll find yourself surrounded by familiar comforts-photos of family and friends on the wall, well-worn sneakers by the door, a shelf adorned with travel mementos.

13 Feb 2025

New insights could help prevent peripheral neuropathy or slow disease onset

An increase in high-fat, high-fructose foods in people's diets has contributed to a dramatic increase in type 2 diabetes.

12 Feb 2025

Cerebral cortex plays key role in memory and novelty detection

The cerebral cortex is the largest part of a mammal's brain, and by some measures the most important. In humans in particular, it's where most things happen-like perception, thinking, memory storage and decision-making.

10 Feb 2025

New model reveals how the brain processes sensory cues during decision making

A new mathematical model sheds light on how the brain processes different cues, such as sights and sounds, during decision making.

10 Feb 2025

Bionic skin technology provides advanced tactile recognition and visualization capabilities

A new publication from Opto-Electronic Advances; DOI 10.29026/oea.2025.240152, discusses how multi-photon bionic skin realizes high-precision haptic visualization for reconstructive perception.

8 Feb 2025