Motor Neurons News and Research

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Scientists stop formation of protein clumps linked to ALS and frontotemporal dementia

Scientists report in a new study that by imitating a natural process of cells, they prevented the formation of protein clumps associated with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia.

8 Aug 2017

JAX receives new federal research grant to study mouse models of ALS

A new five-year federal research grant totaling $3,322,009 to The Jackson Laboratory (JAX) will fund studies of a new mouse model for amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS).

4 Aug 2017

Scientists develop new surgical method to reconnect sensory neurons with spinal cord after injury

Scientists in the UK and Sweden previously developed a new surgical technique to reconnect sensory neurons to the spinal cord after traumatic spinal injuries.

28 Jul 2017

Greater neural adaptations following high-load training may explain differences in muscle strength

A recent study from the University of Nebraska-Lincoln has given new meaning to the concept of brain power by suggesting that physical strength might stem as much from exercising the nervous system as the muscles it controls.

10 Jul 2017

Study provides evidence that cortical targets could enhance motor function after spinal cord injury

Monica A. Perez, P.T., Ph.D., Associate Professor, Department of Neurological Surgery and The Miami Project, and colleagues, recently published A novel cortical target to enhance hand motor output in humans with spinal cord injury in the June issue of Brain that provides the first evidence that cortical targets could represent a novel therapeutic site for improving motor function in humans paralyzed by spinal cord injury (SCI).

23 Jun 2017

Researchers identify new disease gene for early-onset axonal neuropathy and mild intellectual disability

Research group from the University of Helsinki, Finland, has identified a new disease gene for early-onset axonal neuropathy and mild intellectual disability through an international research network, which was brought together by "Tinder for geneticists".

20 Jun 2017

Neurofilaments can help in ALS diagnosis

Researchers at VIB, KU Leuven, and UZ Leuven, in collaboration with researchers at the University of Jena, have demonstrated that measuring neurofilaments provides reliable confirmation of an ALS diagnosis.

19 Jun 2017

Study shows how RNA splicing errors may trigger development of ALS, FTD

The most frequent genetic cause of amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and frontotemporal dementia (FTD)- rare and related neurological disorders marked by progressive deterioration of motor or cognitive abilities- may be due to errors in RNA splicing, an intermediary step for translating genetic instructions into functional proteins.

14 Jun 2017

BGU researchers redesign portion of FDA-approved drug into new molecule to treat ALS

Ben-Gurion University of the Negev researchers are developing a new therapy for Amyotrophic Lateral Sclerosis using part of an existing FDA-approved drug that restores the central nervous system's (CNS) immune defenses and increases life expectancy.

25 May 2017

Finding a cure for ALS

ALS is a neurodegenerative disease in which motor neurons in the brain and spinal cord are damaged. As ALS progresses, neurons are unable to send impulses to muscles, making voluntary muscle movement difficult, including standing, walking and sitting, as well as speaking and swallowing.

22 May 2017

Study unravels new clues to cause and treatment of spinal muscular atrophy

Spinal muscular atrophy, a neurodegenerative disease that causes progressive muscle wasting and paralysis, may be partly due to abnormalities in the synapses that connect sensory neurons and motor neurons, according to researchers at Columbia University Medical Center.

16 May 2017

New gene variant linked to Lou Gehrig's disease

For the first time, a variant in UBQLN4 gene has been associated with Lou Gehrig's disease or amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) - a progressive disease resulting in the loss of nerve cells that control muscle movement, which eventually leads to paralysis and death.

15 May 2017

Researchers uncover new potential target for treating spinal muscular atrophy

Though spinal muscular atrophy in its most severe form remains incurable and fatal in early childhood, researchers are sustaining a multipronged counterattack for patients and their families. The first treatment for the disease gained U.S. market approval in December.

2 May 2017

Powerful pain medicine may help reduce vision damage of glaucoma

The tip of our optic nerve is typically the first place injured by glaucoma. Now researchers want to know if the powerful pain medicine (+)-pentazocine can help avoid the damage.

2 May 2017

Electrical stimulation on spinal cord and physical therapy help patient to move paralyzed legs

Mayo Clinic researchers used electrical stimulation on the spinal cord and intense physical therapy to help a man intentionally move his paralyzed legs, stand and make steplike motions for the first time in three years.

4 Apr 2017

Scientists identify critical regulator for blood vessel growth in developing embryonic spinal cord

Heidelberg Neuroscientists have identified a critical regulator for blood vessel growth in the developing embryonic spinal cord.

30 Mar 2017

Study identifies urinary biomarker that may help monitor progression of ALS

A study in Neurology suggests that analyzing levels of the protein p75ECD in urine samples from people with amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) may help monitor disease progression as well as determine the effectiveness of therapies.

22 Mar 2017

Study may signal major shift in understanding of how the cerebellum encodes information

It's the part of the brain that makes sure you cannot tickle yourself. The cerebellum, an apple-sized region near the base of the skull, senses that your own fingers are the ones trying to tickle, and cancels your usual response.

21 Mar 2017

Duke researchers discover potential cause for ALS syndromes using mouse models

A team of researchers at Duke University Medical Center led by Dr. Paulo Ferreira and whose work was supported by the National Institutes of Health has found that derailing the transport of certain receptors that carry cargoes from and to the nucleus of motor neurons causes motor neuron disease in mice.

1 Mar 2017

New test could accelerate development of better treatments for Motor Neuron Disease

A cutting-edge test developed in South Australia has the potential to expedite the worldwide quest to develop better treatments, or even a cure, for the Motor Neuron Disease (MND).

24 Feb 2017