Neurodegenerative Diseases News and Research

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UC Berkeley researchers to develop new ultra-high-resolution MRI brain scanner

Functional magnetic resonance imaging, or fMRI, has transformed our view of the brain, allowing researchers to pinpoint areas associated with everything from depression and dementia to playing chess and engaging in sex.

6 Oct 2017

Impairing critical partnership between brain cells can lead to Alzheimer's disease

Researchers have discovered that impairing a critical partnership between brain cells can lead to neurodegeneration. The study published in Cell Metabolism reports a mechanism by which two types of brain cells, neurons and glia, normally support each other's functions.

30 Sep 2017

Scientists explore the reason behind impaired sense of smell in Parkinson's disease

The first symptom of Parkinson's disease is often an impaired sense of smell. This neurodegenerative disease primarily causes irreparable damage to nerve cells in a brain area involved in movement control.

30 Sep 2017

Researchers discover new class of molecules that may protect brain from injury or diseases

Research led by Nicolas Bazan, MD, PhD, Boyd Professor and Director of the Neuroscience Center of Excellence at LSU Health New Orleans, has discovered a new class of molecules in the brain that synchronize cell-to-cell communication and neuroinflammation/immune activity in response to injury or diseases.

28 Sep 2017

NIH awards $1.5 million grant to support education in Alzheimer's disease at RPI

We know Alzheimer's as a brutal disease that dismantles our loved ones and condemns them to death. But science and engineering researchers look inside the disease to identify early warning signs and develop the imaging techniques to see them, to unravel the biochemical puzzle that creates a toxic clump of misfolded proteins, and to develop and test new drugs and therapies that chip away at cognitive decline.

28 Sep 2017

FAU neuroscientist develops innovative program to prevent dementia

More than 5 million Americans today are affected by Alzheimer's disease (AD). If nothing is done to stop this upward trajectory, there will be more than 16 million people with AD in the United States and more than 60 million people with AD worldwide by 2050.

27 Sep 2017

Research finds new therapeutic strategy to prevent infections in spinal cord injury patients

New research led by The Ohio State University Wexner Medical Center found a potential therapeutic strategy to prevent infections in patients with spinal cord injuries.

22 Sep 2017

New discovery about high-risk Alzheimer’s gene suggests potential therapeutic target

Nearly a quarter century ago, a genetic variant known as ApoE4 was identified as a major risk factor for Alzheimer's disease- one that increases a person's chances of developing the neurodegenerative disease by up to 12 times.

21 Sep 2017

Researchers identify connections between toxoplasmosis and several brain disorders

More than 2 billion people – nearly one out of every three humans on earth, including about 60 million people in the United States – have a lifelong infection with the brain-dwelling parasite Toxoplasma gondii.

14 Sep 2017

Protein research could pave way to potential treatments for neurodegenerative diseases

Research carried out at the University of Kent has the potential to influence the future search for treatment of neurodegenerative diseases that are linked to a family of protein molecules known as 'amyloid'.

11 Sep 2017

Retinal imaging may help doctors confirm or rule out frontotemporal degeneration

Frontotemporal degeneration (FTD) is a progressive neurodegenerative condition that is present in tens of thousands of Americans, but is often difficult to diagnose accurately.

8 Sep 2017

Top German University uses Syngene’s G:BOX Chemi XX6 for rapid analysis of genes and proteins

Syngene, a world-leading manufacturer of image analysis solutions, today announced its G:BOX Chemi XX6 multi-application imager is being utilized by scientists at a top University in Germany to speed up analysis of genes and proteins associated with neurodegenerative conditions.

From Syngene 8 Sep 2017

Scientists directly convert skin cells from healthy adults into motor neurons

Scientists working to develop new treatments for neurodegenerative diseases have been stymied by the inability to grow human motor neurons in the lab. Motor neurons drive muscle contractions, and their damage underlies devastating diseases such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and spinal muscular atrophy, both of which ultimately lead to paralysis and early death.

7 Sep 2017

Breakthrough research offers novel, non-invasive test to accurately diagnose Alzheimer's disease

In the largest and most conclusive study of its kind, researchers have analysed blood samples to create a novel and non-invasive way of helping to diagnose Alzheimer's disease and distinguishing between different types of neurodegenerative disorders.

6 Sep 2017

Disruption of 'slow waves' can lead to cognitive decline similar to Alzheimer’s in mice

While unconscious during deep sleep, millions of neurons' activity travels across the cerebral cortex. This phenomenon, known as slow waves, is related to the consolidation of memory.

5 Sep 2017

Stabilizing TREM2 could be viable therapeutic strategy to combat Alzheimer's disease

A gene called triggering receptor expressed on myeloid cells 2, or TREM2, has been associated with numerous neurodegenerative diseases, such as Alzheimer's disease, Frontotemporal lobar degeneration, Parkinson's disease, and Nasu-Hakola disease. Recently, a rare mutation in the gene has been shown to increase the risk for developing Alzheimer's disease.

30 Aug 2017

Review focuses on possible role of neuroinflammation in Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases

In the journal Current Aging Science, a research team has reviewed modifiable risk factors for Alzheimer's and Parkinson's diseases.

26 Aug 2017

Dancing has profound effect in reversing signs of aging in the brain

As we grow older we suffer a decline in mental and physical fitness, which can be made worse by conditions like Alzheimer's disease.

26 Aug 2017

Scientists reveal differences between human and murine microglia used in degenerative disease research

The results of a new research showed that many of the genes that are expressed by microglia are different between humans and mice, which are frequently used as animal models in research on Alzheimer's disease and other neurodegenerative disorders.

18 Aug 2017

Scientists identify basic biological mechanism that kills neurons in ALS

A team led by scientists at St. Jude Children's Research Hospital and Mayo Clinic has identified a basic biological mechanism that kills neurons in amyotrophic lateral sclerosis (ALS) and in a related genetic disorder, frontotemporal dementia (FTD), found in some ALS patients.

16 Aug 2017