Neurological Disease News and Research

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Mutation in a cancer-causing gene could exacerbate cerebral cavernous malformations in the brain

Researchers have discovered an explanation for why cerebral cavernous malformations (CCMs)--clusters of dilated blood vessels in the brain--can suddenly grow to cause seizures or stroke.

28 Apr 2021

Study uncovers a novel autoantigen in patients with narcolepsy type 1

Researchers at the University of Helsinki have identified influenza virus peptides that resemble human protein fragments and can cause an immune response against the body’s own cells due to cross-reactivity.

26 Apr 2021

Novel ultrasensitive assay to measure cathepsin B in the blood

Scientists at the Walter Reed Army Institute for Research demonstrated the potential of a novel blood test for cathepsin B, a well-studied protein important to brain development and function, as an indicator for a range of disease states.

13 Apr 2021

Broadly neutralizing antibodies show promise in preventing tick-borne encephalitis in mice

Tick-borne encephalitis is a disease just as nasty as it sounds. Once bitten by an infected tick, some people develop flu-like symptoms that resolve quietly but leave behind rampant neurological disease--brain swelling, memory loss, and cognitive decline.

9 Apr 2021

Manual workers are twice as likely to develop ALS, study finds

ALS is a progressive neurological disease that attacks the nerves that interact with the body's muscles. The disease typically leads to complete paralysis of the body, robbing patients of their ability to walk, speak, eat and breathe.

7 Apr 2021

Virginia Tech neuroscientist uses NIH grant to understand astrocytic processes in the healthy brain

Of all the worlds still to be explored, among the most mysterious may be closest to home. Indeed, it may be right between your ears.

22 Mar 2021

Novel technology may reveal the brain's mysteries

A team of scientists, led by researchers at Northwestern University, Shirley Ryan AbilityLab and the University of Illinois at Chicago (UIC), has developed novel technology promising to increase understanding of how brains develop, and offer answers on repairing brains in the wake of neurotrauma and neurodegenerative diseases.

22 Mar 2021

Researchers develop assay for qualitative assessment of SARS-CoV-2 neutralizing antibodies

To address the need for a high-quality neutralization assay against SARS-CoV-2, researchers from the NIAID modified and optimized a previously established fluorescence reduction neutralization assay (FRNA) to provide a quantitative assessment of a large number of infected cells through the use of a high-content imaging system.

11 Mar 2021

Scientists develop RNA-based therapeutic strategy for Charcot-Marie Tooth disease

Charcot-Marie Tooth disease is the most common hereditary neurological disease in the world. It affects the peripheral nerves and causes progressive paralysis of the legs and hands.

9 Mar 2021

Scientists receive the Brain Prize for groundbreaking contributions to novel migraine therapies

The Brain Prize has been awarded to Michael A. Moskowitz, M.D., a professor of neurology at Harvard Medical School at the Massachusetts General Hospital, Charlestown, who also is supported by an NIH grant.

8 Mar 2021

Lewy body dementia may share similar genetic profiles with Alzheimer's disease

In a study led by National Institutes of Health (NIH) researchers, scientists found that five genes may play a critical role in determining whether a person will suffer from Lewy body dementia, a devastating disorder that riddles the brain with clumps of abnormal protein deposits called Lewy bodies.

17 Feb 2021

Mice study suggests novel approach to treat a type of common glioma

Gliomas are common brain tumors that comprise about one third of all cancers of the nervous system. In a study funded by the National Institutes of Health, researchers tested a novel combination treatment approach on mice with tumors with characteristics similar to human astrocytomas--a type of slow-growing glioma--and found tumor regression in 60 percent of the mice treated.

16 Feb 2021

New technology can help develop diagnostic tests for multiple sclerosis

Multiple sclerosis (MS) is the most common neurological disease in young adults, affecting more than 2 million individuals worldwide, with about 1500 cases in Estonia. About 20% of MS patients experience optic neuritis (ON) as the presenting symptom, but not all ON patients develop MS.

12 Feb 2021

Some COVID-19 patients experience persistent chronic fatigue six months after infection, finds study

Scientists from Germany recently revealed that almost 50% of patients present with moderate to severe chronic fatigue syndrome six months after SARS-CoV-2 infection.

10 Feb 2021

Metal-containing radiopharmaceuticals could improve access to diagnostic imaging of AD

A team of researchers from the Laboratory of Biophysics at NUST MISIS, Lomonosov Moscow State University and D. Mendeleev University of Chemical Technology of Russia has summarized metal-containing diagnostic agents for positron emission tomography (PET), magnetic resonance imaging (MRI), and single-photon emission computed tomography (SPECT) imaging of Alzheimer's disease (AD).

9 Feb 2021

New compound may slow aging and age-related diseases

A compound that extends lifespan in a tiny nematode worm slows bone loss in aging mice. That surprising result comes from a longitudinal and functional study of 700 aging mice at the Buck Institute, a project that provides a treasure trove of data for researchers aiming to develop therapeutics to slow aging and age-related diseases.

27 Jan 2021

NIH launches database to collect information about COVID-19-related neurological problems

A new database will collect information from clinicians about COVID-19-related neurological symptoms, complications, and outcomes as well as COVID-19 effects on pre-existing neurological conditions.

26 Jan 2021

ALS study underscores the unique genetics of Maltese population

Malta, a sovereign microstate in the middle of the Mediterranean Sea, has no shortage of sunny beaches, honey-bricked villages and rugged countryside.

19 Jan 2021

Timing may be critical when administering treatment after brain injury

Researchers from the National Institutes of Health have discovered Jekyll and Hyde immune cells in the brain that ultimately help with brain repair but early after injury can lead to fatal swelling, suggesting that timing may be critical when administering treatment.

18 Jan 2021

Can transgenic mice studies illuminate neurological complications associated with SARS-CoV-2 in humans?

The potentially deadly COVID-19 has not affected animals with corresponding severity. To understand the mechanism of severe disease, animal models have been used. This includes a mouse model that expresses human angiotensin-converting enzyme 2 (hACE2) under the cytokeratin 18 promoter (K18-hACE2). A new study indicates that this may not be a faithful model of human lethal infection with SARS-CoV-2.