The Immune System of the Brain Though the brain is a powerful computational tool, it is also a sensitive and delicate organ. For this reason, it requires specialized protection. This includes the skull, the membranes covering the brain and spinal cord, and the blood-brain barrier (BBB), which is a specialized Read More…
Written by Dr. Hannah K Shorrock Edited by Dr. Celeste Suart Three genetic variants in the NPTX1 gene have been linked to cerebellar ataxia, providing a genetic diagnosis for seven families. Receiving a genetic diagnosis can be incredibly valuable: not only for patients who can access support groups and interact Read More…
Disease-relevant research is often first conducted in animal models such as mice. This is done to investigate the underlying disease mechanisms and to test promising treatment strategies before moving into clinical studies. The parallel rod floor test is an assay to measure motor coordination difficulties in mice. In the case Read More…
Written by Rana Abdelhalim Edited by Dr. Spyros Petrakis Early BDNF delivery improved cognitive and motor deficits while ameliorating cerebellar pathology in a SCA1 mouse model. Cognitive impairment, slurred speech, difficulty with balance and walking— these are all symptoms of spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1). SCA1 is an inherited neurodegenerative Read More…
Speech intelligibility refers to how many words can be correctly understood by a listener. For example, if someone says the phrase, “My name is John,” and a listener hears, “My name is Tom,” then the listener correctly understood 75% of the speech. In a formal speech evaluation, the percentage of Read More…
Chorea is a neurological disorder characterized by involuntary, unusual, and abrupt movements of the body that appear to be out of control and without purpose. The word “chorea” is originated from the Greek word “choreia,” which means “dance”, accurately depicting the jerky, dance-like movements shown by people suffering from this Read More…
Mass spectrometry, also known as “mass spec”, is a very useful analytical tool that is often used in science to determine the masses of different compounds in a sample. Mass spec has a variety of applications but frequently in biological sciences. It is used to determine the identity and abundance Read More…
Written by Sophia LeungEdited by Dr Hannah K Shorrock In SCA5, the N-terminus of β‑spectrin induces toxicity and therefore a new target for therapeutics to treat SCA5. The research group led by Dr. Adam Avery explored the roles a fragment of the β‑spectrin protein, the N-terminus, plays in SCA5. They Read More…
Speech not only consists of the words we say, but how we say them. That “how” is what is called prosody: the pitch, loudness, and timing of speech. The term prosody comes from the Greek word prosōidia meaning “song” or “melody.” Therefore, prosody is often viewed as the melody of speech. Read More…
Oligodendrocytes are a type of brain cell that play a crucial role in insulating neurons to facilitate efficient transmission of electrical signals. Similar to the rubber coating on cords, oligodendrocytes wrap around axons with a cholesterol-rich myelin structure, which speeds up the transmission of electrical impulses. Each oligodendrocyte can myelinate Read More…
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