UCI researchers announce publication of an open-label clinical trial suggesting that N-acetylglucosamine restores neurological function in Multiple Sclerosis patients.

UCI researchers have found that a simple sugar, N-acetylglucosamine, reduces multiple inflammation and neurodegeneration markers in people who suffer from multiple sclerosis (MS). In addition, they also found this dietary supplement improved neurological function in 30% of patients.

Blood biomarker shows “great promise” predicting progression to Alzheimer’s disease in at-risk population

Neuroscience researchers at Wayne State University published a review article that confirms the usefulness of neurofilament light (NfL) blood levels to predict the likelihood and rate of progression of neurodegeneration in Alzheimer’s disease.

Running Throughout Middle Age Keeps ‘Old’ Adult-born Neurons ‘Wired’

A new study provides novel insight into the benefits of exercise, which should motivate adults to keep moving throughout their lifetime, especially during middle age. Long-term exercise profoundly benefits the aging brain and may prevent aging-related memory function decline by increasing the survival and modifying the network of the adult-born neurons born during early adulthood, and thereby facilitating their participation in cognitive processes.

Mount Sinai Launches Institute for Regenerative Medicine

Institute, including three new centers, will lead research to foster novel discoveries and explore new treatments for a range of diseases from leukemia to Alzheimer’s disease.

Researchers identify a potential new therapeutic target in Parkinson’s disease

In a study published in Nature Communications, a team led by Krembil Brain Institute at UHN Senior Scientists, Drs. Lorraine Kalia and Suneil Kalia, and University of Toronto (U of T) Professor, Dr. Philip M. Kim, identified a protein-protein interaction that contributes to Parkinson’s disease. In the disease, a protein called α-synuclein (a-syn) accumulates in the brain and leads to cell death.

Gut bacteria affect brain health, mouse study shows

Gut bacteria can influence brain health, according to a study of mice genetically predisposed to develop Alzheimer’s-like brain damage. The study, by researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis, indicates that gut bacteria produce compounds that influence the behavior of immune cells, including ones in the brain that can cause neurodegeneration. The findings suggest a new approach to treating Alzheimer’s and other neurodegenerative diseases.

Today: ANA2022 Media Roundtable to Spotlight Latest in Neuro Research

As the American Neurological Association’s 147th Annual Meeting wraps up today, October 25, the ANA is holding a Media Roundtable at 11 a.m. U.S. Central for reporters to access the latest developments in neurology and neuroscience.

Parkinson’s Disease: Uncovering Why Nicotine May Be Protective (for Some)

Parkinson’s disease is caused by a combination of genetic and environmental factors, one curious example being that people who smoke appear to be less likely to develop Parkinson’s. This may be due to interactions between nicotine and genetic variations in…

Multiple System Atrophy: Identifying Cells that Accelerate Disease Progression

There is currently no cure for the rare neurodegenerative disorder multiple system atrophy (MSA), and its rarity has made it difficult to understand how the disease progresses. Now a research team has created a successful mouse model of aggressive cerebellar-type…

Aerobic Exercise May Help More than Balance Training to Hold Off Symptoms of Cerebellar Ataxia

Currently, no medications exist to combat spinocerebellar ataxias, debilitating neurodegenerative diseases that cause loss of balance and coordination. Physicians recommend balance training to improve symptoms, but a new study suggests that rigorous aerobic exercise may provide greater benefit for adults…

ALS risk higher among production workers, those exposed to metals, volatile compounds on job

A new study finds people working in “production” – fields such as manufacturing, welding and chemical operation – who are exposed to hazardous chemicals on the job, may have increased risk of developing ALS. People with ALS report higher occupational exposure to metals, particulate matter, volatile organic compounds and combustion pollutants prior to diagnosis.

American Neurological Association Announces Winners of 2022 Awards for Outstanding Accomplishments in Academic Neurology and Neuroscience

The American Neurological Association (ANA) has announced the recipients of its 2022 scientific awards, to be presented during the 147th ANA Annual Meeting, which will be held October 22–25, 2022 in Chicago, Illinois.

Researchers link neurodegenerative disease protein to defective cholesterol metabolism

Researchers in Singapore have discovered that brain cells cannot maintain the cholesterol-rich myelin sheath that protects and insulates neurons in the absence of a protein called TDP-43. The study, which will be published August 4 in the Journal of Cell Biology (JCB), suggests that restoring cholesterol levels could be a new therapeutic approach for diseases associated with TDP-43, such as amyotrophic lateral sclerosis and frontotemporal dementia.

Deciphering Gene-Environment Interactions in Parkinson’s Disease

The interaction between an individual’s genetics and their local environment plays a critical role in an individual’s likelihood of getting Parkinson’s disease. In this perspective, researchers highlight how a common fly could be used to better understand the complex interactions…

Audacious projects develop imaging technology to aid eye tissue regeneration

As regenerative therapies for blinding diseases move closer to clinical trials, the National Eye Institute’s functional imaging consortium, a part of the NEI Audacious Goals Initiative (AGI), is pioneering noninvasive technologies to monitor the function of the retina’s light-sensing neurons and their connections to the brain.

Rotten Egg Gas Could Guard Against Alzheimer’s Disease

Typically characterized as poisonous, corrosive and smelling of rotten eggs, hydrogen sulfide’s reputation may soon get a face-lift thanks to Johns Hopkins Medicine researchers. In experiments in mice, researchers have shown the foul-smelling gas may help protect aging brain cells against Alzheimer’s disease. The discovery of the biochemical reactions that make this possible opens doors to the development of new drugs to combat neurodegenerative disease.

Researchers make significant step toward blood test for Alzheimer’s disease

Researchers at Washington University School of Medicine in St. Louis have developed a technique to detect minute amounts of a protein fragment linked to Alzheimer’s disease in the blood. The study, which will be published July 28 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), shows that levels of p-tau-217 are elevated during the early stages of Alzheimer’s disease and could lead to a simple blood test capable of diagnosing the neurodegenerative disorder years before any symptoms begin to appear.

Novel pathology could improve diagnosis and treatment of Huntington’s and other diseases

Bristol scientists have discovered a novel pathology that occurs in several human neurodegenerative diseases, including Huntington’s disease.

The article, published in Brain Pathology, describes how SAFB1 expression occurs in both spinocerebellar ataxias and Huntington’s disease and may be a common marker of these conditions, which have a similar genetic background.

NEI researchers link age-related DNA modifications to susceptibility to eye disease

National Eye Institute (NEI) researchers profiling epigenomic changes in light-sensing mouse photoreceptors have a clearer picture of how age-related eye diseases may be linked to age-related changes in the regulation of gene expression. The findings, published online April 21 in Cell Reports, suggest that the epigenome could be targeted as a therapeutic strategy to prevent leading causes of vision loss, such as age-related macular degeneration (AMD).

Researchers discover how cells clear misfolded proteins from tissues

Researchers in Japan have identified a new quality control system that allows cells to remove damaged and potentially toxic proteins from their surroundings. The study, which will be published February 18 in the Journal of Cell Biology, finds that the Clusterin protein and heparan sulfate proteoglycans combine to bring misfolded proteins into cells for degradation. The findings may lead to new therapeutic targets for neurodegenerative disorders, including Alzheimer’s disease.

Activating immune cells could revitalize the aging brain, study suggests

Researchers at Albany Medical College in New York have discovered that a specific type of immune cell accumulates in older brains, and that activating these cells improves the memory of aged mice. The study, which will be published February 5 in the Journal of Experimental Medicine (JEM), suggests that targeting these cells might reduce age-related cognitive decline and combat aging-associated neurodegenerative disease in humans.

Penn Medicine Researchers Receive $9.7 Million NIH Grant to Study Traumatic Brain Injuries and Neurodegeneration

An international team of experts led by researchers in the Perelman School of Medicine at the University of Pennsylvania and University of Glasgow has been awarded a $9.7 million, five-year grant from the National Institute of Neurological Disorders and Stroke (NINDS) and National Institute for Aging (NIA) to establish CONNECT-TBI—a program spanning 12 institutions which will study traumatic brain injury (TBI) and related neurodegenerative diseases.