(Medical Xpress) — Having a fat head may not be a bad thing, according to new findings at The Johns Hopkins University. As reported in the February 9 issue of Neuron, Hopkins researchers have made a significant discovery as to how adding fat molecules to proteins can influence the brain circuitry controlling cognitive function, including learning and memory.
Development
Deep brain stimulation may hold promise for mild Alzheimer’s disease
A study on a handful of people with suspected mild Alzheimer’s disease (AD) suggests that a device that sends continuous electrical impulses to specific “memory” regions of the brain appears to increase neuronal activity. Results of the study using deep brain stimulation, a therapy already used in some patients with Parkinson’s disease and depression, may offer hope for at least some with AD, an intractable disease with no cure.
New measurement tool for clinical trials to help children with Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease
(Medical Xpress) — An international study led by the University of Sydney and published in the Annals of Neurology has the potential to improve the design of clinical trials for the treatment of Charcot-Marie-Tooth disease, a disorder which affects the peripheral nervous system.
Good vibrations: using sound to treat disease
Many of us love massages, but imagine a massage so deep that tissues, organs and cells could also be massaged.
Smilagenin represents a new approach for treating neurodegeneration disease
Erxi Wu, assistant professor of pharmaceutical sciences, and Shuang Zhou, a doctoral student in Wus lab, co-wrote the article, “Smilagenin Attenuates Beta Amyloid (25-35)-Induced Degeneration of Neuronal Cells via Stimulating the Gene Expression of Brain-Derived Neurotrophic Factor, which will be published by Neuroscience. They collaborated with Yaer Hu lab at Shanghai Jiaotong University, China, for the publication.