This may be a turning point in treating neurodegenerative diseases

Success in trials for Huntington’s and Spinal Muscular Atrophy raises hopes that diseases such as Alzheimer’s and ALS could be tackled using a new class of drugs.

 Do adult human brains renew their neurons?

One paper says “yes”. Another says “no”

 How COVID-19 Attacks The Brain And May Cause Lasting Damage

Many patients who are hospitalized for COVID-19 are discharged with symptoms such as those associated with a brain injury. These include "forgetfulness that impairs their ability to function," de Erausquin says. "They complain about trouble with organizing their tasks, and that entails things such as being able to prepare a meal."

 The dementia that can be cured

There are more than 200 subtypes of dementia. And researchers have found that in one, confusion and memory loss can be treated. But the trick is to spot it…

An unexpected pathway to treating neurodegenerative diseases

Scientific success stories can sometimes occur when therapies being studied for one disease can be used to treat another.

Drug treatment targets mutant proteins to stop neurodegenerative diseases

Designer therapies are treatments tailored to a specific disease, and nowhere is the need greater for new therapies than in a group of nervous system disorders, known as “neurodegenerative diseases.” Many of these diseases are common and well-known, such as Alzheimer’s or Parkinson’s disease. However, some are very rare, genetic disorders that are the consequence of a defective gene. In all these diseases, a mutant protein that misfolds causes the degeneration and death of neurons. One effective therapeutic strategy is to prevent the rogue protein from ever being made.

Google's Calico Strikes Deal to Advance Treatments for Neurodegenerative Disorders

Calico, the long-quiet Google-backed venture focused on diseases associated with aging, is starting to make some noise. On Thursday, the life sciences company announced a partnership with the University of Texas Southwestern Medical Center and 2M Cos. aimed at developing treatments for neurodegenerative disorders like Parkinson’s disease and ALS.

Lost for Words

A disease called primary progressive aphasia gradually robs people of their language skills while leaving their minds intact.

Neurostress: How Stress May Fuel Neurodegenerative Diseases

While scientists have already catalogued the effect of our surroundings and environment on psychological conditions – including depression and anxiety disorders – new studies suggest that stress may also figure into the complex equation that determines if someone will develop a neurodegenerative disease or not. Because stress can be mitigated through lifestyle changes, people may finally gain some control over these devastating, and feared, illnesses.

The Molecular Clock and Neurodegenerative Disease: A Stressful Time

The symptoms of neurodegeneration can include loss of motor control, cognitive decline, and mood changes, depending on the affected area of the nervous system. One of the early indicators that the circadian system is impacted by neurodegenerative disease was the observation that some patients have aggravated symptomology during the early evening hours, which is known as Sundown Syndrome.

U.S. Burden of Neurodegenerative Disease

Neurodegenerative disease arises when nerve cells in the brain or other parts of the nervous system lose function and eventually die. Currently available treatments may relieve some of the associated symptoms, but there are no known cures.