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Written by Ray Truant, PhDEdited by Celeste Suart, PhD How the gut helps clean the brain In 2013, neuroscientists used mouse models to show that during deep Random Eye Movement (REM) sleep, the structure of the brain changes, opens up like a sponge to help clear out metabolites and misfolded Read More…
Written by Anastasiya Potapenko Edited by Asmer Aliyeva Tiny tags, big impact: new research reveals chemical tags on ataxin-3 protein influences its behavior and may contribute to brain cell death in SCA3. The genetic cause of spinocerebellar ataxia type 3 (SCA3) was discovered over three decades ago. Since then, scientists Read More…
Written by Tala Ortiz Edited by Celeste Suart, PhD Ever wonder if experiences early in life impact symptoms of a genetic disease? Researchers found that genetics isn’t the only thing to consider in SCA6 Does the environment play a role in genetic diseases? That is the question these authors aim to answer in the context Read More…
Written by Ross Pelzel Edited by Dr. Larissa Nitschke New mouse studies show that mutant ataxin-2 causes dramatically more damage in older animals, revealing aging as an independent driver of disease severity In Afonso et al. 2022, the authors set out to understand how age influences the development of symptoms in spinocerebellar ataxia Read More…
Written by Yujia Li Edited by Celeste Suart, PhD Walking test in a hospital is not the same as walking at home. Wearable sensors show that real-world walking is more variable than in the hospital. We don’t usually think about how we walk until walking starts to feel different. Walking actually takes more effort than we realize. In spinocerebellar ataxia (SCA) patients, changes Read More…
Written by Élyse Zadigue-Dubé Edited by Priscila Pereira Sena New research in SCA6 mouse models suggests boosting BDNF-TrkB signaling could change the game. Is there a world where an SCA6 diagnosis does not equate to a life sentence of motor incoordination? A study by Cook and colleagues investigated a signaling Read More…
A computer tomography (CT) scan, also called a CAT scan, is a diagnostic imaging procedure that uses X-rays and a computer to help doctors see inside your body. CT scans provide detailed, cross-sectional pictures of bones, soft tissues, and organs that doctors can use to detect problems like injuries, infections, Read More…
Written by Anastasiya Potapenko Edited by Priscila Pereira Sena New clues into SCA1: RNA gets trapped inside toxic ataxin-1 clumps in brain cells, disrupting the production of proteins and contributing to disease. To develop treatments for human diseases such as spinocerebellar ataxia type 1 (SCA1), researchers need models that reflect Read More…
Escrito por Alexandra Putka Editado por la Dra. Pragya Goel Traducido por Daphne Rincon ¿Te sientes cansado(a)? No estás solo(a). La fatiga es un síntoma común de las ataxias espinocerebelosas y afecta la calidad de vida. Las ataxias espinocerebelosas (también reconocidas como SCAs) se caracterizan por diversos síntomas, pero la fatiga no siempre está incluida en esta lista. Clínicamente, la fatiga se define como la dificultad para iniciar Read More…
Written by Jacen Emerson Edited by Juan Mato Repurposed steroid hormone prevents cell death and motor symptoms in animal models of SCA3 A New Treatment and Biomarker for SCA3? Duarte-Silva and colleagues in Portugal recently investigated a drug called tauroursodeoxycholic acid (TUDCA) in an effort to establish new treatments for Read More…
