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Ataxia

Snapshot: What is Spasticity?

Spasticity is a condition where muscles involuntarily stiffen, impeding normal smooth movements. Spasticity can present in varying severities with varying impacts on daily life. For example, minor spasticity resulting in overly stiff muscles can make precise, dextrous tasks difficult, whereas painful, uncontrollable muscle spasms can cause confinement to bed rest. Read More…

Snapshot: What is Articulation?

Articulation refers to the ability to produce speech sounds using the tongue, lips, jaw, and the roof of your mouth. All of these organs are also known as articulators. The term “articulation” comes from the Latin word “articulatio,” which means “a joint” or “a connection.” In the context of speech Read More…

Snapshot: What is Resonance?

In speech-language pathology, the term resonance refers to nasality in speech. In other words, how nasal a person’s speech sounds. When someone is congested, they likely sound hyponasal, or not nasal enough. This is because the congestion is blocking sound from being resonated in the nasal cavity, or the nose. Read More…

Snapshot: What are Microglia?

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…

Genetic variants in the NPTX1 gene cause cerebellar ataxia

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…

Cientistas desenvolvem uma nova abordagem para avaliar ataxia em casa

Escrito por Ziyang ZhaoEditado por Dr. Hayley McLoughlinTraduzido para o Português por Priscila Pereira Sena Um aplicativo para celulares recentemente desenvolvido permitirá aos pacientes avaliar a ataxia em casa. Há um problema interessante em ciência frequentemente ofuscado pelos cientistas. Não é tão chamativo ou de grande interesse jornalístico como as Read More…

Snapshot: What is the parallel rod floor test?

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…

Regional differences in BDNF levels provide new insights into SCA1 pathology

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…

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